Table 1.
Delivery of care among government and nongovernment palliative care providers in Kerala, India (n=200)
| PCPs | ||
|---|---|---|
| GO (n=100) (%) | NGO (n=100) (%) | |
| Setting of care | ||
| Home visit | 100 | 98 |
| Outpatient clinic | 94 | 78 |
| Inpatient unit | 2 | 14 |
| Annual case volumes (median) | ||
| New patients | 183 | 159 |
| Home visits | 1398 | 979 |
| Outpatient visits | 600 | 520 |
| Members of the clinical team | ||
| Physicians | 94 | 40 |
| Nurses | 100 | 97 |
| Social workers | 10 | 31 |
| Physiotherapists | 97 | 46 |
| Pharmacists | 66 | 35 |
| Community volunteers | 34 | 94 |
| Documentation of symptoms | ||
| Pain (always/often) | 21 | 65 |
| Psychosocial concerns (always/often) | 4 | 48 |
| Access to opioids* | ||
| RMI status | 0 | 36 |
| Morphine availability (always/often) | 57 | 55 |
| Psychosocial supports | ||
| Bereavement support/follow-up | 36 | 83 |
| Education supports | 4 | 42 |
| Physical rehabilitation | 52 | 53 |
| Vocational support | 2 | 25 |
*RMI able to prescribe/store/dispense oral morphine. Government hospitals are deemed RMIs. Hospitals which are not RMI status can often access morphine by local referral networks. RMIs: Recognized Medical Institutions, PCPs: Palliative care providers, GO: Government, NGO: Non-GO