Palliative Medicine
Lead Consultant and Assistant Professor: Dr. Prasun P
Overview
The Specialist Palliative Medicine Services at ACTREC commenced in September 2022 with outpatient care. Today, we offer state-of-the-art, evidence-based interventions to manage cancer related pain and other symptoms, psychological distress, and the practical challenges faced by patients and caregivers in decision making and ensuring continuity of care. At ACTREC, we provide holistic symptom management not only for patients with advanced cancer but also for those undergoing curative intent treatments and cancer survivors experiencing high symptom burden in line with the international recommendations. Our commitment is to enhance the quality of life and cancer care experience for our patients by combining compassionate medical care with cutting-edge research and education.
Outpatient clinic: Our outpatient services include dedicated full-time clinics operating five days a week
Acute Palliative Medicine Unit: A dedicated Acute Palliative Medicine Unit which provides inpatient care for patients with complex and refractory symptoms, as well as end-of-life care for those with Intense symptom distress.
Emergency care: The unit also offers emergency services round the clock, ensuring timely management of acute crises and distress.
Consultation-liaison: We follow a consultation-liaison model for inpatients, offering specialist palliative care consultations to patients admitted under other specialties to ensure comprehensive symptom management and support
Home based care: Our Home Care team provides teleconsultations and home visits for patients within a designated geographical region, ensuring continuity of care while alleviating logistical and financial burdens for our patients with poor permormance status.
Our core team comprises specialist palliative medicine physicians, psychiatrist, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and volunteers, supported by an extended team that includes dieticians, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. The Palliative Medicine team collaborates closely with oncologists and other specialties at ACTREC in a highly integrated manner.
We actively contribute to medical education by providing training to MD (Palliative Medicine) residents from TMH and hosting observers from diverse backgrounds who seek to learn the palliative care approach. We also host dissertation trainees pursuing Pharm D for a deeper understanding of the discipline through the department of clinical pharmacology. Additionally, we train and empower institutes and physicians in public healthcare settings to integrate basic palliative care into their practice, thereby expanding access for patients in need.
Research is an integral part of our mission. We focus on patient-reported outcomes, precision medicine, developmental and delivery research, quality of life studies, and integrative medicine studies.
| Sr. No. | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dr. Prasun P | MBBS, MD Palliative Medicine |
| 2. | Dr. Priyanka Banokar | MBBS, DPM |
| 3. | Mrs. Sangeeta Kamble | Senior Staff Nurse |