Using the Palliative Performance Scale to Estimate Survival for Patients at the End of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Utilization of Antibiotics for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections in End-of-Life Patients

PURPOSE

The use of antibiotics for end-of-life patients is controversial; currently there is limited guidance on the use of antibiotics in hospice patients. The threat of antibiotic resistance, risk of adverse events, variable efficacy, and time to benefit in hospice patients makes their use divisive. Patients' potential care needs are estimated using the palliative performance scale (PPS) with lower scores indicating more care is required. The purpose of this project is to examine the utilization of antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in hospice patients.

METHODS

This multi-center retrospective observational cohort study evaluated the prescribing of antibiotics in symptomatic vs asymptomatic hospice patients being treated for UTIs and assessed antibiotic initiation based on PPS of ≥30% or <30%. Patients included in this study were adults initiated on oral antibiotics for UTI. Exclusion criteria included antibiotics initiated prior to admission, prophylactic antibiotics, non-oral antibiotics, or if the patient revoked election of hospice.

RESULTS

A total of 56 patients were prescribed antibiotics for UTIs during the 1-year study period. Half of the antibiotics were prescribed appropriately based on documented symptoms when starting the antibiotics. There was not a statistically significant difference between appropriate utilization based on PPS ≥30% or <30% using the Mann-Whitney U test (P = 0.255).

CONCLUSION

The prescribing of antibiotics in end-of-life patients is not always appropriate regardless of the PPS. This may indicate that antibiotics are initiated in asymptomatic hospice patients, and the utilization of unnecessary medications presents the risk of adverse effects.

WHO BREF Quality of Life Score as a Prognostic Indicator of Survival in Patients recovered from COVID-19 Associated Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Mucormycosis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) has emerged as a formidable infection in patients with COVID-19, this study was designed to assess the QOL in patients with and its predictability for survival in CAM victims. This long term prospective observational study of 290 patients with CAM was conducted over 2 years using a standard questionnaire (the abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire [WHO-BREF]), Karnofsky performance scale (KPS), palliative performance scale (PPS) and patient rated improvement (PRI) ranging from 0 to 9. Cut-off values of ≤ median score was considered to indicate poor QOL or poor improvement. The overall 2 year survival rate was 78.27% with mean survival time of 763.2 ± 1.2 days (Mean ± S.E) (95% CI: 760.76-765.6). The disease specific mortality was 22.1%. The overall mean QOL was 53.5(10.2) with 51% of population exhibiting poor QOL. Spearman rho correlation showed strong positive correlation between the three QOL scales and PRI (ρ-0.72, p < 0.001). On Cox regression analysis the stage, all four domains of WHO BREF, KPS, and PPS were independent predictors of long term survival in CAM patients. Approximately half of the patients with CAM had poor QOL and poor improvement. All 4 domains of WHO BREF score can be used as a predictor of long term survival in CAM patients. Early recognition is the key to optimal treatment, improved outcomes, and improved QOL in patients with CAM.

Evaluating the Utility of the Surprise Question Among General Physicians for Appropriate Palliative Care Indication in Brazil

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the agreement between established tools, such as the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and Brazilian version of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT-BR), and the subjective assessment of palliative care (PC) need using the Surprise Question (SQ) administered by resident physicians. This assessment was conducted among hospitalized patients, with and without cancer, to determine the efficacy of these tools in indicating the need for PC.

Methods

A six-month cross-sectional study in 2019 of medical records of patients hospitalized in a single center in IAMSPE-Brazil. The SPICT-BR and PPS were applied to the medical record data, and the SQ was posed to each resident physician. Comparisons for categorical data were made using the chi-square test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results

Of 203 patients evaluated, 57.6% were male and 81.2% were older adults (≥60 years). The mean age was 67.40 ± 9.72 years. Chronic disease was nonneoplastic in 78.32% of patients, and 56.65% had not been hospitalized in the preceding year. The PPS score was <70% in 69.4% of patients, and 51.2% met at least one SPICT-BR criterion. Among patients with cancer, 40.9% had over two positive SPICT-BR criteria; 97.5% of these patients received NO responses to SQ by residents (p < 0.0001). Similarly, 90.6% of patients with one SPICT-BR criterion received NO responses to SQ, with no significant difference between groups.

Conclusion

The SQ proved to be a valuable tool for PC indication, particularly when administered by untrained professionals. Consistent with SPICT-BR findings, our study highlights the SQ's role in facilitating early identification of patients in need of PC.

Challenges in Prognostication of an Older Adult with Severe Obesity and End-Stage Heart Failure: A Case Study

In this report, we present the case of an older adult with severe obesity and multiple comorbidities, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), who experienced a prolonged decline complicated by recurrent hospitalizations and skilled nursing facility stays during the two years preceding death. This case highlights challenges in prognostication attributed to severe obesity complicated by HFpEF, which likely delayed goals of care conversations, and access to palliative care and hospice, despite high symptom burden. We discuss prognostic uncertainty among those with severe obesity and outline potential future directions.

Continuous Ambulatory Delivery Device Use for Patients Managed by an Inpatient Palliative Care Team

BACKGROUND

The use of Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) via a Continuous Ambulatory Delivery Device (CADD) is a common and effective means of pain and symptom management for hospitalized patients with a malignancy. Studies exploring the indications for starting such a device for hospitalized inpatients referred to inpatient palliative care teams are limited.

AIM

This retrospective chart review aims to explore indications, timing of initiation, and barriers to the use of a CADD.

METHODS

Over a six month period, during daily inpatient palliative care consult team rounds, patients who required a CADD were enrolled in this study. Sixty-one adult patients were identified who required a pump for symptom control. The team's database sheets were used to capture patient demographics.

RESULTS

The main reasons for initiating a Continuous Ambulatory Delivery Device in the above setting included: lack of efficacy of oral opioids and to increase patient autonomy of their pain management. Approximately 20% of patients required transfer to another unit that could accommodate the CADD. The median length of stay for these patients was 13 days, with a median length of half a day for a pump to be started.

CONCLUSIONS

This initial study provides the Palliative Care Consult Team with information on the indications for the use of a CADD. The lack of universal access to a CADD in various areas of our hospital due to differences in departmental protocols may compromise good symptom management and patient safety. These results strengthen the argument that the existing hospital policy requires revamping to improve CADD access. A CADD has been shown to provide hospitalized patients, with a malignancy, with timely access to effective symptom management, and in turn, reducing their length of stay in hospital. These findings will help inform this organization's CADD policy and support the need to broaden access to this device.

Pain Management Education for Rural Hospice Family Caregivers: A Pilot Study With Embedded Implementation Evaluation

BACKGROUND

Assessing and managing hospice patients' pain is a common source of anxiety among hospice family caregivers (HFCGs), especially caregivers in rural communities who face special challenges including distance, limited access, and concerns about opioid misuse.

OBJECTIVE

To pilot test Ready2Care, a pain management education intervention for rural HFCGs. We sought to determine whether there was a signal of benefit for clinically-relevant outcomes and to identify contextual factors pertinent to conducting a future randomized clinical trial of Ready2Care.

