Palliative care programmes for people with conditions other than cancer in Thailand: a literature review

Abstract

Background: Thailand has few studies on palliative care programmes for people with conditions other than cancer. Objective: The objective of this review was to investigate and discuss existing studies of palliative care programmes for non-cancer patients in Thailand. Methods: A literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar to find research conducted from 2000 to 2020. The search found 29 articles, eight of which met the inclusion criteria. Results: The eight articles included in this review were focused on four end-stage renal disease (ESRD) programmes, two congestive heart failure (CHF) programmes, one chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) programme and one stroke programme. Conclusions: There have been few studies of existing palliative care programmes for non-cancer patients in Thailand. These programmes were developed for persons with ESRD, CHF, COPD and stroke, whereas none were available for people with dementia. More palliative care programmes are needed for non-cancer patients.