The aim should be to have palliative care recognized as a part of routine
health care provision and funded in a similar manner
! this requires that palliative care services be audited and the professional
staff accredited as for any other health care service
Organizational accreditation
! in some countries, national palliative care associations have developed
criteria or standards of care by which palliative care services are judged
or accredited
o these standards are designed to assess
" whether a service is operating efficiently (to satisfy
government agencies or whoever is funding the service)
" whether a service is meeting the needs of its patients (to
maintain the good name of palliative care and satisfy
members of the community)
! accreditation audits are usually performed every 3 to 5 years
Professional accreditation
! in some countries, professional medical and nursing organisations have
established postgraduate qualifications for specialists in palliative care
o the criteria to obtain these qualifications varies, but might include
" a specified number of years working in palliative care
" attendance at regular courses of continuing education
" studying for a specialist diploma or degree in palliative care
! in any particular country, the accreditation of doctors and nurses in
palliative care should be the same as for any other specialty
! as in all other medical and nursing disciplines, continuing professional
education is essential and must be factored into staff management
plans