METHODS

We conducted a multi-method, single-arm study, enabling completion of paired t-tests comparing pre- and post-intervention measures of caregiver anxiety, pain management self-efficacy, barriers to pain management, and reports of patient pain intensity and corresponding patient and caregiver distress. We concurrently conducted an embedded implementation evaluation via calculation of descriptive statistics (recruitment and retention data) and directed content analysis of brief caregiver interviews.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven (n = 27) HFCGs participated; 15 completed the study. Among completers, significant improvement was observed in patient pain intensity (average 1.4 points decrease on 0-10 scale) and in overall pain experience. No statistically significant changes were detected in caregiver anxiety, barriers to pain management, or pain management self-efficacy. Facilitators to successful conduct of a future clinical trial included high acceptability of Ready2Care, driven by its perceived clarity and relevance to caregivers' concerns. Barriers included lower-than-anticipated accrual and an attrition rate of nearly 44%.

CONCLUSION

A multisite clinical trial of Ready2Care is warranted; however, its success may require more effective recruitment and retention strategies for rural caregiver participants.

'How long do you think?' Unresponsive dying patients in a specialist palliative care service: A consecutive cohort study

BACKGROUND

Predicting length of time to death once the person is unresponsive and deemed to be dying remains uncertain. Knowing approximately how many hours or days dying loved ones have left is crucial for families and clinicians to guide decision-making and plan end-of-life care.

AIM

To determine the length of time between becoming unresponsive and death, and whether age, gender, diagnosis or location-of-care predicted length of time to death.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study. Time from allocation of an Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS) 10 to death was analysed using descriptive narrative. Interval-censored survival analysis was used to determine the duration of patient's final phase of life, taking into account variation across age, gender, diagnosis and location of death.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

A total of 786 patients, 18 years of age or over, who received specialist palliative care: as hospice in-patients, in the community and in aged care homes, between January 1st and October 31st, 2022.

RESULTS

The time to death after a change to AKPS 10 is 2 days (n = 382; mean = 2.1; median = 1). Having adjusted for age, cancer, gender, the standard deviation of AKPS for the 7-day period prior to death, the likelihood of death within 2 days is 47%, with 84% of patients dying within 4 days.

CONCLUSION

This study provides valuable new knowledge to support clinicians' confidence when responding to the 'how long' question and can inform decision-making at end-of-life. Further research using the AKPS could provide greater certainty for answering 'how long' questions across the illness trajectory.

Comparative study of oncology patients' quality of life

BACKGROUND

A cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on a person's life, both physically and emotionally. However, the oncology patients' QoL (QoL) at different stages of the disease has been under investigated.

AIM

To assess and compare the QoL in three groups of oncology patients.

METHODS

A comparative study was carried out in an outpatient care service at a public hospital in the state of São Paulo. Data collection involved the use of the Palliative Performance Scale and the McGill QoL Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Most participants were women, Catholic and living with a partner. The Palliative Performance Scale revealed a predominance of stable patients (score: ≥70 points). Overall, palliative care patients had lower QoL scores compared to the other groups (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

QoL was worse among palliative care patients. Advanced age, being in palliative care, and have a low-income were negatively associated with a patient's QoL.

Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine and Indian Association of Palliative Care Expert Consensus and Position Statements for End-of-life and Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit

End-of-life care (EOLC) exemplifies the joint mission of intensive and palliative care (PC) in their human-centeredness. The explosion of technological advances in medicine must be balanced with the culture of holistic care. Inevitably, it brings together the science and the art of medicine in their full expression. High-quality EOLC in the ICU is grounded in evidence, ethical principles, and professionalism within the framework of the Law. Expert professional statements over the last two decades in India were developed while the law was evolving. Recent landmark Supreme Court judgments have necessitated a review of the clinical pathway for EOLC outlined in the previous statements. Much empirical and interventional evidence has accumulated since the position statement in 2014. This iteration of the joint Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine-Indian Association of Palliative Care (ISCCM-IAPC) Position Statement for EOLC combines contemporary evidence, ethics, and law for decision support by the bedside in Indian ICUs.

How to cite this article

Mani RK, Bhatnagar S, Butola S, Gursahani R, Mehta D, Simha S, et al. Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine and Indian Association of Palliative Care Expert Consensus and Position Statements for End-of-life and Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(3):200-250.

Predicting End-of-Life in a Hospital Setting

Background

The ability to predict the prognosis of a disease and anticipate death is valuable for patients and families especially in an acute care setting for chronically ill patient. Multiple scoring systems are used to measure disease progression and predict hospital mortality in patients with life-threatening illnesses, taking into account acute conditions, catastrophic events, and slow decline.

Aim

Our primary aim is to assess palliative performance score (PPS), early warning score (EWS) and local rumah sakit Dr Hasan Sadikin (RSHS) score to predict 14 days in-hospital mortality.

Methods

This was a single-center prospective cohort study from November 2022 to April 2023. Patients with World Health Organization category of terminal illnesses were scored using PPS, EWS and RSHS score and were followed up for 14 days in hospital. Multivariate analysis were conducted and The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were used.

Results

A multivariable model was calculated using Cox regression. The final model results indicate that EWS (HR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1-7.7) and a decrease in consciousness (HR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.2-10.22) were statistically significant in predicting mortality.

Discussions

Most patient in the cohort that died had cancer and were admitted in the previous 6 months. Relying solely on single prediction may not provide enough accuracy, within a 14-day timeframe. Therefore, the results of multivariate analysis were not statistically significant due to Several factors contribute to the complexity of this prediction challenge. As a multifaceted disease with varying stages, treatments, and outcomes, cancer presents a diverse landscape of patient experiences.

Conclusion

EWS and decreased consciousness are significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. It is crucial in clinical setting to use multiple indicators to predict death and improve patient care.

Clinical pharmacy in hospital palliative medicine: non-randomised clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of pharmaceutical care on hospital indicators and clinical outcomes of palliative care (PC) patients admitted to a secondary hospital.

METHODS

A non-randomised clinical trial was carried out in the PC ward of a secondary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Pharmaceutical care for all patients aged 18 and above, admitted between October 2021 and March 2022, with stays exceeding 48 hours, was provided. The interventions required were performed in collaboration with healthcare teams, patients and caregivers. Assessments occurred at admission and discharge, using PC performance scales and pharmacotherapy tools, with Research Ethics Committee approval.

RESULTS

Over 6 months, 120 hospitalisations were analysed, primarily involving women (58.9%), averaging 71.0 years, with neoplasm diagnoses (20.5%). A total of 170 drug-related problems were identified in 68.3% of patients. Following assessment, 361 interventions were performed, with a 78.1% acceptance rate, including medication dose adjustments, additions and discontinuations. Addressing unintentional pharmacotherapy discrepancies at admission led to reduced hospital stays (p<0.05). Pharmaceutical interventions also decreased pharmacotherapy complexity (p<0.001), inappropriate medications for the older people (p<0.001) and improved symptom management, such as pain (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmaceutical care services integrated within the multiprofessional health team contributed to reducing drug-related problems associated with polypharmacy as well as improved the management PC symptoms in end-of-life patients, which reduced hospitalisation time.

