Barriers to primary and specialty palliative care
| Disease-related barriers High prognostic uncertainty Rapid decline at the end of life |
| Physician-related barriers Misperception that palliative care is synonymous with end-of-life care Unrealistic physician expectations Not knowing the right thing to say Concern that the term “palliative care” will decrease patients’ hope |
| Patient-related barriers Misperceptions about palliative care Unrealistic patient expectations |
| System-related barriers Lack of universal and systematic symptom screeningLack of universal and standardized training in primary palliative care Limited access to specialty palliative care in some clinical settings Difficulty integrating palliative and oncologic appointment schedules for patients |
| Disease-related barriers High prognostic uncertainty Rapid decline at the end of life |
| Physician-related barriers Misperception that palliative care is synonymous with end-of-life care Unrealistic physician expectations Not knowing the right thing to say Concern that the term “palliative care” will decrease patients’ hope |
| Patient-related barriers Misperceptions about palliative care Unrealistic patient expectations |
| System-related barriers Lack of universal and systematic symptom screeningLack of universal and standardized training in primary palliative care Limited access to specialty palliative care in some clinical settings Difficulty integrating palliative and oncologic appointment schedules for patients |