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Chen YJ, Wang WF, Chang MC, Jhang KM. The Effectiveness of the Case Manager-Centered Collaborative Care Model with Computer-Assisted Assessment on Quality Indicators for the Care of Dementia. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024; 53:29-36. [PMID: 38316114 DOI: 10.1159/000536646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aimed to investigate the influence of case management and its corresponding computer-assisted assessment system on the quality improvement of dementia care. METHODS This observational study enrolled 2029 patients and their caregivers at Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan. Physicians who made the diagnosis of dementia would introduce the patient and caregiver dyad to the case manager-centered collaborative care team after obtaining agreement. The achievement rates of 11 quality indicators (QIs) comprising timely diagnostic evaluations, regular screens of cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms, caregiver support, and proper medication prescriptions were counted. Different timeframes (≤4 months, 4 months-1 year, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, or ≥3 years) from diagnosis of dementia to collaborative care intervention were compared. RESULTS A significantly higher attainment rate was achieved for patients with earlier entry into the collaborative team model, including QIs about timely diagnosis and regular screening, and caregiver support. The QIs regarding dementia medication prescriptions and documentation of the risk of antipsychotics remained similar regardless of the time of entry into the model. The completion rates of QIs also improved after the information system was launched. CONCLUSIONS Physician-case manager co-management in the setting of a collaborative care model with a computer-assisted assessment system helps improve QI achievement for dementia care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Jen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan,
| | - Wen-Fu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Che Chang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Ming Jhang
- Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
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2
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Timmons S, Fox S. Palliative care for people with dementia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 191:81-105. [PMID: 36599517 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-824535-4.00013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Dementia is the most common neurologic disease, affecting approximately 55 million people worldwide. Dementia is a terminal illness, although not always recognized as such. This chapter discusses the key issues in providing palliative care for people with living with dementia and their families. Common palliative care needs and symptoms are presented, including psychosocial, physical, emotional, and spiritual, and the need to actively anticipate and seek symptoms according to the dementia type and stage is emphasized. Families are hugely impacted by a dementia diagnosis, and throughout this chapter, they are considered in the unit of care, and also as a member of the care team. Multiple challenges particular to dementia palliative care are highlighted throughout, such as the lack of timely dementia diagnoses, difficulty with symptom prognostication, the person's inability to verbally express their symptoms and care preferences, and a low threshold for medication side effects. Finally, service models for dementia palliative care in community, residential, and acute hospital settings are discussed, along with the evidence for each. Overall, this chapter reinforces that the individual needs of the person living with dementia and their family must be considered to provide person-centered and comprehensive palliative care, enabling them to live well until death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Timmons
- Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Mercy University Hospital & St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Siobhan Fox
- Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Yorganci E, Sampson EL, Gillam J, Aworinde J, Leniz J, Williamson LE, Cripps RL, Stewart R, Sleeman KE. Quality indicators for dementia and older people nearing the end of life: A systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 69:3650-3660. [PMID: 34331704 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Robust quality indicators (QIs) are essential for monitoring and improving the quality of care and learning from good practice. We aimed to identify and assess QIs for the care of older people and people with dementia who are nearing the end of life and recommend QIs for use with routinely collected electronic data across care settings. METHODS A systematic review was conducted, including five databases and reference chaining. Studies describing the development of QIs for care of older people and those with dementia nearing the end of life were included. QIs were categorized as relating to processes or outcomes, and mapped against six care domains. The psychometric properties (acceptability, evidence base, definition, feasibility, reliability, and validity) of each QI were assessed; QIs were categorized as robust, moderate, or poor. RESULTS From 12,980 titles and abstracts screened, 37 papers and 976 QIs were included. Process and outcome QIs accounted for 780 (79.7%) and 196 (20.3%) of all QIs, respectively. Many of the QIs concerned physical aspects of care (n = 492, 50.4%), and very few concerned spiritual and cultural aspects of care (n = 19, 1.9%). Three hundred and fifteen (32.3%) QIs were robust and of those 220 were measurable using routinely collected electronic data. The final shortlist of 71 QIs came from seven studies. CONCLUSIONS Of the numerous QIs developed for care of older adults and those with dementia nearing the end of life, most had poor or moderate psychometric properties or were not designed for use with routinely collected electronic datasets. Infrastructure for data availability, combined with use of robust QIs, is important for enhancing understanding of care provided to this population, identifying unmet needs, and improving service provision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emel Yorganci