Neuropalliative care in a tertiary-level hospital

OBJECTIVES

Palliative care in neurology is a recent specialty to improve the quality of life of patients with severe neurological diseases. This study aims to determine the frequency of neurological inpatients who had indication of palliative care, and evaluate the symptomatology, demographic profile, the need for supportive measures, advance directives for life and medical history of patients in a tertiary hospital in Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analytical study evaluated all patients admitted to the neurological semi-intensive care unit (ICU) at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein with neurological conditions from February through August 2022. The Palliative Performance Scale (weight loss greater than 5% associated with body changes and a negative response to the question: 'Would you be surprised if the patient died within 1 year?') was used to indicate palliative care. Patients were divided into three groups: patients with palliative care needs (groupindication), patients without palliative care needs (groupwithout indication) and patients who received at least one assessment of a palliative care team (grouppalliative). Demographic data were analysed using the Χ2 test for qualitative and Kruskal-Wallis test for quantitative variables.

RESULTS

Of the 198 patients included in the study, 115 (58%) had palliative care needs. Only 6.9% received assessment by the palliative care team, and 9.56% had advance directives in their medical records. Patients in groupindication had a higher prevalence of symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, shortness of breath and lack of appetite, and required more supportive measures, such as oxygen therapy, enteral/parenteral nutrition, admissions at ICU and days in hospital.

CONCLUSION

Despite the high demand for palliative care in neurology, few patients receive this treatment, resulting in decreased quality of care. Therefore, greater integration and discussion of palliative care in neurology are needed.

Comparative effectiveness of verbal instruction versus video-based education (VIVid) among family caregivers for improving the quality of life in advanced head and neck cancer patients receiving palliative care in Eastern India: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

To determine if video-based educational intervention compared to the standard verbal guidelines, provided to caregivers on home-based palliative care could enhance the quality of life (QoL) in advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

METHODS

The study employed a prospective, two-arm parallel-group, randomized controlled trial design. Investigators prepared a real-world demonstrational video of ten minutes duration regarding home-based care for family caregivers, with voice-over in Odia language (Eastern India). The contents of the video addressed the management of common problems in palliative care among HNC patients. This study included 180 participants, 90 patient & caregiver dyads randomized to interventional (video-based education) or control (verbal instruction) groups. Patients' QoL was measured at baseline and 3 weeks follow-up using EORTC QLQ C30. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, T-test, spearman correlation, and multiple hierarchical regression analyses were employed for statistical analysis, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Seventy participant dyads completed the planned two assessments: baseline and at the end of 3rd week (Intervention = 37; Control = 33). The intervention group showed a significant improvement in the patient's health-related QoL, physical, emotional, and social functioning. Symptom burden reduction was observed for pain, nausea, and fatigue. A significant increase in the change in QoL with the video-based education group (VBE) compared to the verbal instruction (VI) group after adjusting for age, gender, physical functioning, and pain symptomology (adjusted R2 = 0.402) was noted.

CONCLUSION

VBE intervention using smart-phone may offer caregivers a viable means of enhancing self-management while improving patients' QoL within the socio-cultural challenges for home-based palliative care in India. Further research on training caregivers using digital interventions and home-based visits is recommended.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CTRI/2021/06/034473 [Registered on: 30/06/2021].

The Geriatric Patient One Year After Trauma: Palliative Performance Scale Predicts Functional Outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Frailty in trauma has been found to predict poor outcomes after injury including additional in-hospital complications, mortality, and discharge to dependent care. These gross outcome measures are insufficient when discussing long-term recovery as they do not address what is important to patients including functional status and quality of life. The purpose of this study is to determine if the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) predicts mortality and functional status one year after trauma in geriatric patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Prospective observational study of trauma survivors, age ≥55 years. Patients were stratified by pre-injury PPS high (>70) or low (≤70). Outcomes were functional status at 1 year measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), Euroqol-5D and SF-36. Adjusted relative risks (aRR) were obtained using modified Poisson regression.

RESULTS

Follow-up was achieved on 215/301 patients. Mortality was 30% in low PPS group vs 8% in the high PPS group (P<0.001). A greater percentage of patients in the high group had a good functional outcome at one year compared to patients in the low group (78% vs 30% p<0.001). The high PPS patients were more likely to have improvement of GOSE at 1 year from discharge compared to low group (66% vs 27% P<0.001). Low PPS independently predicted poor functional outcome (aRR, 2.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.79-3.89) and death at 1 year (aRR, 3.64; 95% confidence interval 1.68-7.92). An increased percentage of low PPS patients reported difficulty with mobility (91% vs 46% p<0.0001) and usual activities (82% vs 56% p=0.002). Both groups reported pain (65%) and anxiety/depression (47%).

CONCLUSION

Low pre-Injury PPS predicts mortality and poor functional outcomes one year after trauma. Low PPS patients were more likely to decline, rather than improve. Regardless of PPS, most patients have persistent pain, anxiety, and limitations in performing daily activities.

Evaluating the Potential of Machine Learning and Wearable Devices in End-of-Life Care in Predicting 7-Day Death Events Among Patients With Terminal Cancer: Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

An accurate prediction of mortality in end-of-life care is crucial but presents challenges. Existing prognostic tools demonstrate moderate performance in predicting survival across various time frames, primarily in in-hospital settings and single-time evaluations. However, these tools may fail to capture the individualized and diverse trajectories of patients. Limited evidence exists regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable devices, specifically among patients with cancer at the end of life.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the potential of using wearable devices and AI to predict death events among patients with cancer at the end of life. Our hypothesis was that continuous monitoring through smartwatches can offer valuable insights into the progression of patients at the end of life and enable the prediction of changes in their condition, which could ultimately enhance personalized care, particularly in outpatient or home care settings.

METHODS

This prospective study was conducted at the National Taiwan University Hospital. Patients diagnosed with cancer and receiving end-of-life care were invited to enroll in wards, outpatient clinics, and home-based care settings. Each participant was given a smartwatch to collect physiological data, including steps taken, heart rate, sleep time, and blood oxygen saturation. Clinical assessments were conducted weekly. The participants were followed until the end of life or up to 52 weeks. With these input features, we evaluated the prediction performance of several machine learning-based classifiers and a deep neural network in 7-day death events. We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), F1-score, accuracy, and specificity as evaluation metrics. A Shapley additive explanations value analysis was performed to further explore the models with good performance.

RESULTS

From September 2021 to August 2022, overall, 1657 data points were collected from 40 patients with a median survival time of 34 days, with the detection of 28 death events. Among the proposed models, extreme gradient boost (XGBoost) yielded the best result, with an AUROC of 96%, F1-score of 78.5%, accuracy of 93%, and specificity of 97% on the testing set. The Shapley additive explanations value analysis identified the average heart rate as the most important feature. Other important features included steps taken, appetite, urination status, and clinical care phase.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated the successful prediction of patient deaths within the next 7 days using a combination of wearable devices and AI. Our findings highlight the potential of integrating AI and wearable technology into clinical end-of-life care, offering valuable insights and supporting clinical decision-making for personalized patient care. It is important to acknowledge that our study was conducted in a relatively small cohort; thus, further research is needed to validate our approach and assess its impact on clinical care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05054907; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05054907.

Survival Prediction of Patients Who Were Terminally Ill Using the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL Scores and Laboratory Test Values

Background

Prognostics for patients with cancer is especially important for the supportive care of those who are terminally ill. We previously found that symptom scores as patient-reported outcomes (PROs)-such as dyspnea and fatigue scores-some biochemical parameters, the palliative performance scale (PPS) scores, and symptom clusters were useful prognostic factors; however, the predictability of a prognosis based on these factors remains unclear.

