The aim of the HexCom (Complexity Hexagon) is to facilitate the assessment of needs and resources of the people in the last stages of life. It is given at home by a transdisciplinary team and its clinical utility is explored in both the initial evaluation of patients and their families, and after death. It has been divided in six areas of need (medical, psychological, spiritual, social/familiar, ethical, and death), 18 subareas in its final version, and four areas of resources and strengths. It is applied in a restrospective study on patients with terminal brain tumor and on a prospective study in terminal patients with no cancer. It is a brief but complete instrument that enables a cross-disciplinary approach to the complexity of the daily clinical practice and it is capable of detecting the changes throughout the patient care at the end of life process.
Keywords
palliative care, needs assessment, home care
Xavier Busquet i Duran leave a comment