Issues in Dutch palliative care: readjusting a distorted image.

This issue presents a review of several issues in Dutch palliative care, paying attention to readjusting a distorted image due to the euthanasia practice in the Netherlands. A few articles stress the evolution of palliative care (especially in the UK and the Netherlands), developed palliative care services in the Netherlands, and new developments in the Netherlands concerning the prevention of euthanasia through palliative care. Also the needs concerning palliative care for children as well as for chronic psycho-geriatrics patients are presented. Further attention is paid to the organisation of palliative care, focusing at evaluative research on palliative support teams, caring for caregivers (experiences and evaluation of interventions for palliative care teams), and effects of transmural care on coordination and continuity of care. Finally, some articles focus on ethical considerations in the treatment of pain in hospice movement, ethical evaluation of clinical trials in palliative care, and the role of informed consent in palliative radiotherapy, stressing the participation of patients and proxies in treatment decisions. Conclusions are presented on the consequences for educational and counselling aspects of palliative care.