Table 1 Characteristics of regional palliative care networks (networks), palliative care teams and project teams

Number of inhabitants in network region in 2017

415.000

460.000

380.000

425.000

Number of deceased patients in network region in 2017

3958

4286

3722

4275

Number of hospitals in network region

1

1

2

2

Number of member organisations

10

20

23

28

Geographical characteristics

A medium-sized city with surroundings

A medium-sized city with surroundings

Three rural sub- regions, with medium-sized cities as well as rural regions

Two sub-regions: a medium-sized city with surroundings and a rural region

 Baseline situation in 2017

One hospital PCT and one regional PCT (based in another region)

One hospital PCT and one regional PCT

Two hospital PCTs and one regional PCT

Two hospital PCTs and one regional PCT

No earlier attempts to develop one transmural palliative care consultation service

At the start of the current program, both teams had already prepared a business plan for further integration of the hospital PCT and regional PCT

At the start of the current program, the hospital PCTs and regional PCT already shared consultants.

No earlier attempts to develop one transmural palliative care consultation service

No earlier attempts to develop one transmural palliative care consultation service

 • Number of consultations in 2017

56

33

For one hospital: unknown, for the other hospital: < 3

Unknown

 • Number of consultations in 2017

< 10^a

11

26

47

 Total number of members of the project team

10

14

11

11

  - General practitioner

1

1

1

2

  - Hospital physician

–

3

2

1

  - Nursing home physician

1

2

2

2

  - Home care nurse

1

1

–

–

  - Hospice nurse

1

–

–

–

  - Hospital nurse

2

2

2

2

  - Nursing home nurse

1

1

1

–

 • Project team coordinator

1

1

1

1

 • Network coordinator

1

1

1

1

 • Representative of the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL)

–

1

–

1

 • Researcher

1

1

1

1

Number of meetings of the project team

14

18

9

5 and several meetings of sub-teams