[Availability of Palliative Care Units and Outpatient Services in Japan - A Nation-Wide Survey].

We conducted a nation-wide survey to clarify the availability of palliative care units and outpatient palliative care services in Japan. We sent 306 questionnaires to the managing physicians of all certified palliative care units, and obtained 243 responses (79%). Eighteen percent reported that patients undergoing anti-cancer treatment are not able to apply for admission; 82% offered outpatient services. In 20% of the institutions, waiting time before admission was 11 days or longer for patients with pain and a predicted prognosis of less than 1 month. Only 10% reported that all patients who expressed a desire for admission were actually able to be admitted. Oncologists and palliative care physicians need to discuss the creation of a system so that all patients who want them can actually avail of palliative care services.