Palliative care and haematological malignancy: a case study

Abstract

There is now substantial evidence that patients with haematological malignancies are not referred to the palliative system. Findings from the in-depth qualitative analysis of a successful case study are presented as a paradigmatic example of creative solutions that are available to begin to address this issue of inequity of access. The data provides important insights on the factors that facilitated timely referral to the palliative system, factors that facilitated the opportunity to die at home, a description of important elements of the dying experience, and the outcome of the palliative care experience for the carer. The opportunity for a satisfying dying experience can be afforded to haematology patients. This case study highlights some aspects that need to be considered during the development of palliative services for these diagnostic groups.