scholarly journals DO FLAGGING LETTERS FROM HOSPITAL PALLIATIVE CARE TEAMS IMPROVE COMMUNITY CARE OF PATIENTS APPROACHING END OF LIFE?

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 109.2-109
Author(s):  
K Georgiade ◽  
S Kelt ◽  
E McKenna ◽  
C Hookey
Author(s):  
Kate L. M. Hinrichs ◽  
Cindy B. Woolverton ◽  
Jordana L. Meyerson

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have shortened life expectancy with increased risk of developing comorbid medical illnesses. They might have difficulty accessing care and can be lost to follow-up due to complex socioeconomic factors, placing them at greater risk of dying from chronic or undiagnosed conditions. This, in combination with stigma associated with SMI, can result in lower quality end-of-life care. Interdisciplinary palliative care teams are in a unique position to lend assistance to those with SMI given their expertise in serious illness communication, values-based care, and psychosocial support. However, palliative care teams might be unfamiliar with the hallmark features of the various SMI diagnoses. Consequently, recognizing and managing exacerbations of SMI while delivering concurrent palliative or end-of-life care can feel challenging. The goal of this narrative review is to describe the benefits of providing palliative care to individuals with SMI with concrete suggestions for communication and use of recovery-oriented language in the treatment of individuals with SMI. The salient features of 3 SMI diagnoses—Bipolar Disorders, Major Depressive Disorder, and Schizophrenia—are outlined through case examples. Recommendations for working with individuals who have SMI and other life-limiting illness are provided, including strategies to effectively manage SMI exacerbations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. A17-A17
Author(s):  
Jennie Helmer ◽  
Leon Baranowski ◽  
Richard Armour ◽  
John Tallon ◽  
David Williscroft ◽  
...  

Background/Research ObjectivesParamedic services have experienced a steadily increasing demand from palliative patients accessing 911 during times of acute crisis, and not wishing subsequent conveyance to ED. Early data indicates that many of these patients are NOT already connected to palliative care teams.To address this demand and to connect patients to care, BCEHS introduced the Assess, See, Treat and Refer (ASTAR)-Palliative Clinical Pathway. Objectives are to reduce patient conveyance to ED, reduce hospitalizations and improve patient care through referral after non-conveyance.InterventionParamedic activation of the ASTaR Palliative Clinical Pathway results in referral of non-conveyed palliative patients to local Home and Community Care teams and BCEHS paramedics. The referral occurs within 1-6 hours of paramedic contact and follow up occurs over the next 24-48 hours by telephone. This referral action provides safe, effective, patient-centred care for non-conveyed patients, and also fills a gap for connecting patients to local palliative care teams.ImpactA retrospective case review of 183 cases was conducted. Symptom improvement was achieved in 70% of cases, the ED non-conveyance rate was 19%, and the time on task when palliative patients were treated at home and not conveyed was 37% less (52 minutes) than if palliative patients were transported (82 minutes). All 183 patients were connected to either the local home and community care team or BCEHS Rural Advanced Care Community Paramedics (RACCP).Lessons LearnedPalliative patients frequently call 911 for help during acute crisis events and many of these patients do not wish conveyance to ED. The introduction of the ASTaR palliative clinical pathway provided safety netting and referral to appropriate care teams.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002293
Author(s):  
Thomas Chalopin ◽  
Nicolas Vallet ◽  
Lotfi Benboubker ◽  
Marlène Ochmann ◽  
Emmanuel Gyan ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPatients with haematological malignancies (HM) receive more aggressive treatments near the end-of-life (EOL) than patients with solid tumours. Palliative care (PC) needs are less widely acknowledged in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) than in other HM. The main objective of our study was to describe EOL care and PC referral in a population of older patients with MM.MethodsWe retrospectively included deceased inpatients and outpatients with an MM previously diagnosed at the age of 70 and over in two tertiary centres in France. We reported EOL characteristics regarding treatments considered to be aggressive—antimyeloma therapies, hospitalisations, blood product transfusions, intensive care units (ICUs) or emergency admissions—and PC referral.ResultsWe included 119 patients. In their last month of life, 75 (63%) were hospitalised for fever, pain, asthenia, anaemia or bleeding, 49 (41%) were admitted in the emergency department and 12 (10%) in ICU, 76 (64%) still received antimyeloma therapy and 45 (38%) had at least two transfusions. Only 24 (20%) received PC intervention for pain, global care, family support, anxiety, social care or confusion. Median follow-up until death was 20 days.ConclusionsOur study found a high rate of hospitalisations and antimyeloma therapies in the last month of life. The PC referral rate was low, often once specific treatments were stopped. Our results suggest the need for more effective collaboration between PC teams and haematologists in order to respond to the specific needs of these patients and to improve their quality of care at EOL.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20613-e20613
Author(s):  
Syed Mustafa Karim ◽  
Jamal M Zekri ◽  
Ehab Mosaad Abdelghany ◽  
Azhar Rizvi ◽  
Aboelkhair Al-Gahmi ◽  
...  

