Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team Research Articles

Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team Influence on End-of-Life Care in Coronavirus Disease 2019? A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

The coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a renewed focus on end-of-life care. The majority of COVID-19 deaths occur in hospital, with patients cared for by generalists and hospital specialist palliative care teams (HSPCTs). This project aims at exploring the potential influences of HSPCTs on end-of-life care in COVID-19. A retrospective observational study was carried out by exploring four end-of-life care themes in a Scottish hospital population who died from COVID-19. Comparison was made between cohorts seen by HSPCTs versus generalist clinicians. Analysis of 119 patients across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) health board demonstrated that COVID-19 patients seen by HSPCTs were more likely to be younger (median 77 vs. 81 years; p = 0.02), have a cancer diagnosis (21.7% vs. 5.4%; p = 0.01), die sooner after admission (median four vs. six days; p < 0.01), and be commenced on a syringe driver (89.1% vs. 42.5%; p < 0.01). Differences detected across four end-of-life care themes comparing HSPCTs with generalist teams were minimal with documentation and prescribing in keeping with available guidance. Consistencies in end-of-life care observed across NHSGGC cohorts draw attention to the potential wider impact of HSPCT roles, including education, guideline development, and mentoring. Understanding such diverse effects is important to support funding and development of HSPCTs. Further research is required to better quantify the impact and heterogenous influences of HSPCTs in general.

Pharmacotherapeutics of aprepitant and pregabalin in neuropathic pain and refractory pruritus in a patient diagnosed with a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Background/Aims Palliative care nurse specialists are required to have a high level of knowledge and expertise in the management of complex symptoms. As a result of patient complexity, clinicians are often faced with advising on multiple drug regimes. This often requires clinical nurse specialists to have knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics to ensure safe and rational prescribing. In the form of a case study, the author has critically discussed the use of aprepitant and pregabalin in the management of neuropathic pain and refractory pruritus in a patient diagnosed with a cutaneous T cell lymphoma. These drugs are not routinely prescribed together and therefore the author has explored potential pharmacokinetic interactions. Case presentation The case presented a 49-year-old lady with an advanced metastatic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with failed remission despite extensive oncological treatment. She was referrd to the to hospital specialist palliative care team for treatment of refractory pruritus and neuropathic pain. Conclusion Aprepitant is considered an effective anti-pruritic agent that is normally well tolerated; however, careful consideration must be taken because of extensive drug interactions. Caution is also required in patients with hepatic impairment. Pregabalin is often used in specialist palliative care for the management of neuropathic pain because of its efficacy and ease of titration. Caution must be taken in prescribing in patients with renal impairment. As pregabalin is not bound to plasma proteins nor metabolised by the liver, the risk of pharmacokinetic interaction with aprepitant is minimal. As both drugs cross the blood brain-barrier, clinicians must monitor for adverse central nervous system activity. This case study highlights the importance of pharmacotherapeutics in ensuring safe and rational prescribing, with the need to continue to integrate this knowledge into future practice as nurse prescribers.

Palliative care virtual ward: early evaluation of a novel model of care to support patients with complex symptom management known to a UK tertiary hospital specialist palliative care team

Palliative care virtual ward: early evaluation of a novel model of care to support patients with complex symptom management known to a UK tertiary hospital specialist palliative care team

Evaluating the use of video communication technology in a hospital specialist palliative care team during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Healthcare professionals’ use of video communication technology has increased during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, due to infection control restrictions. Currently there is little published data about the experiences of specialist palliative care teams who are using technology to communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this evaluation was to describe the experience of a UK based hospital specialist palliative care team, who were using video communication technology to support care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was distributed to the specialist palliative care team at a University teaching hospital in the North West of the UK. We asked participants to provide their views on the scope of use, barriers and future opportunities to use technology for communication in hospital palliative care. Results: The survey was completed by 14 healthcare professionals. Participants indicated that the most common reasons for using the technology was to receive team updates (n= 14, 100%), participate in multidisciplinary team meetings (n=14, 100%), for education (n=12, 86%) and to facilitate cross-site working (n=9, 64%). We identified barriers to using the technology, which were summarised as: (1) user-based difficulties; (2) inadequate technological infrastructure; (3) data security, privacy and ethical concerns; and (4) concerns regarding staff wellbeing. Participants stated that technology can potentially improve care by improving communication with hospital and community teams and increasing access to education. We have used these findings to develop recommendations to help palliative care teams to implement this technology better in clinical practice. Conclusion: Video communication technology has the potential to improve specialist palliative care delivery; however, it is essential that healthcare organisations address the existing barriers to using this technology, to ensure that these systems work meaningfully to improve palliative care for those who are most vulnerable beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE USE OF QTC PROLONGING MEDICATIONS & DRUG INTERACTIONS IN PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS: AUDIT OF PRESCRIBING IN A TERTIARY CANCER CENTRE

BackgroundUse of medications which prolong the QTc interval in Palliative Care is under scrutiny due to risks of provoking potentially fatal arrhythmias. Risks are increased by drug interactions involving Cytochrome...

A QUALITATIVE STAFF EVALUATION RE-AUDIT OF THE HOSPITAL SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM AND EVALUATION OF OUR 7 DAY SERVICE

During October 2011 an internal staff questionnaire was designed to gain feedback on the hospital specialist palliative care team from selected nursing groups, junior doctors and consultants. The aim was...

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE TERMINALLY ILL PATIENT REFERRED TO THE HOSPITAL SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM IN A NHS HOSPITAL, NOT ACHIEVING THEIR PREFERRED PLACE OF DEATH? A CRITICAL EVALUATION

BackgroundThe purpose of "The End of Life Care Strategy" document (2008), was to introduce a strategy to promote high quality end of life care (EOLC) for patients approaching the end...

