Skip Navigation



Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on August 4, 2009
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp318
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cherny, N.
Right arrow Articles by Strasser, F.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cherny, N.
Right arrow Articles by Strasser, F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Program for the Integration of Oncology and Palliative Care: a 5-year review of the Designated Centers' incentive program

N. Cherny1,*, R. Catane2, D. Schrijvers3, M. Kloke4 and F. Strasser5

1 Department of Oncology, Cancer Pain and Palliative Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem
2 Department of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
3 Department of Hemato-Oncology, Ziekenhuisnetwerk Antwerpen-Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium
4 Center for Palliative Medicine, Kliniken Essen Mitte, Essen, Germany
5 Oncological Palliative Care, Oncology Department Internal Medicine and Palliative Care Center, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland

* Correspondence to: Dr N. Cherny, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Pain and Palliative Medicine Service, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem 91031, Israel. Tel: +972-2-6555111; Fax: +972-2-6666731; E-mail: chernyn{at}netvision.net.il

Background: In 1999, the National Representatives of European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) created a Palliative Care Working Group to improve the delivery of supportive and palliative care (S + PC) by oncologists, oncology departments and cancer centers. They have addressed this task through initiatives in policy, education, research and incentives. As an incentive program for oncology departments and centers, ESMO developed a program of Designated Centers (DCs) for programs meeting predetermined targets of service development and delivery of a high level of S + PC.

Method: The history, accreditation criteria and implementation of the DC incentive program is described.

Results: Since 2004, 75 centers have applied for designation and 48 have been accredited including 34 comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) in general hospitals and seven freestanding CCCs. Perceived benefits accrued from the accreditation included the following: improved status and role identification of the center, positive impact on daily work, positive impact on business activity and positive impact on funding for projects.

Conclusions: The accreditation of DCs has been a central to the ESMO initiative to improve the palliative care provided by oncologists and oncology centers. It is likely that many other oncology departments and cancer centers already meet the criteria and ESMO strongly encourages them to apply for accreditation.

European Society for Medical Oncology, education, Oncology, palliative care, supportive care

Received for publication March 25, 2009. Revision received May 4, 2009. Accepted for publication May 5, 2009.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.