Multiple evaluation of a hospital-based palliative care consultation team in a university hospital: Activities, patient outcome, and referring staff's view

Palliative Care Outcome Scale Assessment for Cancer Patients Eligible for Palliative Care: Perspectives on the Relationship between Patient-Reported Outcome and Objective Assessments

(1) Background: The importance of patient-reported outcome (PRO), i.e., prioritizing patient voice, has increased in cancer treatment, as well as palliative and supportive settings. The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS), a hybrid evaluation consisting of "patient evaluation" (PRO) and "peer evaluation" by medical professionals, was developed as a successor version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) in 2013 and has been utilized worldwide. The Japanese version of the IPOS (IPOS-J) was developed and released in 2019. The purpose of this study was to explore the applicability of the IPOS-J to clinical practice in the future. (2) Methods: We conducted the following two studies with terminally ill cancer patients: (i) Can an evaluation with the IPOS-J performed by medical professionals (peer evaluation) replace the STAS-J evaluation? (ii) Can the quality of palliative care improve by combining the IPOS-J patient evaluation with the peer evaluation? (3) Results: The overall intervention rate and urgent intervention rate for the STAS-J and IPOS-J was 34.4 vs. 34.1% (p = 0.91) and 10.4 vs. 9.9% (p = 0.78), respectively. The patients selected "intervention required" but the medical professionals selected "no intervention required" in 47 cases. The medical team performed appropriate intervention after re-assessment. As a result, more than 70% of the patients were "intervention-free" after 1 week of intervention. (4) Conclusions: The IPOS-J peer evaluation was as useful as the STAS-J evaluation. A hybrid type of evaluation, combining patient evaluation (PRO) and peer evaluation, may help us to understand patient needs and improve the quality of palliative care.

Cultures that collide: an ethnographic study of the introduction of a palliative care consultation team on acute wards

Background

Acute care and palliative care (PC) are described as different incompatible organisational care cultures. Few studies have observed the actual meeting between these two cultures. In this paper we report part of ethnographic results from an intervention study where a palliative care consultation team (PCCT) used an integrative bedside education approach, trying to embed PC principles and interventions into daily practice in acute wards.

Purpose

To study the meeting and interaction of two different care cultures, palliative care and curative acute wards, when a PCCT introduces consulting services to acute wards regarding end-of-life palliative care, focusing on the differences between the cultures.

Methods

An ethnographic study design was used, including observations, interviews and diary entries. A PCCT visited acute care wards during 1 year. The analysis was inspired by Spradleys ethnography.

Results

Three themes were found: 1) Anticipations meets reality; 2) Valuation of time and prioritising; and 3) The content and creation of palliative care.

Conclusion

There are many differences in values, and the way PC are provided in the acute care wards compared to what a PCCT expects. The didactic challenges are many and the PC require effort.

Effect of continual quality improvement of palliative care consultation teams by iterative, customer satisfaction survey-driven evaluation

Background

Current consensus recognizes the benefits of early intervention in palliative care consultation teams (PCCTs). As consultants, we should now attempt to improve the quality of our teams by utilizing a method mainly used in the business field. We aimed to investigate the effects of iterative evaluation of customer satisfaction surveys, filled by physicians and ward nurses in this study, for quality improvement of PCCTs.

Methods

In October 2019, the participants filled the first questionnaire survey about palliative care and PCCTs at a 678-bed hospital, and improvement areas were uncovered. Refinements were planned and implemented, and then reevaluated using the second questionnaire survey in March 2020.

Results

In addition to the characteristics of our clients evaluated from approximately 500 valid responses, the first survey showed that the response rate of the questionnaire, knowledge of palliative care and PCCTs, and publicity of the PCCT were recognized as issues needing attention. We planned to contrive ways to collect questionnaires, hold monthly workshops for palliative care, launch newsletters of palliative care, and go on client rounds. The second survey revealed improvements in the physicians’ response rate (p = 0.02), the accuracy rate of application of PCCTs in Japan (p < 0.01), and ward nurses’ confidence in opioid use (p = 0.04) and tendency toward easier accessibility to the PCCT (p = 0.07).

Conclusion

Continual quality improvements through iterative, customer satisfaction survey-driven evaluation are a widely established practice in the business field. By using this appropriately, we could enable PCCTs to improve their quality.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00741-2.

