Why carry out this study?

Access to palliative care early in the cancer disease trajectory is recommended.

Description of delivery models of integrated cancer and palliative care within smaller hospitals and integrated with community care in rural districts is lacking.

This publication presents the development and operation of a fully integrated decentralized cancer- and palliative care program at an outpatient clinic at a local hospital in a rural region of Mid-Norway.

What was learned from this study?

Cancer and palliative care were at the outpatient clinic provided by one team of healthcare professionals trained in both fields collaborating closely with the other departments at the hospital, the affiliated tertiary hospital and health and care services in the surrounding communities.

A high proportion of cancer patients attending the integrated outpatient clinic was treated with non-curative intention and had low symptom burden, making it possible to offer palliative care services at an early stage of the cancer disease before symptoms became severe.