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth L Sampson
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London, UK
| | - Juliet Gillam
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jesutofunmi Aworinde
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Javiera Leniz
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lesley E Williamson
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel L Cripps
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robert Stewart
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Katherine E Sleeman
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK
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Miranda R, Smets T, De Schreye R, Faes K, Van Den Noortgate N, Cohen J, Van den Block L. Improved quality of care and reduced healthcare costs at the end-of-life among older people with dementia who received palliative home care: A nationwide propensity score-matched decedent cohort study. Palliat Med 2021; 35:1701-1712. [PMID: 34109861 DOI: 10.1177/02692163211019321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While palliative home care is advocated for people with dementia, evidence of its effectiveness is lacking. AIM To evaluate the effects of palliative home care on quality and costs of end-of-life care for older people with dementia. DESIGN Decedent cohort study using linked nationwide administrative databases and propensity score matching. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS All home-dwelling older people who died with dementia between 2010 and 2015 in Belgium (N = 23,670). EXPOSURE Receiving palliative home care support for the first time between 360 and 15 days before death. RESULTS Five thousand six hundred and thirty-seven (23.8%) received palliative home care support in the last 2 years of life, of whom 2918 received it for the first time between 360 and 15 days before death. Two thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine people who received support were matched to 2839 people who received usual care. After matching, those using palliative home care support, in the last 14 days of life, had lower risk of hospital admission (17.5% vs 50.5%; relative risk (RR) = 0.21), undergoing diagnostic testing (17.0% vs 53.6%; RR = 0.20) and receiving inappropriate medications, but were more likely to die at home (75.7% vs 32.6%; RR = 6.45) and to have primary care professional contacts (mean 11.7 vs mean 5.2), compared with those who did not. Further, they had lower mean total costs of care in the last 30 days of life (incremental cost:-€2129). CONCLUSIONS Palliative home care use by home-dwelling older people with dementia is associated with improved quality and reduced costs of end-of-life care. Access remains low and should be increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robrecht De Schreye
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kristof Faes
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Joachim Cohen
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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Miranda R, Smets T, Van Den Noortgate N, Deliens L, Van den Block L. Higher Prevalence of Dementia but No Change in Total Comfort While Dying among Nursing Home Residents with Dementia between 2010 and 2015: Results from Two Retrospective Epidemiological Studies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18042160. [PMID: 33672123 PMCID: PMC7926426 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18042160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Important policy developments in dementia and palliative care in nursing homes between 2010 and 2015 in Flanders, Belgium might have influenced which people die in nursing homes and how they die. We aimed to examine differences between 2010 and 2015 in the prevalence and characteristics of residents with dementia in nursing homes in Flanders, and their palliative care service use and comfort in the last week of life. We used two retrospective epidemiological studies, including 198 residents in 2010 and 183 in 2015, who died with dementia in representative samples of nursing homes in Flanders. We found a 15%-point increase in dementia prevalence (p-value < 0.01), with a total of 11%-point decrease in severe to very severe cognitive impairment (p = 0.04). Controlling for residents’ characteristics, in the last week of life, there was an increase in the use of pain assessment (+20%-point; p < 0.03) but no change in total comfort. The higher prevalence of dementia in nursing homes with no change in residents’ total comfort while dying emphasizes an urgent need to better support nursing homes in improving their capacities to provide timely and high-quality palliative care services to more residents dying with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (T.S.); (L.D.); (L.V.d.B.)
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence:
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (T.S.); (L.D.); (L.V.d.B.)
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (T.S.); (L.D.); (L.V.d.B.)
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (T.S.); (L.D.); (L.V.d.B.)