Impact of palliative care consult service in inpatient hospital setting: a systematic literature review

OBJECTIVES

Despite a number of studies on effectiveness of palliative care, there is a lack of complex updated review of the impact of in-hospital palliative care consult service. The objective is to update information on the impact of palliative care consult service in inpatient hospital setting.

METHODS

This study was a systematic literature review, following the standard protocols (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Joanna Briggs Institute tools) to ensure the transparent and robust review procedure. The effect of palliative care consult service was classified as being associated with improvement, no difference, deterioration or mixed results in specific outcomes. PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate and SocINDEX were systematically searched up to February 2020. Studies were included if they focused on the impact of palliative care consult service caring for adult palliative care patients and their families in inpatient hospital setting.

RESULTS

After removing duplicates, 959 citations were screened of which 49 full-text articles were retained. A total of 28 different outcome variables were extracted. 18 of them showed positive effects within patient, family, staff and healthcare system domains. No difference was observed in patient survival and depression. Inconclusive results represented patient social support and staff satisfaction with care.

CONCLUSIONS

Palliative care consult service has a number of positive effects for patients, families, staff and healthcare system. More research is needed on factors such as patient spiritual well-being, social support, performance, family understanding of patient diagnosis or staff stress.

No ordinary consultation - a qualitative inquiry of hospital palliative care consultation services

PURPOSE

Considering the great need for palliative care in hospitals, it is essential for hospital staff to have palliative care knowledge. Palliative consultations have been shown to have positive effects on in-hospital care. However, barriers to contact with and uptake of palliative consultation advice are reported, posing a need for further knowledge about the process of palliative consultations. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine how palliative consultations in hospitals are practised, as perceived by consultants and health care professionals on receiving wards.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

Focus groups with palliative care consultation services, health care personnel from receiving wards and managers of consultation services. Interpretive description and constant comparative method guided the analysis.

FINDINGS

Variations were seen in several aspects of practice, including approach to practice and represented professions. The palliative consultants were perceived to contribute by creating space for palliative care, adding palliative knowledge and approach, enhancing cooperation and creating opportunity to ameliorate transition. Based on a perception of carrying valuable perspectives and knowledge, a number of consultation services utilised proactive practices that took the initiative in relation to the receiving wards.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

A lack of policy and divergent views on how to conceptualise palliative care appeared to be associated with variations in consultation practices, tentative approaches and a bottom-up driven development. This study adds knowledge, implying theoretical transferability as to how palliative care consultations can be practised, which is useful when designing and starting new consultation services.

Impact, challenges and limits of inpatient palliative care consultations - perspectives of requesting and conducting physicians

Background

Inpatient palliative care consultation (IPCC) teams have been established to improve care for patients with specialist palliative care (PC) needs throughout all hospital departments. The objective is to explore physicians’ perceptions on the impact of IPCC, its triggers, challenges and limits, and their suggestions for future service improvements.

Methods

A Qualitative study drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 PC specialists of an IPCC team and nine IPCC requesting physicians from oncology and non-oncological departments of a university hospital. Analysis was performed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

PC specialists and IPCC requesting physicians likewise considered organization of further care and symptom-burden as main reasons for IPCC requests. The main impact however was identified from both as improvement of patients’ (and their caregivers’) coping strategies and relief of the treating team. Mostly, PC specialists emphasized a reduction of symptom burden, and improvement of further care. Challenges in implementing IPCC were lack of time for both. PC specialists addressed requesting physicians’ skepticism towards PC. Barriers for realization of IPCC included structural aspects for both: limited time, staff capacities and setting. PC specialists saw problems in implementing recommendations like disagreement towards their suggestions. All interviewees considered education in PC a sensible approach for improvement.

Conclusions

IPCC show various positive effects in supporting physicians and patients, but are also limited due to structural problems, lack of knowledge, insecurity, and skepticism by the requesting physicians. To overcome some of these challenges implementation of PC education programs for all physicians would be beneficial.

Palliative Care Consultation Is Underutilized in Critically Ill General Surgery Patients

Background:

American College of Surgeons recommends palliative care and surgeons collaborate on the care of patients with poor prognoses. These collaborations are done to discuss symptom management and goals of care. However, contemporary practice patterns of palliative care consultation for surgical patients are poorly defined. We aim to describe the use of palliative care consultation for patients admitted to our institution’s surgical services who died during their index hospital admission.

Methods:

The Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer 2014 to 2016 was queried for patients admitted to general surgery services who died during their admission. Secondary measures included length of stay, time spent in consultation, days from consultation to death, and execution of a care plan.

