scholarly journals Supporting Enhanced Palliative Care Services in the Emergency Department (728)

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-546
CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niran Argintaru ◽  
Kieran L. Quinn ◽  
Lucas B. Chartier ◽  
Jacques Lee ◽  
Paul Hannam ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveFew studies have examined the challenges faced by emergency medicine (EM) physicians in conducting goals of care discussions. This study is the first to describe the perceived barriers and facilitators to these discussions as reported by Canadian EM physicians and residents.MethodsA team of EM, palliative care, and internal medicine physicians developed a survey comprising multiple choice, Likert-scale and open-ended questions to explore four domains of goals-of-care discussions: training; communication; environment; and patient beliefs.ResultsSurveys were sent to 273 EM staff and residents in six sites, and 130 (48%) responded. Staff physicians conducted goals-of-care discussions several times per month or more, 74.1% (80/108) of the time versus 35% (8/23) of residents. Most agreed that goals-of-care discussions are within their scope of practice (92%), they felt comfortable having these discussions (96%), and they are adequately trained (73%). However, 66% reported difficulty initiating goals-of-care discussions, and 54% believed that admitting services should conduct them. Main barriers were time (46%), lack of a relationship with the patient (25%), patient expectations (23%), no prior discussions (21%), and the inability to reach substitute decision-makers (17%). Fifty-four percent of respondents indicated that the availability of 24-hour palliative care consults would facilitate discussions in the emergency department (ED).ConclusionsImportant barriers to discussing goals of care in the ED were identified by respondents, including acuity and lack of prior relationship, highlighting the need for system and environmental interventions, including improved availability of palliative care services in the ED.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257501
Author(s):  
Scott W. Kirkland ◽  
Miriam Garrido Clua ◽  
Maureen Kruhlak ◽  
Cristina Villa-Roel ◽  
Stephanie Couperthwaite ◽  
...  

Introduction This study examined emergency department (ED) presentations of patients with end of life (EOL) conditions and patients having met and unmet palliative care needs were compared. Methods Presentations for EOL conditions were prospectively identified and screened for palliative care needs. Descriptive data were reported as proportions, means or medians. Bi-variable analysis for dichotomous and continuous variables were performed by chi-squared and T-tests (p≤0.01), respectively. A multivariable logistic regression model identified factors associated with having unmet palliative needs and reported adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Overall, 663 presentations for EOL conditions were identified; 518 (78%) involved patients with unmet palliative care needs. Presentations by patients with unmet palliative needs were more likely to involve consultations (80% vs. 67%, p = 0.001) and result in hospitalization (69% vs. 51%, p<0.001) compared to patients whose palliative needs were met. Patients with unmet palliative care needs were more likely to have previous ED visits (73% unmet vs. 48% met; p<0.001). While medication, procedures, investigations and imaging ordering were high across all patients with EOL conditions, there were no significant differences between the groups. Consultations with palliative specialists in the ED (6% unmet vs. 1% met) and following discharge (29% unmet vs. 18% met) were similarly uncommon. Patients having two or more EOL conditions (aOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.16, 5.00), requiring hospitalization (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.30, 2.87), and dying during the ED visit (aOR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 4.53) were strongly associated with having unmet palliative care needs. Conclusions Most ED presentations for EOL conditions were made by patients with unmet palliative care needs, who were significantly more likely to require consultation, hospitalization, and to die. Referrals to palliative care services during and after the ED visit were infrequent, indicating important opportunities to promote these services.


Author(s):  
Ros Scott

This chapter explores the history of volunteers in the founding and development of United Kingdom (UK) hospice services. It considers the changing role and influences of volunteering on services at different stages of development. Evidence suggests that voluntary sector hospice and palliative care services are dependent on volunteers for the range and quality of services delivered. Within such services, volunteer trustees carry significant responsibility for the strategic direction of the organiszation. Others are engaged in diverse roles ranging from the direct support of patient and families to public education and fundraising. The scope of these different roles is explored before considering the range of management models and approaches to training. This chapter also considers the direct and indirect impact on volunteering of changing palliative care, societal, political, and legislative contexts. It concludes by exploring how and why the sector is changing in the UK and considering the growing autonomy of volunteers within the sector.


Author(s):  
Matthew Hotopf

Depression in palliative care is common, under-recognised and has significant impacts for sufferers. There are effective treatments but often a shortage of staff to provide them. This chapter sets out a number of key issues to consider when assessing and treating individual patients and considers the way in which palliative care services can innovate to provide a population level response to depression. Palliative care staff can be trained to deliver basic depression care and follow simple protocols to initiate, monitor and adjust antidepressant treatment. These approaches have been tested in trials in cancer care but the challenge is to take these approaches from research trials conducted in centres of excellence with good resources, to other settings.


Author(s):  
Valeria Cardenas ◽  
Anna Rahman ◽  
Yujun Zhu ◽  
Susan Enguidanos

Background: Despite some insurance plans now paying for home-based palliative care, recent reports have suggested that insurance coverage for palliative care may be insufficient in expanding patient access to home-based palliative care. Aim: To identify patients’ and caregivers’ perceived barriers to home-based palliative care and their recommendations for overcoming these barriers. Design: We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews. Our interview protocol elicited participants’ perspectives on home-based palliative care services; positive and negative aspects of the palliative program explanation; and suggestions for improving messaging around home-based palliative care. Setting/Participants: Twenty-five participants (patients, proxies, and their caregivers) who were eligible for a randomized controlled trial of home-based palliative care were interviewed by telephone. Results: Themes related to home-based palliative care referral barriers included reluctance to have home visits, enrollment timing, lack of palliative care knowledge, misconceptions about palliative care, and patients’ self-perceived health condition. Themes related to recommendations for overcoming these obstacles included ensuring that palliative care referrals come from healthcare providers or insurance companies and presenting palliative care services more clearly. Conclusion: Findings reinforce the need for additional palliative care education among patients with serious illness (and their caregivers) and the importance of delivering palliative care information and referrals from trusted sources.


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