Objective

To identify appropriate three-week survival predictive factor(s), in terms of performance, in patients who were terminally ill.

Design

We collected symptom scores as PROs using the Japanese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL).

Setting/Subjects

We used data from terminally ill patients with cancer who were hospitalized at the palliative care unit of the Higashisumiyoshi-Morimoto Hospital (Osaka, Japan) from June 2018 to December 2019 (n = 130), as well as additional data obtained from the same clinical study from January to March 2020 (n = 31).

Measurements

To evaluate predictive performance, indices such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were calculated.

Results

We found that the presence of a symptom cluster showed high sensitivity but low specificity and that a higher PPS value (>30) showed high specificity but low sensitivity, suggesting that these factors could provide relevant information for survival prognosis (less than or equal to three weeks).

Conclusion

Symptom clusters obtained from patients is important for effective supportive care of those who are terminally ill.

Palliative care Advanced Practice Nurse role in engaging in serious illness conversations

Having advanced care planning conversations with patients and/or their substitute decision maker has been shown to lead to many benefits, including aligning a patient's priorities and health expectations with his or her wishes. Typically, these conversations have been held with physicians, but have evolved over time to also be incorporated into the roles of other healthcare professionals. Advanced practice nurses who are trained to use a framework or an approach when having such conversations has been shown to have merit. As a result, advanced practice nurses are well positioned to be leaders in facilitating such conversations. In this project, the documentation notes of one advanced practice nurse on an in-patient palliative care team were examined, using the Serious Illness Conversation Guide, to evaluate the Advanced Practice Nurse's contribution to the process of holding advanced planning conversations with patients.

Impact of an outpatient palliative care consultation and symptom clusters in terminal patients at a tertiary care center in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Patients with terminal diseases may benefit physically and psychosocially from an outpatient palliative care visit. Palliative care services are limited in Pakistan. An improved understanding of the symptom clusters present in our population is needed. The first outpatient palliative care center in Karachi, Pakistan, was established at our tertiary care institution. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a palliative care outpatient consultation on symptom burden in patients with a terminal diagnosis. The secondary aim was to analyze the symptom clusters present in our population.

METHODS

Patients with a terminal diagnosis referred to our outpatient palliative department between August 2020-August 2022 were enrolled. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) questionnaire was administered at the initial visit and the first follow-up visit at one month. Change in symptom burden was assessed using a Wilcoxon signed ranks test. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed on the symptoms reported at the initial visit to evaluate symptom clusters. The palliative performance scale (PPS) was used to measure the performance status of palliative care patients.

RESULTS

Among the 78 patients included in this study, the average age was 59 ± 16.6 years, 52.6% were males, 99% patients had an oncological diagnosis, and the median duration between two visits was 14 (Q1-Q3: (7.0, 21.0) days. The median PPS level was 60% (Q1-Q3: 50-70). Overall, ESAS scores decreased between the two visits (6.0 (2.8, 11.0), p < 0.001) with statistically significant improvement in pain (5.0 vs. 2.5, p < 0.001), loss of appetite (5.0 vs. 4.0, p = 0.004), depression (2.0 vs. 0.0, p < 0.001), and anxiety (1.5 vs. 0.0, p = 0.032). Based on symptoms at the initial visit, 3 clusters were present in our population. Cluster 1 included anxiety, depression, and wellbeing; cluster 2 included nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, and shortness of breath; and cluster 3 included drowsiness.

CONCLUSION

An outpatient palliative care visit significantly improved symptom burden in patients with a terminal diagnosis. Patients may benefit from further development of outpatient palliative care facilities to improve the quality of life in terminally ill patients.

Prediction Accuracy Between Terminally Ill Patients' Survival Length and the Estimations Made From Different Medical Staff, a Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Previous reports suggested the clinical predictions of survival (CPS) and prognostic scores had similar accuracy in patients with days to weeks of life. Objective: We aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of CPS by attending physicians, residents, and nurses in an acute palliative care unit at a medical center. Methods: This was a 1-year prospective cohort study. Survival prediction was made within 3 days after patients' admission and re-evaluated every week until patients' discharge or death. Associated factors of accurate survival predictions were also explored by multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 179 inpatients were recruited and 115 of them were included in this analysis. The mean age of participants was 72.9 years and the average length of actual survival was 11.5 ± 12.0 days. For patients with survival within 30 days, the medical staff tended to overestimate their life span. The predictions made by physicians and nurses showed much closer to actual survival length through repeated estimations. Patients with metastatic cancer (odds ratio: OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.23-6.22) or cognitive impairment (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.12-5.11) had higher associations with accurate CPS. Poor performance status of ECOG (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.09-3.02) and dysphagia (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.07-3.77) were significant predictors for accurate CPS in patients with the survival of less than 2 weeks. Conclusions: The accuracy of CPS between different medical staff did not reveal significant differences in the study. The importance of re-evaluation for patients' survival length in clinical practice is worthy of attention.

Oral Methadone versus Morphine IR for Patients with Cervical Cancer and Neuropathic Pain: A Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial

Objectives

In India, cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women and makes up for up to 29% of all registered cancer in females. Cancer-related pain is one of the major distressing symptoms for all cancer patients. Pain is characterised as somatic or neuropathic, and the total pain experience is often mixed. Conventional opioids are the backbone of analgesic treatment but are most often not sufficient in alleviating neuropathic pain, common in cervical cancer. Accumulating evidence of the advantage of methadone compared to conventional opioids, due to agonist action at both μ and q opioid receptors, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist activity and the ability to inhibit the reuptake of monoamines has been demonstrated. We hypothesised that, with these properties', methadone might be a good option for the treatment of neuropathic pain in patients with cervical cancer.

Material and Methods

Patients with cervical cancer stages ll-lll were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial. A comparison was made between methadone versus immediate release morphine (IR morphine), with increasing doses until pain was controlled. Inclusion-period was from October 3rd to December 31st 2020, and the total patient-study period was 12 weeks. Pain intensity was assessed according to the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and Douleur Neuropathique (DN4). The primary objective was to determine whether methadone was clinically superior versus noninferior to morphine as an analgesic for the treatment of cancer related neuropathic pain in women with cervical cancer.

Results

A total of 85 women were included; five withdrew and six died during the study period, leaving 74 patients completing the study. All participants showed a reduction in mean values of NRS and DN4 from the time of inclusion and to the end of the study period, for IR morphine and methadone 8.4-2.7 and 8.6-1.5, respectively (P < 0.001). The DN4 score mean reduction for Morphine and Methadone were 6.12-1.37 and 6.05-0, respectively (P < 0.001). Side effects were more common in the group of patients receiving IR morphine compared to the patients treated with methadone.

Conclusion

We found that Methadone had a superior analgesic effect with good overall tolerability compared with morphine as a first-line strong opioid for the management of cancer-related neuropathic pain.

Prognostic evaluation in patients with advanced cancer in the last months of life: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline

•This ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline provides key recommendations for using prognostic estimates in advanced cancer. •The guideline covers recommendations for patients with cancer and an expected survival of months or less. •An algorithm for use of clinical predictions, prognostic factors and multivariable risk prediction models is presented. •The author group encompasses a multidisciplinary group of experts from different institutions in Europe, USA and Asia. •Recommendations are based on available scientific data and the authors’ collective expert opinion.