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
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Dequanter S, Buyl R, Fobelets M. Quality indicators for community dementia care: a systematic review. Eur J Public Health 2020; 30:879-885. [PMID: 32577756 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of an up-to-date body of evidence and a comprehensive overview concerning literature on quality indicator (QI) development for dementia care. Therefore, we systematically reviewed recent literature and formulated recommendations for future research. METHODS PubMed, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library were searched for studies describing QI development or redefinition for dementia care (from first symptoms until admission to long-term care), published from 2008 to May 2019. RESULTS We included a total of 7 articles, comprising of 107 QIs. The majority of publications originated from Europe. These applied to outpatient care, primary care and end-of-life care. Most QIs referred to care processes. Several care domains were determined by the authors, ranging from screening and assessment to end-of-life care. The methodological quality of the QI sets differed considerably. The QI sets with the best methodological quality were developed using expert evaluation or a Delphi technique. CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that a reasonable amount of QIs for assessing and optimizing community dementia care exists, however, further development and methodological improvements of these QIs are necessary. Involvement of people with dementia and caregivers in the development process and a broader focus including community oriented next to medically oriented QIs are examples of potential improvement measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Dequanter
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics (BISI) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ronald Buyl
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics (BISI) Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maaike Fobelets
- Department of Health Care, Midwifery Department, Knowledge Centre Brussels Integrated Care, Erasmus University College Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
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Miranda R, van der Steen JT, Smets T, Van den Noortgate N, Deliens L, Payne S, Kylänen M, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Van den Block L. Comfort and clinical events at the end of life of nursing home residents with and without dementia: The six-country epidemiological PACE study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 35:719-727. [PMID: 32128874 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the occurrence rates of clinical events and their associations with comfort in dying nursing home residents with and without dementia. METHODS Epidemiological after-death survey was performed in nationwide representative samples of 322 nursing homes in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and England. Nursing staff reported clinical events and assessed comfort. The nursing staff or physician assessed the presence of dementia; severity was determined using two highly discriminatory staff-reported instruments. RESULTS The sample comprised 401 residents with advanced dementia, 377 with other stages of dementia, and 419 without dementia (N = 1197). Across the three groups, pneumonia occurred in 24 to 27% of residents. Febrile episodes (unrelated to pneumonia) occurred in 39% of residents with advanced dementia, 34% in residents with other stages of dementia and 28% in residents without dementia (P = .03). Intake problems occurred in 74% of residents with advanced dementia, 55% in residents with other stages of dementia, and 48% in residents without dementia (P < .001). Overall, these three clinical events were inversely associated with comfort. Less comfort was observed in all resident groups who had pneumonia (advanced dementia, P = .04; other stages of dementia, P = .04; without dementia, P < .001). Among residents with intake problems, less comfort was observed only in those with other stages of dementia (P < .001) and without dementia (P = .003), while the presence and severity of dementia moderated this association (P = .03). Developing "other clinical events" was not associated with comfort. CONCLUSIONS Discomfort was observed in dying residents who developed major clinical events, especially pneumonia, which was not specific to advanced dementia. It is crucial to identify and address the clinical events potentially associated with discomfort in dying residents with and without dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jenny T van der Steen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Expertise center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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Rhee JJ, Grant M, Senior H, Monterosso L, McVey P, Johnson C, Aubin M, Nwachukwu H, Bailey C, Fallon-Ferguson J, Yates P, Williams B, Mitchell G. Facilitators and barriers to general practitioner and general practice nurse participation in end-of-life care: systematic review. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2020:bmjspcare-2019-002109. [PMID: 32561549 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-002109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND General practitioners (GPs) and general practice nurses (GPNs) face increasing demands to provide palliative care (PC) or end-of-life care (EoLC) as the population ages. To enhance primary EoLC, the facilitators and barriers to their provision need to be understood. OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive description of the facilitators and barriers to GP and GPN provision of PC or EoLC. METHOD Systematic literature review. Data included papers (2000 to 2017) sought from Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane databases. RESULTS From 6209 journal articles, 62 reviewed papers reported the GP's and GPN's role in EoLC or PC practice. Six themes emerged: patient factors; personal GP factors; general practice factors; relational factors; co-ordination of care; availability of services. Four specific settings were identified: aged care facilities, out-of-hours care and resource-constrained settings (rural, and low-income and middle-income countries). Most GPs provide EoLC to some extent, with greater professional experience leading to increased comfort in performing this form of care. The organisation of primary care at practice, local and national level impose numerous structural barriers that impede more significant involvement. There are potential gaps in service provision where GPNs may provide significant input, but there is a paucity of studies describing GPN routine involvement in EoLC. CONCLUSIONS While primary care practitioners have a natural role to play in EoLC, significant barriers exist to improved GP and GPN involvement in PC. More work is required on the role of GPNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel J Rhee
