Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Our population is aging and there are a growing number of Nursing Home (NH) residents who benefit from ambulance transport to the Emergency Department (ED), which are not known to be �senior friendly� and are often on surge capacity. Simultaneously, we face a reduced availability of General Practitioners (GP) to visit these patients prior their transport to the ED. Hypothesis: Many NH patients are transported by ambulance to the ED without having benefitted from a medical evaluation on site. Palliative and end of life care could sometimes be provided on site rather than having the patient transported. Setting: The State of Vaud (Switzerland) dispatch centre sends ambulances and, when a life-threatening situation is suspected, a Pre-hospital Emergency Physician (PEP) too. Results: We previously published a case series where PEPs have been able to provide palliative and end of life care on site, according to the patient and relative�s will, and we with the support of the NH. Discussion: EMS systems that dispose of PEPs should use this resource not only for life-threatening emergencies but also to provide palliative and end of life care, when all parties (patient, relatives, NH) agree with this strategy, therefore avoiding unnecessary transport to crowded ED.

Biography

Email: Fabrice.Dami@chuv.ch