Results:

Of the 105 patients identified, 6 died on the day of admission, and 39 (37%) received palliative care consultation. Our data showed that patients who received consultation were generally older, white, and insured. Median number of days between palliative consult and death was 3 days (interquartile range: 1-8). Goals-of-care conversations were the indication for consultation in 62.5% of patients. The proposed plan by the consultants was congruent with the primary team in 66.7% of cases.

Conclusions:

Palliative care consultations were underutilized in surgical patients who died while admitted to the general surgical service at our institution. When palliative care is consulted, the plan of the primary surgical team and the palliative team align. Identification of barriers to consultation and promotion of the benefits of palliative care among surgical teams is warranted.

Palliative care team consultation and quality of death and dying in a university hospital: A secondary analysis of a prospective study

PURPOSE

Involvement of palliative care experts improves the quality of life and satisfaction with care of patients who are in the last stage of life. However, little is known about the relation between palliative care expert involvement and quality of dying (QOD) in the hospital. We studied the association between palliative care team (PCT) consultation and QOD in the hospital as experienced by relatives.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a prospective study among relatives of patients who died from cancer in a university hospital and compared characteristics and QOD of patients for whom the PCT was or was not consulted.

RESULTS

175 out of 343 (51%) relatives responded to the questionnaire. In multivariable linear regression PCT was associated with a 1.0 point better QOD (95% CI 0.07-1.96). In most of the subdomains of QOD, we found a non-significant trend towards a more favorable outcome for patients for whom the PCT was consulted. Patients for whom the PCT was consulted had more often discussed their preferences for medical treatment, had more often been aware of their imminent death and had more often been at peace with their imminent death. Further, patients for whom the PCT was consulted and their relatives had more often been able to say goodbye. Relatives had also more often been present at the moment of death when a PCT had been consulted.

CONCLUSION

For patients dying in the hospital, palliative care consultation is associated with a favorable QOD.

What happens during early outpatient palliative care consultations for persons with newly diagnosed advanced cancer? A qualitative analysis of provider documentation

BACKGROUND

Early outpatient palliative care consultations are recommended by clinical oncology guidelines globally. Despite these recommendations, it is unclear which components should be included in these encounters.

AIM

Describe the evaluation and treatment recommendations made in early outpatient palliative care consultations.

DESIGN

Outpatient palliative care consultation chart notes were qualitatively coded and frequencies tabulated.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Outpatient palliative care consultations were automatically triggered as part of an early versus delayed randomized controlled trial (November 2010 to April 2013) for patients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer living in the rural Northeastern US.

RESULTS

In all, 142 patients (early = 70; delayed = 72) had outpatient palliative care consultations. The top areas addressed in these consultations were general evaluations-marital/partner status (81.7%), spirituality/emotional well-being (80.3%), and caregiver/family support (79.6%); symptoms-mood (81.7%), pain (73.9%), and cognitive/mental status (68.3%); general treatment recommendations-counseling (39.4%), maintaining current medications (34.5%), and initiating new medication (23.9%); and symptom-specific treatment recommendations-pain (22.5%), constipation (12.7%), depression (12.0%), advanced directive completion (43.0%), identifying a surrogate (21.8%), and discussing illness trajectory (21.1%). Compared to the early group, providers were more likely to evaluate general pain ( p = 0.035) and hospice awareness ( p = 0.005) and discuss/recommend hospice ( p = 0.002) in delayed group participants.

CONCLUSION

Outpatient palliative care consultations for newly diagnosed advanced cancer patients can address patients' needs and provide recommendations on issues that might not otherwise be addressed early in the disease course. Future prospective studies should ascertain the value of early outpatient palliative care consultations that are automatically triggered based on diagnosis or documented symptom indicators versus reliance on oncologist referral.

Palliative care consultation team on acute wards-an intervention study with pre-post comparisons

ᅟ: There is little evidence regarding primary healthcare team members' perceptions concerning palliative care consultation team (PCCT) and palliative care (PC) issues on their own wards.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to study whether a PCCT can influence and change primary healthcare team members' perceptions regarding the palliative care at the end of life they are providing to patients in their own acute wards.

METHODS

The intervention was a PCCT visiting surgical and internal medicine wards in 1 year. We used a quasi-experimental design with pre-post-testing, measuring at baseline, and after 1 year's intervention. A questionnaire was answered by all primary healthcare team members in three acute wards.