e20613 Background: A substantial number of cancer patients receive inpatient care at the end-of-life (EoL). Involvement of palliative care teams during the course of cancer treatment has been shown to improve quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients. In this study, we compare the EoL care of cancer patients dying in the hospital under medical oncology (MO) and palliative care (PC) services. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of adult cancer patients who received chemotherapy during their illness and died in our hospital between January 2010 and January 2012 was conducted. The quality metrics measured as endpoints were: chemotherapy given within 21 days of death, death in the ICU, CPR at time of death, and time from last chemotherapy to death (TLCD). These endpoints were compared between patients who died under the MO service (cohort A) and those dying under PC service (cohort B). Chi-square test and T-test were used to compare the endpoints between the two cohorts. Results: Of the 106 cancer patients who died in the hospital, 40 and 66 were in cohorts A and B respectively. 30% of all patients were 65 years of age or older, and were equally distributed between the two cohorts. Patients in cohort A were more likely to receive chemotherapy within last 3 weeks of life (27.5% versus 7.5%, p=0.012, 95% CI 4.16-37.15), to have CPR at time of death (15% versus 0%, p=0.005, 95% CI 4.2-29.8) and to die in the ICU (52.5% versus 1.5%, p=<0.001, 95% CI 33.3-67.1) as compared to patients in cohort B. The average time from last chemotherapy to death was significantly longer (221 days) for cohort B patients as compared to cohort A patients (96 days), p=0.01. Patients in cohort A who had PC consultation during their hospitalization had no differences in the measured endpoints when compared to patients in cohort B. Conclusions: Cancer patients who die in the hospital while under MO service without PC involvement tend to have more aggressive EoL care. This may impact negatively on some QoL features. Early referral to palliative care services may facilitate better understanding and fulfillment of the needs of cancer patients and their caregivers by the healthcare-providers.


2003 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene J Higginson ◽  
Ilora G Finlay ◽  
Danielle M Goodwin ◽  
Kerry Hood ◽  
Adrian G.K Edwards ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Temkin-Greener Helena Temkin-Greener ◽  
Dana Mukamel ◽  
Susan Ladwig ◽  
Thomas , Caprio ◽  
Sally Norton ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. e8-e9
Author(s):  
Gillian MacLean ◽  
Alessia Gallipoli ◽  
Ayla Raabis

Abstract Background The area of palliative care in pediatrics has been expanding, as evidence emphasizes the benefits of providing pediatric patients and their families with optimized care in cases of chronic illness and end-of-life. The majority of pediatric deaths occur in infants under one year, with significant portions of these deaths taking place in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). The expansion of palliative care into neonatal medicine is of significant importance, as symptom management and end-of-life care plays a vital role in providing complete care to these infants. Guidelines that have been put into place can vary significantly between centers. Published studies in neonatal palliative care (PC) describe these challenges, however little data currently exists specific to Canadian NICUs. Objectives The primary objective was to gather information about current practice trends and themes around barriers in neonatal PC. Design/Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to Canadian Level 3 NICU staff, including neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners (NP), and neonatal fellows through the Qualtrics platform. Surveys were distributed through email and responses tracked in the Qualtrics system. Results The survey response rate was 57. The majority of respondents were neonatologists (50%), with many having more than 5 years of experience. Provision of palliative care was common with 20/57 respondents being involved in 5 or more cases in the past year. Only 40% of respondents reported that neonatologists and neonatal NPs received palliative care training at their center. When education did exist, lectures (31%) and workshops (26%) were most common. 97% said their centre would benefit from more education. 53% of respondents said their center had an established guideline around neonatal PC, 20% did not know and 27% answered no. Only 8% of respondents who work at centres with a guideline found that it was consistently followed. Respondents were asked to identify barriers to implementation at their place of practice. Common responses noted challenges in NICU collaborations with maternal-fetal medicine and palliative care teams, as well as lack of education and providers’ personal beliefs. Lastly, respondents provided details of their guidelines or common practices in PC which has been collated and summarized. Conclusion The results provide a snapshot of the current palliative care practices in academic NICUs across Canada. Overall the results were positive with many centers having a guideline and some provider education. The perceived barriers highlight focus areas for future education and policy development, and emphasize the importance of improved collaboration moving forward.


2019 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-001770
Author(s):  
Olivier Bylicki ◽  
Morgane Didier ◽  
Frederic Riviere ◽  
Jacques Margery ◽  
Frederic Grassin ◽  
...  

