The primary goal of this project was to improve the care of the dying patient through the introduction of a pre-developed integrated care pathway (ICP), while concurrently seeking to determine the feasibility of implementing a pre-developed ICP throughout Wales. Thirty-eight teams, reflecting four care settings crossing the statutory and voluntary sectors, participated in the project. Training was delivered on a regional basis in the north, south and middle areas of Wales. Participating teams' implementation of the ICP was monitored for one year. Support was provided by quarterly regional meetings, a project website, quarterly newsletters and a telephone helpline. After one year, 80% of the 38 teams participating in the project were using the ICP in their workplace. A further 10% were prepared and ready to use the ICP when a suitable patient was referred, while only 10% were unable to implement the ICP. The feasibility of implementing a pre-developed care pathway for the last days of life across different care settings and sectors throughout Wales was clearly demonstrated. The central collection and analysis of variance sheets established a baseline measure of palliative care quality, facilitated local and national benchmarking, and indicated future directions for research and development to improve the care of the dying patient in Wales.
Implementing the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient in Intensive Care Version 12 (LCP ICU V12) across a regional critical care network
