Editing Palliative care (section)

=== 2.2. Professions participating at the secondary healthcare level ===

At the secondary healthcare level, especially in the context of palliative care, the practice of coordinating and providing care between hospitals and hospital systems varies considerably. An example of good practice in the care of palliative patients is KBC Rijeka, which has become a pioneer in the integration of care for palliative patients. KBC Rijeka founded the Department of Integrated and Palliative Care as a valuable resource that promotes interdisciplinarity, intersectoral cooperation and, in general, cooperation with outpatient stakeholders in health and social care in the field of care for palliative patients.

Hospital palliative care teams, made up of a physician and one or more nurses, have been established in some hospitals. These teams represent newly established organizational units whose primary purpose is to ensure the smooth transition of patients from the hospital environment to home or community care. They achieve this by planning the discharge of patients from the hospital in a way that ensures continuity of care and timely information to stakeholders at the primary health care level. Also, these teams provide support and education to family members to ensure that the patient receives the necessary care and support after discharge from the hospital. At the level of the Republic of Croatia, these teams have been implemented in several hospitals, such as the Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, which shows a trend of comprehensive integration of palliative care into the national health system.

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