ObjectivesDespite recent advances in thoracic oncology, most patients with metastatic lung cancer die within months of diagnosis. Aggressiveness of their end-of-life (EOL) care has been the subject of numerous studies. This study was undertaken to evaluate the literature on aggressive inpatient EOL care for lung cancer and analyse the evolution of its aggressiveness over time.MethodsA systematic international literature search restricted to English-language publications used terms associated with aggressiveness of care, EOL and their synonyms. Two independent researchers screened for eligibility and extracted all data and another a random 10% sample of the abstracts. Electronic Medline and Embase databases were searched (2000–20 September 2018). EOL-care aggressiveness was defined as follows: 1) chemotherapy administered during the last 14 days of life (DOL) or new chemotherapy regimen during the last 30 DOL; 2) >2 emergency department visits; 3) >1 hospitalisation during the last 30 DOL; 4) ICU admission during the last 30 DOL and 5) palliative care started <3 days before death.ResultsAmong the 150 articles identified, 42 were retained for review: 1 clinical trial, 3 observational cohorts, 21 retrospective analyses and 17 administrative data-based studies. The percentage of patients subjected to aggressive therapy seems to have increased over time. Early management by palliative care teams seems to limit aggressive care.ConclusionsOur analysis indicated very frequent aggressive EOL care for patients with lung cancer, regardless of the definition used. The extent of that aggressiveness and its impact on healthcare costs warrant further studies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-126
Author(s):  
Jan Gärtner ◽  
Bernd Alt-Epping ◽  
Marion Daun

Zusammenfassung. Patienten mit nicht heilbaren und fortschreitenden neurologischen, internistischen, onkologischen und anderen Erkrankungen leiden schon bei Diagnosestellung unter teils massiven Einschränkungen der Lebensqualität durch körperliche Symptome (z. B. Schmerz und Luftnot) sowie durch psychische, soziale und spirituelle Belastungen. Palliative Care dient als umfassendes Unterstützungskonzept dem bestmöglichen Erhalt individueller Lebensqualität und umfasst mehr als nur die Betreuung in der letzten Lebensphase, im Sinne einer «End of Life Care». Ärzte und andere Berufsgruppen aller Fachrichtungen sollten daher grundlegende Massnahmen und Basiswissen der Palliative Care beherrschen und schon früh im Erkrankungsverlauf anwenden. Dazu gehören u. a. Grundfertigkeiten palliativer Schmerztherapie und Symptomkontrolle, aber auch pflegerische, psychosoziale, ethische und kommunikative Kompetenzen. Die Kooperation mit anderen medizinischen Berufsgruppen und therapeutisch Tätigen sollte sich an den spezifischen Bedürfnissen der Palliativpatienten orientieren. Nicht zuletzt braucht es die Bereitschaft, spezialisierte palliativmedizinische Dienste bei besonders belasteten Patienten in komplexen Situationen aktiv einzubeziehen. Der frühzeitige Einbezug palliativmedizinischen Denkens und Handelns ist eine Aufgabe aller Fachdisziplinen und Berufsgruppen des Gesundheitswesens im Rahmen der allgemeinen Palliative Care. Zusätzlich zu dieser allgemeinen Palliative Care ist auch eine Mitbetreuung durch multiprofessionelle Teams der spezialisierten Palliative Care möglich. Dieses ist zum Beispiel für den Bereich der häuslichen Versorgung (in Deutschland: Spezialisierte Ambulante Palliativversorgung (SAPV)) etabliert und gemäss einer aktuellen Meta-Analyse in Bezug auf Lebensqualität und Symptomlast der Patienten sowie der Ermöglichung eines Versterbens im häuslichen Umfeld sehr hilfreich. Allerdings erfolgt eine häusliche Mitbetreuung durch die spezialisierte Palliative Care selten in frühen Erkrankungsstadien. Eine andere Meta-Analyse konnte zeigen, dass Patienten in Krankenhäusern (Ambulanzen und Stationen) besonders dann von der Mitbetreuung durch spezialisierte multiprofessionelle Palliative Care-Teams (in Deutschland: Palliativdienste) in Bezug auf ihre Lebensqualität profitieren, wenn deren Integration frühzeitig im Erkrankungsverlauf stattfindet. Eine konkrete Mitbehandlung aller Patienten mit inkurablen Grunderkrankungen durch die spezialisierte Palliative Care ist im Alltag allerdings weder praktikabel noch zielführend. Vielmehr ist es angezeigt, die besonders belasteten oder unter komplexen Symptomen und Problemen leidenden Patienten frühzeitig zu identifizieren und diese Patienten entsprechend zu unterstützen. Dazu werden Indikatoren für den Einbezug spezialisierter Palliative Care verwendet. Ebenso bedarf es der Kenntnis von Schnittstellen zu den jeweiligen vorhandenen regionalen Versorgungsstrukturen.


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