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew Grant
- School of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hugh Senior
- College of Health Sciences, Massey University-Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Leanne Monterosso
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Nursing, University of Notre Dame, Fremantly, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peta McVey
- Susan Wakil School of Nursing, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Claire Johnson
- Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Cancer and Palliative Care Research and Evaluation Unit, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michèle Aubin
- Département de médecine familiale et de médecine d'urgence, Laval University Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Harriet Nwachukwu
- Primary Care Clinical Unit, The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Claire Bailey
- School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julia Fallon-Ferguson
- General Practice, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Primary Care Cancer Clinical Trials Collaborative, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patsy Yates
- Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Briony Williams
- General Practice, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Primary Care Cancer Clinical Trials Collaborative, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geoffrey Mitchell
- Primary Care Clinical Unit, The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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Hamano J, Oishi A, Morita T, Kizawa Y. Frequency of discussing and documenting advance care planning in primary care: secondary analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional observational study. BMC Palliat Care 2020; 19:32. [PMID: 32183800 PMCID: PMC7079526 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-020-00543-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To improve the quality of advance care planning (ACP) in primary care, it is important to understand the frequency of and topics involved in the ACP discussion between patients and their family physicians (FPs). METHODS A secondary analysis of a previous multicenter cross-sectional observational study was performed. The primary outcome of this analysis was the frequency of and topics involved in the ACP discussion between outpatients and FPs. In March 2017, 22 family physicians at 17 clinics scheduled a day to assess outpatients and enrolled patients older than 65 years who were recognized by FPs as having regular visits. We defined three ACP discussion topics: 1) future decline in activities of daily living (ADL), 2) future inability to eat, and 3) surrogate decision makers. FPs assessed whether they had ever discussed any ACP topics with each patient and their family members, and if they had documented the results of these discussions in medical records before patients were enrolled in the present study. We defined patients as being at risk of deteriorating and dying if they had at least 2 positive general indicators or at least 1 positive disease-specific indicator in the Japanese version of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool. RESULTS In total, 382 patients with a mean age of 77.4 ± 7.9 years were enrolled, and 63.1% were female. Seventy-nine patients (20.7%) had discussed at least one ACP topic with their FPs. However, only 23 patients (6.0%) had discussed an ACP topic with family members and their FPs, with the results being documented in their medical records. The topic of future ADL decline was discussed and documented more often than the other two topics. Patients at risk of deteriorating and dying discussed ACP topics significantly more often than those not at risk of deteriorating and dying (39.4% vs. 16.8%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION FPs may discuss ACP with some of their patients, but may not often document the results of this discussion in medical records. FPs need to be encouraged to discuss ACP with patients and family members and describe the decisions reached in medical records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hamano
- Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
| | - Ai Oishi
- Primary Palliative Care Research Group, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Medical School (Doorway 1), Teviot Place, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tatsuya Morita
- Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Palliative Care Team, and Seirei Hospice, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, 3453 Mikatahara-cho, Kita-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kizawa
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
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10
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De Schreye R, Smets T, Deliens L, Annemans L, Gielen B, Cohen J. Appropriateness of End-of-Life Care in People Dying With Dementia: Applying Quality Indicators on Linked Administrative Databases. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 21:1093-1101.e1. [PMID: 32037298 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dementia is a progressive incurable life-limiting illness. Previous research suggests end-of-life care for people with dementia should have a symptomatic focus with an effort to avoid burdensome interventions that would not improve quality of life. This study aims to assess the appropriateness of end-of-life care in people who died with dementia in Belgium and to establish relative performance standards by measuring validated population-level quality indicators. DESIGN We conducted a retrospective observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We included all persons deceased with dementia in 2015 in Belgium. Data from 8 administratively collected population-level databases was linked. MEASURES We used a validated set of 28 quality indicators for end-of-life dementia care. We compared quality indicator scores across 14 healthcare regions to establish relative benchmarks. RESULTS In Belgium in 2015, 10,629 people died with dementia. For indicators of appropriate end-of-life care, people who died with dementia had on average 1.83 contacts with their family physician in the last week before death, whereas 68.4% died at home or in their nursing home of residence. For indicators of inappropriate end-of-life care, 32.4% were admitted to the hospital and 36.3% underwent diagnostic testing in the last 30 days before death, whereas 25.1% died in the hospital. In the last 30 days, emergency department admission varied between 19% and 31%, dispensing of gastric protectors between 18% and 42%, and antihypertensives between 40% and 53% between healthcare regions, with at least 25% of health regions below 46%. