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Bonares M, Mah K, Christiansen D, Granton J, Weiss A, Lau C, Rodin G, Zimmermann C, Wentlandt K. Pulmonary referrals to specialist palliative medicine: a survey. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2021:bmjspcare-2021-003386. [PMID: 34862240 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2021-003386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Patients with chronic respiratory disease have significant palliative care needs, but low utilisation of specialist palliative care (SPC) services. Decreased access to SPC results in unmet palliative care needs among this patient population. We sought to determine the referral practices to SPC among respirologists in Canada. METHODS Respirologists across Canada were invited to participate in a survey about their referral practices to SPC. Associations between referral practices and demographic, professional and attitudinal factors were analysed using regression analyses. RESULTS The response rate was 64.7% (438/677). Fifty-nine per cent of respondents believed that their patients have negative perceptions of palliative care and 39% were more likely to refer to SPC earlier if it was renamed supportive care. While only 2.7% never referred to SPC, referral was late in 52.6% of referring physicians. Lower frequency of referral was associated with equating palliative care to end-of-life care (p<0.001), male sex of respirologist (p=0.019), not knowing referral criteria of SPC services (p=0.015) and agreement that SPC services prioritise patients with cancer (p=0.025); higher referral frequency was associated with satisfaction with SPC services (p=0.001). Late referral was associated with equating palliative care to end-of-life care (p<0.001) and agreement that SPC services prioritise patients with cancer (p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS Possible barriers to respirologists' timely SPC referral include misperceptions about palliative care, lack of awareness of referral criteria and the belief that SPC services prioritise patients with cancer. Future studies should confirm these barriers and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bonares
- Division of Palliative Care, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenneth Mah
- Department of Supportive Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Christiansen
- Section of Respiratory Medicine, St Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - John Granton
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Respirology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Weiss
- Department of Supportive Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Lau
- Division of Palliative Care, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gary Rodin
- Department of Supportive Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Camilla Zimmermann
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Supportive Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kirsten Wentlandt
- Department of Supportive Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Smallwood N, Currow D, Booth S, Spathis A, Irving L, Philip J. Attitudes to specialist palliative care and advance care planning in people with COPD: a multi-national survey of palliative and respiratory medicine specialists. BMC Palliat Care 2018; 17:115. [PMID: 30322397 PMCID: PMC6190649 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-018-0371-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines recommend early access to palliative care together with optimal, disease-directed therapy for people with advanced disease, however, this occurs infrequently. This study explored the approaches of respiratory and palliative medicine specialists to palliative care and advance care planning (ACP) in advanced COPD. Methods An online survey was emailed to all specialists and trainees in respiratory medicine in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and to all palliative medicine specialists and trainees in ANZ and the United Kingdom. Results Five hundred seventy-seven (33.1%) responses were received, with 440 (25.2%) complete questionnaires included from 177 respiratory and 263 palliative medicine doctors. Most respiratory doctors (140, 80.9%) were very or quite comfortable providing a palliative approach themselves to people with COPD. 113 (63.8%) respiratory doctors recommended referring people with advanced COPD to specialist palliative care, mainly for access to: psychosocial and spiritual care (105, 59.3%), carer support (104, 58.5%), and end-of-life care (94, 53.1%). 432 (98.2%) participants recommended initiating ACP discussions. Palliative medicine doctors were more likely to recommend discussing: what palliative care is (p < 0.0001), what death and dying might be like (p < 0.0001) and prognosis (p = 0.004). Themes highlighted in open responses included: inadequate, fragmented models of care, with limited collaboration or support from palliative care services. Conclusions While both specialties recognised the significant palliative care and ACP needs of people with advanced COPD, in reality few patients access these elements of care. Formal collaboration and bi-directional support between respiratory and palliative medicine, are required to address these unmet needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Smallwood
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia. .,Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia.
| | - David Currow
- IMPACCT - Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Anna Spathis
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Louis Irving
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia
| | - Jennifer Philip
- Palliative Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital and Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,St Vincent's Hospital, Victoria Parade, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia
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