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Hot Topic Webinar – Respiratory Supportive Care: A flexible model of respiratory & palliative care for patients with advanced lung disease
Patients with advanced lung disease often have higher symptom burden and lower quality of life than patients with advanced lung cancer. Additionally, as their disease progresses these patients require frequent hospitalisation with their length of hospital stay estimated to be twice the average. Worldwide, the financial cost to healthcare services is significant.
To better meet the complex needs of these patients, an innovative program based on best available international evidence was established at a large metropolitan Australian health service. The respiratory supportive care service is an ambulatory, flexible care model that consists of a respiratory supportive care outpatient clinic, and a physician home visit for patients with barriers to attending the clinic. The service has been robustly analysed to describe the model of care, and to measure the impact on health care utilisation. Overall, health care utilisation decreased following review, with a 33% decrease in acute hospital admissions, and a 38% decrease in admission length. The service continues to grow and develop in response to the needs of its patients.
The presentation by Dr Julie McDonald from St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, will be of particular value to all health care professionals who care for patients with advanced lung disease.
Dr Julie McDonald is dual trained in Respiratory Medicine and Palliative Care which allows her to provide continuity of care for patients with advanced lung disease. Her specialty focus includes lung oncology patients and those with advanced non-malignant lung disease. Her active areas of clinical and research interest are that of symptom control of breathlessness and cough and the integration of early palliative care and advance care planning in the advanced lung disease patient group.
Julie is internationally published in the areas of breathlessness management and palliative care. She was recently awarded research funding to extend her areas of interest and she also received a young investigator of the year award.