RESULTS

A total of 252 team members (pre-post-intervention n = 132/n = 120) participated in the study. Overall, 11 of the 12 statements scored significantly higher after the intervention than before. Responses varied significantly between different professions and depending on the number of dying patients cared for during the last month. The five with the highest Wald values were as follows: the presence of a break point dialogue with a patient, where the changed aim and focus of care was discussed; early detection of impending death; adequate symptom relief and psychological and existential issues.

CONCLUSION

It is possible to change perceptions about end-of-life care in primary healthcare team members on acute wards. Palliative care consultation teams should be a natural part wherever dying patients are cared for.

Barriers to the Collaboration Between Hematologists and Palliative Care Teams on Relapse or Refractory Leukemia and Malignant Lymphoma Patients’ Care

Background:

Palliative care service (PCS) has been shown to be utilized less in patients with leukemia and malignant lymphoma than in those with solid tumors. Previous studies have suggested hematologists’ limited awareness of PCS as one of the reason for low PCS referral in hematology. However, little is known about such an awareness and potential barriers to collaboration between hematologists and PCS.

Aim:

The present study aimed to assess ematologists and palliative care specialists’ perception about the roles of the hospital-based palliative care team (HPCT) and the barriers to collaboration between hematologists and palliative care teams on relapse or refractory leukemia and malignant lymphoma patients’ care

Materials and Methods:

A qualitative study was conducted using semistructured interviews with hematologists and palliative care specialists recruited from a hospital that provides hematology and palliative care by the HPCT. Data were evaluated via content analysis.

Results:

The study included 11 hematologists and 10 palliative care specialists. Our results revealed that they shared many common perceptions about the roles and expectations of the HPCT. Additionally, 7 categories of barriers to collaboration were identified, including not feeling the need to refer, the difficulty in referral timing, the lack of aggressive approach, the negative image of the HPCT, the need for hematologic malignancy-oriented management, the lack of communication, and others.

Conclusion:

We have identified hematologists’ and palliative care specialists’ perceptions of the HPCT’s roles and the barriers to their collaboration. A better understanding of such barriers may lead to effective collaboration between hematologists and the HPCT.

What are the views of hospital-based generalist palliative care professionals on what facilitates or hinders collaboration with in-patient specialist palliative care teams? A systematically constructed narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Hospital-based specialist palliative care services are common, yet existing evidence of inpatient generalist providers' perceptions of collaborating with hospital-based specialist palliative care teams has never been systematically assessed.

AIM

To assess the existing evidence of inpatient generalist palliative care providers' perceptions of what facilitates or hinders collaboration with hospital-based specialist palliative care teams.

DESIGN

Narrative literature synthesis with systematically constructed search.

DATA SOURCES

PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and ProQuest Social Services databases were searched up to December 2014. Individual journal, citation and reference searching were also conducted. Papers with the views of generalist inpatient professional caregivers who utilised hospital-based specialist palliative care team services were included in the narrative synthesis. Hawker's criteria were used to assess the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

Studies included (n = 23) represented a variety of inpatient generalist palliative care professionals' experiences of collaborating with specialist palliative care. Effective collaboration is experienced by many generalist professionals. Five themes were identified as improving or decreasing effective collaboration: model of care (integrated vs linear), professional onus, expertise and trust, skill building versus deskilling and specialist palliative care operations. Collaboration is fostered when specialist palliative care teams practice proactive communication, role negotiation and shared problem-solving and recognise generalists' expertise.

CONCLUSION

Fuller integration of specialist palliative care services, timely sharing of information and mutual respect increase generalists' perceptions of effective collaboration. Further research is needed regarding the experiences of non-physician and non-nursing professionals as their views were either not included or not explicitly reported.

Current state of psychiatric involvement on palliative care consult services: results of a national survey

CONTEXT

Palliative care consult services have emerged as an excellent resource for physicians seeking help with patients' symptoms. Symptoms include those of a psychiatric nature (e.g., depression, anxiety, delirium); however, little information is known about whether palliative care services include psychiatric input as part of multidisciplinary teams.

OBJECTIVES

To explore 1) the current level of collaboration between psychiatrists and palliative care consult services across the U.S. and 2) the factors that support or restrict such involvement.

METHODS

A national survey was developed and distributed electronically to program directors identified in the National Palliative Care Registry maintained by the Center to Advance Palliative Care. Analyses examined trends in psychiatry involvement with hospital-based palliative care teams.