Identification and Prognostication of End-of-Life State Using a Japanese Guideline-Based Diagnostic Method: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study

Purpose

Prognostic uncertainty can be a barrier to providing palliative care. Accurate prognostic estimation for patients at the end of life is challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of end-of-life diagnosis using our unique diagnostic method.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective longitudinal observational study was conducted through collaboration among three medical facilities in a rural super-aged community in Japan. In 2007, we established a unique end-of-life diagnostic process comprising (1) physicians' judgement, (2) disclosure to patients, and (3) discussion at an end-of-life case conference (EOL-CC), based on Japanese end-of-life-related guidelines. Research subjects were consecutive patients discussed in EOL-CC between January 1, 2010, and September 30, 2017. The primary outcome was mortality within 6 months after the initial EOL-CC decision. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were calculated using EOL-CC diagnosis (end-of-life or non-end-of-life) as an index test and overall survival (<6 months or ≥6 months) as a reference standard.

Results

In total, 315 patients were eligible for survival analysis (median age 89, range 54-107). The study population was limited to patients with severe conditions such as advanced cancer, organ failures, advanced dementia with severe deterioration in functioning. EOL-diagnosis by our methods was associated with much lower survival rate at 6 months after EOL-CC than non-EOL-diagnosis (6.9% vs 43.5%; P < 0.001). Of the patients, 297 were eligible for diagnostic accuracy analysis (median age 89, range 54-107). The EOL-diagnosis showed high sensitivity (0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.97) but low specificity (0.35; 95% CI 0.20-0.53) against the outcomes. It also showed a high diagnostic odds ratio (10.32; 95% CI 4.08-26.13).

Conclusion

The diagnostic process using the Japanese end-of-life guidelines had tolerable accuracy in identification and prognostication of end of life.

The specialist palliative care team as a local resource

Background

Specialist-level palliative care support is intended for patients with complex physical and psychosocial needs. In addition to direct clinical care, specialist teams can be utilized to support the delivery of community-based palliative care by providing 24/7 access to advice and support for primary care providers, patients, and their families.

Aim

This paper describes how a specialist palliative care team, based in a tertiary level hospital, can provide timely access to palliative care for patients in a surrounding sub-region that has historically lacked a robust network of community-based palliative care supports.

Design

A retrospective database analysis was conducted from January 1 - December 31, 2019, to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients referred to the Palliative Care Consult Team who reside in the sub-region of Scarborough, Ontario. Data were reviewed to highlight the role the team plays in supporting end-of-life care for this community of patients, families, and providers. Patients referred to the Palliative Care Consult Team with a residential address within the sub-region of interest were the focus.

Results

In total, 343 patients living in the selected sub-region were seen by the Palliative Care Consult Team during a 12-month period, representing 18% of the team's annual clinical volume. The majority of these patients (94%) had a cancer diagnosis. Median Palliative Performance Scale score at time of initial consult was 40 for inpatients and 60 for ambulatory patients. More than half the patients (56%) were "full code" at the time of initial palliative care consultation. Median survival from initial consult to death was 18 days for inpatients and 68 days for ambulatory patients. More than half of the patients (54%) died in a palliative care unit, with a smaller percentage dying in the home setting (7%).

Conclusions

Our report highlights the utilization of a database as a quality improvement tool to illustrate our institution's palliative care mission and vision of engaging in the provision of palliative care expertise to community-based patients and healthcare colleagues.

A Review of Clinical Signs and Symptoms of Imminent End-of-Life in Individuals With Advanced Illness

Background: World population is not only aging but suffering from serious chronic illnesses, requiring an increasing need for end-of-life care. However, studies show that many healthcare providers involved in the care of dying patients sometimes express challenges in knowing when to stop non-beneficial investigations and futile treatments that tend to prolong undue suffering for the dying person. Objective: To evaluate the clinical signs and symptoms that show end-of-life is imminent in individuals with advanced illness. Design: Narrative review. Methods: Computerized databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline,CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched from 1992 to 2022 for relevant original papers written in or translated into English language that investigated clinical signs and symptoms of imminent death in individuals with advanced illness. Results: 185 articles identified were carefully reviewed and only those that met the inclusion criteria were included for review. Conclusion: While it is often difficult to predict the timing of death, the ability of healthcare providers to recognize the clinical signs and symptoms of imminent death in terminally-ill individuals may lead to earlier anticipation of care needs and better planning to provide care that is tailored to individual's needs, and ultimately results in better end-of-life care, as well as a better bereavement adjustment experience for the families.

Demystifying Prognosis : Understanding the Science and Art of Prognostication

The science of prognostication is emerging as a vital part of providing goal concordant patient care. Historically, modern medicine has tended to shy away from approaching prognostication as a core clinical skill, and prognosis as something to be shared directly with the patient. In recent years however, the medical field's shift towards a focus on patient autonomy and more openness in matters regarding end of life has propelled the study of prognostication into a more essential component of patient centered care. This calls for more emphasis on teaching the science of prognosis and the skill of prognostication as a core part of modern medical education. The following chapter aims to delve into the science of prognostication, explore the methods of formulating a prognosis, and discuss issues surrounding the communication of prognosis.

Overall Survival and Survival Time by Palliative Performance Scale: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Thailand

Objectives:

The palliative performance scale (PPS) is a useful tool for predicting the survival time of palliative patients and for multidisciplinary teams in designing an appropriate care plan for patients and their families. This study aimed to (1) assess the survival time of palliative patients, (2) examine the factors associated with survival time and (3) investigate the proportion of patients whose survival time matched the time proposed by existing literature, within the Thai population.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data drawn from five hospitals in one of the north-east provinces in Thailand. The study population comprised patients with a palliative diagnosis (ICD10: Z51.5) who had registered in one of the five hospitals between 1 October 2015 and 30 September 2017. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to assess overall survival time and an extended Cox regression model to identify predictors of survival.

Results:

Of the 2792 registered patients, 1163 were included in the analysis. Most patients were male (55.62%), with a mean age of 64.59 years (±15.38), and were covered by the universal coverage insurance (77.72%). Approximately half (56.23%) of the participants had cancer and about a quarter (27.13%) had an initial PPS result of 30. The overall median survival time was 14 days (mean = 64.08, 95% CI: 12–16). Three significant predictors for survival included sex, hospital and initial PPS score.

Conclusion:

The survival time of palliative patients was relatively short. Sex, hospital and initial PPS were significant predictors of survival. The median survival time by PPS was similar to the values reported by the previous study but proportion of correct prediction was low. Therefore, it might be necessary to investigate the survival time of palliative patients by country independently.

The Impact of Aging on Symptom Prevalence and Management in Terminally ill Patients With Cancer

CONTEXT

With global population aging, the number of older patients with cancer is increasing. However, few data are available on palliative care for these patients.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate differences in symptom prevalence and the need for medical interventions among patients of different ages in a palliative care unit.

METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, a consecutive sample of 1032 terminally ill patients with cancer were categorized into the following age ranges: <70, 70-79, 80-89, and ≥90 years. We evaluated symptom prevalence, the need for palliative medicines, opioid dose on the day before death, and the need for palliative sedation. Trend tests were used to examine whether the prevalence of findings increased or decreased with age.

