A Narrative Review of Problems in Learning and Practicing Palliative Care in Neurology Clinics in Japan and Proposed Solutions

Abstract

As the understanding of the role of palliative care in neurology increases, there is the need to ensure that these developments include not only care at home and in hospitals but also in clinics. There are no reports on palliative care from neurology clinics in Japan, and this paper considers the problems and proposed solutions for improving palliative care provided at neurology clinics in Japan. In Japan, physicians in neurology clinics are extremely busy both during and after office hours with medical treatment and the preparation of various documents and are unable to conduct case conferences. Moreover, the education system for palliative care, especially for lifelong education, is not sufficient, and multidisciplinary cooperation is difficult due to the lack of specialists and their scattered locations. To improve the care provided for patients and their families, general palliative care should be included in the health insurance system with incentives and recognition, and mandatory lifelong education should be established so that all neurologists can provide palliative care. These proposals may be appropriate for other countries as palliative care in neurology is established.