RESULTS

The survey had a 59% response rate, with final analyses including surveys completed by 260 palliative care program directors (67% inclusion rate from total respondents). Seventy-two percent of respondents reported some form of involvement with a psychiatrist on their palliative care service, with only 10% of those identifying a psychiatrist as a full- or part-time member of the team. Most respondents reported that they would like psychiatrists to be more involved with the palliative care services (71%). Secondary analyses of qualitative responses identified common impediments to increased psychiatry involvement, which included financial constraints, provider interest, and perceived disciplinary disconnect.

CONCLUSION

There are shared objectives between psychiatry and palliative care; however, currently, co-involvement on treatment teams is quite limited. Future research is needed to identify ways to facilitate the interface of palliative care and psychiatry.

Assessment of reasons for referral and activities of hospital palliative care teams using a standard format: a multicenter 1000 case description

CONTEXT

The many benefits of hospital palliative care teams (PCTs) are well known. However, their specific activities have not been fully clarified, and no standardized methods for reporting PCT activities are available.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate, through the use of a standard format, the activities performed by hospital PCTs in Japan.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational study. A total of 21 hospital PCTs were included in this study, and each recruited approximately 50 consecutively referred patients. Participating PCTs filled in a standard form for reporting activities.

RESULTS

We obtained data from 1055 patients who were referred to PCTs. Of the 1055 patients, 1005 patients (95%) had cancer. The median number of reasons for referral and problems identified by PCTs was two (0-22) and four (0-18), respectively. The two major reasons for referral were pain (63%) and anxiety/depression/grief/emotional burden (22%). The major recommendations were pharmacological treatment (74%), care for the patient's physical symptoms (49%), and support for patient's decision making (38%). The major activities performed by the PCTs were comprehensive assessment (90%), care for the patient's physical symptoms (77%), and pharmacological treatment (74%).

CONCLUSION

The components of hospital PCT activities were successfully measured using the Standard Format for Reporting Hospital PCT Activity. The results of this study and the format for reporting hospital PCT activity could be effective in improving hospital PCT practice and for the education of new hospital PCT members.

What is the role of specialist palliative care in an acute hospital setting? A qualitative study exploring views of patients and carers

BACKGROUND

Since the medical specialty of palliative medicine was recognized in 1988, the role of hospital specialist palliative care services has been developing, extending to patients who have a life-limiting illness but are not in the terminal phase.

AIM

This qualitative study aims to explore patient and carer perspectives of the role of palliative care in the acute hospital setting, with patients not imminently dying.

DESIGN

Semi-structured interviews with 12 patients and 10 carers. Data were analysed using framework analysis.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Patients recruited were adults who had palliative care input for symptom control or psychological support and were discharged either to general ward care or to home. The family member/friend designated as their carer was also approached to take part.

RESULTS

All patients in this study were treated in an acute hospital, described as a bewildering and pressured environment of care. Initial perceptions of palliative care were varied, some interpreting referral as an indication that they were approaching the end of life. However, after palliative care input, patients and carers developed an understanding of their role which they saw as three-fold: physical symptom control, psychological support and a reliable liaison. The theme of cross-cutting interviews was that the palliative care team made time for patients, giving them a sense of value and worth. Feeling their care was a priority and being listened to made palliative care input effective.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings will aid continuing development and evaluation of palliative care teams, in the domains of effectiveness as well as patient experience.

The use of two common palliative outcome measures in clinical care and research: a systematic review of POS and STAS

The Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) and the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) are outcome measures assessing quality of care in palliative care patients. This review aims to appraise their use in clinical care and research. Five electronic databases were searched (February 2010) for original papers describing the validation or use of POS and/or STAS. Of the 83 papers included, 43 studies were on POS, 39 on STAS and one study using both. Eight STAS studies validated the original version, four an adaptation; 20 studies applied the STAS in another culture and 19 in other languages. POS papers reported included: 14 adapted POS versions, 12 translations of the POS and 15 studies of use in different cultures. Both measures have been used in cancer, HIV/AIDS and in mixed groups. POS has also been applied in neurological, kidney, pulmonary and heart disease. Both tools were used in different areas such as the evaluation of care or interventions, description of symptom prevalence and implementation of outcome measures in clinical practice. Overall, they seem to be well accepted tools for outcome measurement in palliative care, both in clinical care and research.