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our study found indications of appropriate as well as inappropriate end-of-life care in people with dementia, including high rates of family physician contact, as well as high percentages of diagnostic testing, and emergency department and hospital admissions. We also found high risk-adjusted variation for multiple quality indicators, indicating opportunity for quality improvement in end-of-life dementia care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robrecht De Schreye
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Annemans
- Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Joachim Cohen
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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de Nooijer K, Pivodic L, Deliens L, Miccinesi G, Vega Alonso T, Moreels S, Van den Block L. Primary palliative care for older people in three European countries: a mortality follow-back quality study. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2019; 10:462-468. [PMID: 31619438 PMCID: PMC7691801 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many older people with serious chronic illnesses experience complex health problems for which palliative care is indicated. We aimed to examine the quality of primary palliative care for people aged 65-84 years and those 85 years and older who died non-suddenly in three European countries. METHODS This is a nationwide representative mortality follow-back study. General practitioners (GPs) belonging to epidemiological surveillance networks in Belgium (BE), Italy (IT) and Spain (ES) (2013-2015) registered weekly all deaths in their practices. We included deaths of people aged 65 and excluded sudden deaths judged by GPs. We applied a validated set of quality indicators. RESULTS GPs registered 3496 deaths, of which 2329 were non-sudden (1126 aged 65-84, 1203 aged 85+). GPs in BE (reference category) reported higher scores than IT across almost all indicators. Differences with ES were not consistent. The score in BE particularly differed from IT on GP-patient communication (aged 65-84: 61% in BE vs 20% in IT (OR=0.12, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.20) aged 85+: 47% in BE vs 9% in IT (OR=0.09, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.16)). Between BE and ES, we identified a large difference in involvement of palliative care services (aged 65-84: 62% in BE vs 89% in ES (OR=4.81, 95% CI 2.41 to 9.61) aged 85+: 61% in BE vs 77% in ES (OR=3.1, 95% CI 1.71 to 5.53)). CONCLUSIONS Considerable country differences were identified in the quality of primary palliative care for older people. The data suggest room for improvement across all countries, particularly regarding pain measurement, GP-patient communication and multidisciplinary meetings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim de Nooijer
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lara Pivodic
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guido Miccinesi
- Clinical and Descriptive Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Florence, Italy
| | - Tomas Vega Alonso
- Public Health Directorate, Regional Ministry of health (Direccion General de Salud Publica, Conselleria de Sanidad), Castille and Leon, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sarah Moreels
- Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Services Research, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
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Miranda R, Bunn F, Lynch J, Van den Block L, Goodman C. Palliative care for people with dementia living at home: A systematic review of interventions. Palliat Med 2019; 33:726-742. [PMID: 31057088 PMCID: PMC6620864 DOI: 10.1177/0269216319847092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The European Association for Palliative Care White Paper defined optimal palliative care in dementia based on evidence and expert consensus. Yet, we know little on how to achieve this for people with dementia living and dying at home. AIMS To examine evidence on home palliative care interventions in dementia, in terms of their effectiveness on end-of-life care outcomes, factors influencing implementation, the extent to which they address the European Association for Palliative Care palliative care domains and evidence gaps. DESIGN A systematic review of home palliative care interventions in dementia. DATA SOURCES The review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and the protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018093607). We searched four electronic databases up to April 2018 (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and CINAHL) and conducted lateral searches. RESULTS We retrieved eight relevant studies, none of which was of high quality. The evidence, albeit of generally weak quality, showed the potential benefits of the interventions in improving end-of-life care outcomes, for example, behavioural disturbances. The interventions most commonly focused on optimal symptom management, continuity of care and psychosocial support. Other European Association for Palliative Care domains identified as important in palliative care for people with dementia, for example, prognostication of dying or avoidance of burdensome interventions were under-reported. No direct evidence on facilitators and barriers to implementation was found. CONCLUSIONS The review highlights the paucity of high-quality dementia-specific research in this area and recommends key areas for future work, for example, the need for process evaluation to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- 1 End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,2 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frances Bunn
- 3 Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Lynch
- 3 Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- 1 End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,2 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Claire Goodman
- 3 Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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