RESULTS

As age increased, significant decreasing trends were observed in the prevalence of pain, dyspnea, fatigue, constipation, nausea, drowsiness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and dysuria but not in appetite loss, edema, sputum production, or delirium. As age increased, significant decreasing trends were also observed in the need for opioids, benzodiazepines, antiemetics, and anticholinergics. The median opioid doses in the <70, 70-79, 80-89, and ≥90 years age groups were 118, 72, 48, and 48 mg oral morphine equivalents/day, respectively (P < 0.0001). The need for palliative sedation showed a significant decreasing trend as age increased (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

We found age to be inversely related to symptom prevalence and medical interventions among terminally ill patients with cancer, contributing to the understanding of the experience of older patients with cancer.

Survival Prediction in Home Hospice Care Patients with Lung Cancer Based on LASSO Algorithm

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to develop a nomogram for prognostic prediction of patients with lung cancer in hospice.

METHODS

The data was collected from 1106 lung cancer patients in hospice between January 2008 and December 2018. The data were split into a training set, which was used to identify the most important prognostic factors by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and to build the nomogram, while the testing set was used to validate the nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was assessed by c-index, calibration curve and the decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

A total of 1106 patients, including 835 (75%) from the training set and 271 (25%) from testing set, were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Using the LASSO regression, 5 most important prognostic predictors that included sex, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), quality-of-life (QOL), edema and anorexia, were selected out of 28 variables. Validated c-indexes of training set at 15, 30, and 90 days were .778 [.737-.818], .776 [.743-.809], and .751 [.713-.790], respectively. Similarly, the validated c-indexes of testing set at 15, 30, and 90 days were .789 [.714-.864], .748 [.685-.811], and .757 [.691-.823], respectively. The nomogram-predicted survival was well calibrated, as the predicted probabilities were close to the expected probabilities. Moreover, the DCA curve showed that nomogram received superior standardized net benefit at a broad threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

The study built a non-lab nomogram with important predictor to analyze the clinical parameters using LASSO. It may be a useful tool to allow clinicians to easily estimate the prognosis of the patients with lung cancer in hospice.

Palliative care aspects of wound healing in complex patients: a case report

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Reliability and validity of the Arabic translation of the palliative performance scale

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to translate the Palliative Performance Scale (PPSv2) into Arabic and to test the reliability and validity of the PPS Arabic translation (PPS-Arabic).

METHOD

The PPSv2 was translated into Modern Standard Arabic using a forward-backward method. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were tested in a pilot study that included 20 patients. The validation study included 150 cancer patients. Patients were divided according to their treatment plan into three groups (in-remission, palliative chemotherapy, and best supportive care) to perform hypothesis-testing construct validity. Validity was further evaluated by correlating PPS-Arabic with the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale, and Physical Functioning (PF2) and Role Functioning (RF2) scales of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).

RESULTS

The intraclass correlation coefficients for the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were 0.935 (95% CI: 0.88-0.965; p < 0.001) and 0.965 (95% CI: 0.934-0.981; p < 0.001), respectively. The PPS-Arabic internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was 0.986. The average PPS-Arabic score differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the three groups of patients being 89 for in-remission, 58 for palliative chemotherapy, and 38 for best supportive care. The PPS-Arabic score correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the KPS, ECOG performance scale, and the EORTC QLQ-C30 PF2 and RF2 scales.

CONCLUSION

The PPS-Arabic is a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of performance status of cancer patients.

Symptom clusters and their influence on prognosis using EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL scores in terminally ill patients with cancer

Purpose

The aims of the present study were to investigate the symptom clusters in terminally ill patients with cancer using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL), and to examine whether these symptom clusters influenced prognosis.

Methods

We analyzed data from 130 cancer patients hospitalized in the palliative care unit from June 2018 to December 2019 in an observational study. Principal component analysis was used to detect symptom clusters using the scored date of 14 items in the QLQ-C15-PAL, except for overall QOL, at the time of hospitalization. The influence of the existence of these symptom clusters and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) on survival was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and survival curves were compared between the groups with or without existing corresponding symptom clusters using the log-rank test.

Results

The following symptom clusters were identified: cluster 1 (pain, insomnia, emotional functioning), cluster 2 (dyspnea, appetite loss, fatigue, and nausea), and cluster 3 (physical functioning). Cronbach’s alpha values for the symptom clusters ranged from 0.72 to 0.82. An increased risk of death was significantly associated with the existence of cluster 2 and poor PPS (log-rank test, p = 0.016 and p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

In terminally ill patients with cancer, three symptom clusters were detected based on QLQ-C15-PAL scores. Poor PPS and the presence of symptom cluster that includes dyspnea, appetite loss, fatigue, and nausea indicated poor prognosis.

The Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of Palliative Performance Scale

OBJECTIVE

The Palliative Performance Scale version 2 (PPSv2) is a useful tool designed to assess the performance status of palliative care patients. The aim of this study was to translate the PPSv2 into Turkish and to test the validity and reliability of Turkish PPSv2 (PPS-TR) in cancer patients receiving palliative care.

METHODS

The translation of PPSv2 into Turkish was implemented using a forward-back forward procedure. The patients were allocated from inpatient palliative care unit, consultations from oncology services, palliative care polyclinic, and consultations from emergency unit. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were tested in a pilot study with 51 patients. The cross-sectional study consisted of 280 patients. The relationship between PPS-TR, Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL), and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was also measured. Construct validity was assessed by observing the test capacity across patient groups based on the place of care.

RESULTS

Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) at Time 1 and Time 2 were 0.982 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.972-0.989) and 0.991 (95% CI: 0.986-0.995). ICCs of intra-rater agreements were at least 0.956 (95% CI: 0.909-0.977) for three raters. KPS, Katz ADL, and PPS-TR scores of outpatients were significantly higher than those of inpatients and emergency. There was a perfect correlation between PPS-TR and KPS, while the correlation of PPS-TR with Katz ADL was almost perfect.

CONCLUSIONS

The PPS-TR is a reliable and valid tool for assessment of performance status of cancer patients receiving palliative care.

Assessment tools for problematic opioid use in palliative care: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Screening for problematic opioid use is increasingly recommended in patients receiving palliative care.

AIM

To identify tools used to assess for the presence or risk of problematic opioid use in palliative care.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

Bibliographic databases (inception to January 31, 2020), reference lists, and grey literature were searched to find primary studies reporting on adults receiving palliative care and prescription opioids to manage symptoms from advanced cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, or end-stage organ diseases; and included tools to assess for problematic opioid use. There were no restrictions based on study design, location, or language.

RESULTS

We identified 42 observational studies (total 14,431 participants) published between 2009 and 2020 that used questionnaires (n = 32) and urine drug tests (n = 21) to assess for problematic opioid use in palliative care, primarily in US (n = 38) and outpatient palliative care settings (n = 36). The questionnaires were Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener (CAGE, n = 8), CAGE-Adapted to Include Drugs (CAGE-AID, n = 6), Opioid Risk Tool (n = 9), Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP; n = 3), SOAPP-Revised (n = 2), and SOAPP-Short Form (n = 5). Only two studies' primary objectives were to evaluate a questionnaire's psychometric properties in patients receiving palliative care. There was wide variation in how urine drug tests were incorporated into palliative care; frequency of abnormal urine drug test results ranged from 8.6% to 70%.

