Timely integration of palliative care (PC) into standard oncology hospital care offers significant benefits to patients with incurable cancer and their families. International recognition of the importance of timely PC has shifted the focus from integration to determining the optimal timing for introducing PC. The specific care responsibilities of oncology clinicians acting as generalists in PC and the optimal timing for involving PC specialists remain uncertain.

This study aimed to (1) explore how the concept of “timely PC” is understood by oncology clinicians and patients with incurable cancer and (2) investigate how PC is provided in a timely manner in daily clinical practice.

An interview study was conducted with 18 oncology clinicians (7 physicians, 1 physician assistant, and 10 nurses/nurse practitioners) and 12 patients with incurable cancer. The interviews were conducted between October 2022 and June 2023 and a thematic analysis of the interviews was performed.

Three main themes emerged regarding “timely PC”: (1) timely PC is individual and situational, (2) identification of the right time is an ongoing challenge, and (3) proactive care is essential. Regarding the provision of timely PC, 3 themes were identified: (1) having a strong collaboration among various clinicians, (2) having the courage to start a clear and sincere conversation, and (3) being sensitive and personal.

Being timely is not a fixed point in time, but depends on the individual patient and their situation. Clinicians should be proactive and gradual in bringing up PC-related topics and be careful to use the right words. Tools such as the surprise question can support in timely integrating PC but being timely PC highly depends on a patient’s individual context. Therefore, clinicians should be aware that timely PC is a constant search for the most fitting moment.