In Colombia, most palliative care is provided in acute care hospitals. In those settings, a palliative care approach could be limited because of a disease-oriented approach instead of patient-centered care. Purpose: To know the framework of a typical Colombian university hospital that provides palliative care services. Material and Methods: In a retrospective manner, the medical records of deceased patients during 2006 were revisited. Results: Most patients were not treated by palliative care specialists, so curative-oriented treatment were common among these patients. Conclusion: In acute hospitals, palliative care teams should paricipate in the care of patients at the start of treatment.
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