CONCLUSION

Given the dearth of studies using tools developed or validated specifically for patients receiving palliative care, further research is needed to inform clinical practice and policy regarding problematic opioid use in palliative care.

Palliative Performance Scale and survival in patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses needing a palliative care consultation: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) has been frequently used to estimate the survival time of palliative care patients. The objective was to determine the associations between the PPS and survival time among cancer and non-cancer patients in Thailand.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study. All in-patient adults who received a palliative care consultation at Chiang Mai University Hospital between 1 July 2018 to 31 July 2019 were included in the study and were followed-up until 26 June 2020. The Palliative Performance Scale was assessed using the validated Thai-Palliative Performance Scale for Adults. Survival analysis was used to determine the association between the Palliative Performance Scale and survival time among cancer and non-cancer patients.

Results

Out of 407 patients, 220 were male (54.1%). There were 307 cancer patients (75.4%) and 100 non-cancer patients (24.6%). The PPS and survival time in cancer patients were significantly correlated. Cancer patients with PPS 10, 20, 30, 40–60, and 70–80% had a median survival time of 2, 6, 13, 39, and 95 days, respectively. Non-cancer patients with PPS 10, 20, and 30% had a median survival time of 8, 6, and 24 days, respectively.

Conclusions

While useful for estimating survival time for cancer patients, other factors should be taken into account in estimating the survival time for non-cancer patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00773-8.

Changes in the palliative performance scale may be as important as the initial palliative performance scale for predicting survival in terminal cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

The accurate estimation of expected survival in terminal cancer patients is important. The palliative performance scale (PPS) is an important factor in predicting survival of hospice patients. The purpose of this study was to examine how initial status of PPS and changes in PPS affect the survival of hospice patients in Korea.

METHOD

We retrospectively examined 315 patients who were admitted to our hospice unit between January 2017 and December 2018. The patients were divided based on the PPS of ≥50% (group A) and ≤40% (group B). We performed survival analysis for factors associated with the length of survival (LOS) in group A. Based on the hospice team's weekly evaluation of PPS, we examined the effect of initial levels and changes in group A on the prognosis of patients who survived for 2 weeks or more.

RESULTS

At the time of admission to hospice, 265 (84.1%) patients were PPS ≥50%, and 50 (15.9%) were PPS ≤40%. The median LOS of PPS ≥50% and PPS ≤40% were 15 (2-158 days) and 9 (2-43 days), respectively. Male, gastrointestinal cancer, and lower initial PPS all predicted poor prognosis in group A. Male, gastrointestinal cancer, and a PPS change of 10% or greater, compared with initial status 1 week and 2 weeks of hospitalization, were all predictors of poor prognosis in group A patients who survived for 2 weeks or longer.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Our research demonstrates the significance of PPS change at 1 week and 2 weeks, suggesting the importance of evaluating not only initial PPS but also change in PPS.

Wishes and Needs at the End of Life–Communication Strategies, Counseling, and Administrative Aspects

BACKGROUND

Managing the last phase of life properly, i.e., taking care that a patient's wishes are respected at the end of life and beyond, is very important and can relieve the patient and his or her family of unnecessary burdens.

METHODS

This review is based on guidelines, reviews, meta-analyses, selected publications, and the authors' own experiences from everyday clinical practice.

RESULTS

Most patients want frank information from their physicians about their condition at all times over the course of their treatment, from the moment of diagnosis to the end of their life. This has no lasting adverse effects, but rather enables patients to take decisions that are appropriate to their stage of disease. Early integration in palliative care can improve patients' quality of life, symptom control, and mood. In helping to manage the last phase of life, the physician often serves as a provider of impulses, or else determines which other types of professional should counsel or support the patient. Patients should be enabled to issue directives that reflect their wishes, as well as to choose representatives who are allowed to speak for them. Consideration should also be given to the patient's emotional legacy, e.g., letters or video messages with personal content.

CONCLUSION

In the care of patients with life-limiting diseases, more attention should be paid to the management of the last phase of life. Palliative-care physicians can take over this task from other medical disciplines, and early integration in palliative care is recommended.

Palliative and end-of-life care for the older adult with cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Despite established benefits of palliative care in the oncology population, it remains an underutilized resource particularly among older adults. The illness trajectory and needs of an older adult with cancer are unique. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature on providing comprehensive palliative and end-of-life care for the older adult with cancer.

RECENT FINDINGS

Though the difficulties of applying traditional palliative care principles in the older patients with cancer have been discussed, this review reveals a clear gap in the literature in discussing the provision of comprehensive palliative and end-of-life care in this population. Very few articles have been published in this domain with even fewer published within the past 18 months.

SUMMARY

As such, this article reviews key aspects of palliative and geriatric medicine that need to be considered and integrated in order to provide comprehensive palliative care to the older adult with cancer. This includes a discussion of proper pain and symptoms assessment, performance status assessment, advance care planning, and end-of-life care while considering the nuances of geriatric syndromes.

The Palliative Performance Scale predicts mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a substantial mortality risk with increased rates in the elderly. We hypothesized that age is not sufficient, and that frailty measured by preadmission Palliative Performance Scale would be a predictor of outcomes. Improved ability to identify high-risk patients will improve clinicians' ability to provide appropriate palliative care, including engaging in shared decision-making about life-sustaining therapies.

AIM

To evaluate whether preadmission Palliative Performance Scale predicts mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cohort study of patients admitted with COVID-19. Palliative Performance Scale was calculated from the chart. Using logistic regression, Palliative Performance Scale was assessed as a predictor of mortality controlling for demographics, comorbidities, palliative care measures and socioeconomic status.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Patients older than 18 years of age admitted with COVID-19 to a single urban public hospital in New Jersey, USA.

RESULTS

Of 443 admitted patients, we determined the Palliative Performance Scale score for 374. Overall mortality was 31% and 81% in intubated patients. In all, 36% (134) of patients had a low Palliative Performance Scale score. Compared with patients with a high score, patients with a low score were more likely to die, have do not intubate orders and be discharged to a facility. Palliative Performance Scale independently predicts mortality (odds ratio 2.89; 95% confidence interval 1.42-5.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Preadmission Palliative Performance Scale independently predicts mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Improved predictors of mortality can help clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19 to discuss prognosis and provide appropriate palliative care including decisions about life-sustaining therapy.

Level of Palliative Care Complexity in Advanced Cancer Patients: A Multinomial Logistic Analysis

The current treatment approach for patients in palliative care (PC) requires a health model based on shared and individualised care, according to the degree of complexity encountered. The aims of this study were to describe the levels of complexity that may be present, to determine their most prevalent elements and to identify factors that may be related to palliative complexity in advanced-stage cancer patients. An observational retrospective study was performed of patients attended to at the Cudeca Hospice. Socio-demographic and clinical data were compiled, together with information on the patients’ functional and performance status (according to the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)). The level of complexity was determined by the Diagnostic Instrument of Complexity in Palliative Care (IDC-Pal©) and classified as highly complex, complex or non-complex. The impact of the independent variables on PC complexity was assessed by multinomial logistic regression analysis. Of the 501 patients studied, 44.8% presented a situation classed as highly complex and another 44% were considered complex. The highly complex items most frequently observed were the absence or insufficiency of family support and/or caregivers (24.3%) and the presence of difficult-to-control symptoms (17.3%). The complex item most frequently observed was an abrupt change in the level of functional autonomy (47.6%). The main factor related to the presence of high vs. non-complexity was that of performance status (odds ratio (OR) = 10.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.81–40.52, for PPS values < 40%). However, age was inversely related to high complexity. This study confirms the high level of complexity present in patients referred to a PC centre. Determining the factors related to this complexity could help physicians identify situations calling for timely referral for specialised PC, such as a low PPS score.

Palliative Care Delivery in Cancer Patients in the Era of Covid-19 Outbreak: Unique Needs, Barriers, and Tools for Solutions

World is facing a pandemic recently due to the outbreak of COVID-19 infection. Cancer has been identified as one of the major comorbidities which cause more severe disease due to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, there are several resource limitations and restrictions to avail the standard oncological health facilities due to robust measures taken for infection control. In this situation, palliative care in cancer patients deserves special attention. Their symptom management, psychological, social, cultural needs tremendously increase during the epidemic. Thus, we need to recognize the unique palliative care needs of cancer patients during pandemic and formulate the plan to maintain continuity of services. Triaging systems are essential tools for proper resource allocation during a pandemic. Therefore, we suggest triaging tools for emergency in hospital palliative care services: community-based palliative care and end of life care for cancer patients. Incorporation of newer technologies and identifying the potential resources are the other key components of the preparedness strategy.

The Development and Implementation of a Cardiac Home Hospice Program: Results of a RE-AIM Analysis

BACKGROUND

Use of hospice has grown among patients with heart failure; however, gaps remain in the ability of agencies to tailor services to meet their needs.

AIM

This study describes the implementation of a cardiac home hospice program and insights for dissemination to other hospice programs.

DESIGN

We conducted a multimethod analysis structured around the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.

SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS

We used electronic medical records for our quantitative data source and interviews with hospice clinicians from a not-for-profit hospice agency (N = 32) for our qualitative data source.

RESULTS

Reach-A total of 1273 participants were enrolled in the cardiac home hospice program, of which 57% were female and 42% were black or Hispanic with a mean age was 86 years. Effectiveness-The cardiac home hospice program increased hospice enrollment among patients with heart failure from 7.9% to 9.5% over 1 year (2016-2017). Adoption-Institutional factors that supported the program included the acute need to support medically complex patients at the end of life and an engaged clinical champion. Implementation-Program implementation was supported by interdisciplinary teams who engaged in care coordination. Maintenance-The program has been maintained for over 3 years.

CONCLUSION

The cardiac home hospice program strengthened hospice clinicians' ability to confidently provide care for patients with heart failure, expanded awareness of their symptoms among clinicians, and was associated with increased enrollment of patients with heart failure over the study period. This RE-AIM evaluation provides lessons learned and strategies for future adoption, implementation, and maintenance of a cardiac home hospice program.

Psychometric properties of the Czech Integrated Palliative Outcome Scale: reliability and content validity analysis

Background

Outcome measurement is an essential part of the evaluation of palliative care and the measurements need to be reliable, valid and adapted to the culture in which they are used. The Integrated Palliative Outcome Scale (IPOS) is a widely used tool for assessing personal-level outcomes in palliative care. The aim of this study was to provide Czech version of IPOS and assess its psychometric properties.

Methods

Patients receiving palliative care in hospice or hospitals completed the IPOS. The reliability of Czech IPOS was tested with Cronbach alpha (for internal consistency), the intraclass correlation coefficient for total IPOS score and weighted Kappa (for test-retest reliability of individual items). Factor analysis was used for elucidating the construct (Exploratory Factor Analysis). Convergent validity was tested with correlation analysis (Spearman correlation) in a part of the sample, who completed also the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS).

Results

The sample consisted of 140 patients (mean age 72; 90 women; 81% oncological disease). The Cronbach alpha was 0.789; intraclass correlation was 0.88. The correlations of IPOS with ESAS was R = 0.4 and PPS R = − 0.2. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor solution on our data. The first factor covers emotional and information needs and the second factor covers physical symptoms.

Conclusion

Czech IPOS has very good reliability regarding both internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Together with an item analysis results, we can conclude that the Czech adaptation of the tool was successful. The convergent validity needs to be assessed on the larger sample and the proposed 2-factor internal structure of the questionnaire has to be confirmed by using CFA.

Estimating survival time in older adults receiving chemotherapy for advanced cancer

PURPOSE

We determined the accuracy of oncologists' estimates of expected survival time (EST) for older adults with advanced cancer, and explored predictors of survival from a geriatric assessment (GA).

METHODS

Patients aged ≥65 years starting a new line of palliative chemotherapy were eligible. For each patient at enrolment, oncologists estimated EST and rated frailty (Canadian Study on Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale, 1 = very fit, to 7 = severely frail), and a researcher completed a GA. We anticipated estimates of EST to be: imprecise [<33% between 0.67 and 1.33 times the observed survival time (OST)]; unbiased (approximately 50% of participants living longer than their EST); and, useful for estimating individualised worst-case (10% living ≤¼ times their EST), typical (50% living half to double EST), and best-case (10% living ≥3 times EST) scenarios for survival time. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of OST.

RESULTS

The 102 participants [median age 74 years, vulnerable to frail (4-7 on scale) 35%] had a median OST of 15 months. 30% of estimates of EST were within 0.67-1.33 times the OST. 54% of participants lived longer than their EST, 9% lived ≤1/4 of their EST and 56% lived half to double their EST. Follow-up was insufficient to observe those living ≥3 times their EST. Independent predictors of OST were frailty (HR 4.16, p < .0001) and cancer type (p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

Oncologists' estimates of EST were imprecise, but unbiased and accurate for formulating scenarios for survival. A pragmatic frailty rating was identified as a potentially useful predictor of OST.

Factors Associated With Live Discharge of Heart Failure Patients From Hospice: A Multimethod Study

OBJECTIVES

This study identified sociodemographic and clinical factors that predicted live discharge among home hospice patients with heart failure, and related these findings to perspectives among health care providers about challenges to caring for these patients.

BACKGROUND

Hospice patients with heart failure are frequently discharged from hospice before death ("live discharge"). However, little is known about the factors and circumstances associated with live discharge among patients with heart failure.

METHODS

Quantitative analyses of patient medical records (N = 1,498) and qualitative interviews were performed with health care providers (n = 19) at a not-for-profit hospice agency in New York City.

RESULTS

Thirty percent of home hospice patients with heart failure experienced a live discharge, most frequently due to 911 calls that led to acute hospitalization. The odds of acute hospitalization were higher for younger patients (age 18 to 74 years: adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34 to 3.28), African American (AOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.24) or Hispanic (AOR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.99 to 4.50) patients, and higher functioning patients (Palliative Performance Scores of 50% to 70%; AOR: 5.68; 95% CI: 3.66 to 8.79). Qualitative interviews with health care providers highlighted the unique characteristics of heart failure (e.g., sudden changes in patients' condition), the importance of patients' understanding of hospice and their own prognosis, and the role of sociocultural and family context in precipitating and potentially preventing live discharge (e.g., absence of social supports in the home).

CONCLUSIONS

Live discharge from hospice, especially due to acute hospitalization, is common with heart failure. Greater attention is needed for patients' knowledge of and readiness for hospice care, especially among younger and diverse populations, and for factors related to the social and family context in which hospice care is provided.