ESTIMATING GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS: COMPARISON OF THE COCKROFT- GAULT AND ABBREVIATED MODIFICATION OF DIET IN RENAL DISEASE FORMULAS-IS IT RELEVANT TO CLINICAL PRACTICE?

BackgroundThe National Kidney Foundation, Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative recommends the Cockcroft Gault (CG) or abbreviated modified diet in renal disease (aMDRD) formulas for estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). Clinical...

DYING IN HOSPITAL-IS THERE AN UNMET PALLIATIVE CARE NEED FOR PATIENTS WHO DIE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF ADMISSION?

BackgroundThe majority of people in the UK die in hospital and many more die in hospital than are seen by the inpatient specialist palliative care team (SPCT).AimsTo assess the population...

Does the ‘Liverpool Care Pathway’ facilitate an improvement in quality of care for dying cancer patients?

Background:The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) aims to transfer hospice principles of care for dying patients to other health-care sectors. This post-bereavement survey explored the LCP's effectiveness in improving quality of care for cancer patients.Methods:Postal self-completion questionnaires were sent to 778 next-of-kin to consecutive deceased patients who had died an ‘expected' cancer death in a hospice and acute tertiary hospital.Results:Following exclusions (n=53), 255 of the 725 next-of-kin agreed to participate (35.2% response rate). Overall hospice participants reported the best quality of care, and hospital participants, for whom care was not supported by the LCP, reported the worst quality of care. Multivariate analysis showed the hospice was an independent predictor for patients being treated with dignity (OR 8.46) and receiving adequate family support (OR 7.18) (P<0.0001). Care supported by the LCP and the hospital specialist palliative care team were both associated with good family support, but neither was an independent predictor.Conclusions:From the bereaved relatives' perspective, within the hospital, the LCP is effective in improving specific aspects of care, such as symptom control for dying patients. Further improvement is required, however, to attain the hospice standard of care.

Evaluation of a hospice specialist palliative care nurse secondment to the acute setting

BackgroundAs specialist palliative care services are evolving and reasons for admission to hospice are changing, the Ayrshire Hospice has developed an innovative model of practice within the In-Patient Unit (IPU)...

‘Many hands make light work’ or ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’? Achieving the tricky balance of appropriate involvement in palliative care for cancer

BackgroundAddressing the care needs of people with advanced cancer is often complex, requiring communication between different professional and lay care providers, across different geographical and professional boundaries. Achieving the right...

Development and implementation of the Rapid Discharge Pathway Version 12 to enable imminently dying patients to die in the place of their choice

This study reports on the further development and implementation of a Rapid Discharge Home to Die Care Pathway (RDP Version 12). A rapid discharge pathway (RDP) was originally developed by members of the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust in response to an identified clinical need to enable imminently dying patients to die in their place of choice when a clinical situation has changed rapidly and there has been an urgent request for a patient to die at home. The initial development and early evaluation, along with an example of the pathway itself, was published in 2004. The current study reports specifically on the subsequent development of the pathway that occurred alongside that of the generic Version 12 of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient published in December 2009. The study outlines the process of development and implementation of the RDP Version 12; patient scenario and a completed example are included to further illustrate the circumstances in which it can be used and the resultant process.

How do people with cancer and palliative care needs understand and contribute to the management of communication surrounding their care?

BackgroundThe authors have very limited knowledge regarding how people with cancer and palliative care needs understand and contribute to the often complex networks and pathways of communication between the different...

Specialist palliative care and sporadic Creutzfeldt – Jakob disease – a case series

BackgroundCreutzfeldt – Jakob disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder with an incidence of 1.4 million in UK1. There have been 80-100 cases per year in the UK since 1990. There...

Issues in prognostication for hospital specialist palliative care doctors and nurses: A qualitative inquiry

Background: Patients with advanced life-limiting diseases have high information needs concerning prognosis yet discussions between patients and healthcare professionals are either avoided or inaccurate due to over-optimism. Available prognostic models are problematic. Literature indicates that hospital specialist palliative care professionals are frequently asked to prognosticate, although their experience of prognostication is unknown. Identifying this experience will support the development of prognosis training for hospital specialist palliative care professionals. Aim: To explore hospital specialist palliative care professionals’ experience of prognostication. Research questions: ‘How do specialist palliative care team members prognosticate?’; ‘How do they view prognostication?’ Design: Qualitative research – focus group interviews. Setting/participants: Three UK hospital specialist palliative care teams. Participants included medical doctors and palliative care nurses. Inclusion/exclusion criteria: member of hospital specialist palliative care team with knowledge and experience of prognostication. Numbers of participants: four hospital specialist palliative medicine consultants, three senior doctors in training, nine clinical nurse specialists. Results: Two major themes: Difficulties of prognostication; Benefits of prognostication. Eleven sub-themes: Difficulties (Non-malignant disease; Communicating uncertainty; Seeking definitive prognosis; Participants’ feelings; Confidence in prognostication; Estimating prognosis; Dealing with reaction of prognosis; Prognostic error); Benefits (Patient informed decision-making prioritizing needs and care; Family-prioritizing commitments; Services accessing funding and services planning patient care). Conclusions: Findings highlight lack of evidence to support practice, and identify the complexity and emotional labour involved in prognostication by hospital specialist palliative care team members, and are used to discuss recommendations for further research and practice.

Implementation and evaluation of a palliative care resource scheme within a district general hospital

This article explores the development, implementation and evaluation of a palliative care resource scheme in a district general hospital in Mid Gamorgan, Wales. The evolution of the resource scheme and how the hospital specialist palliative care team identified the need for improved patient care on hospital wards is discussed, in addition to how using their specialist role combined with education can implement change. The project evolved from initially recruiting two nurses on an in-house educational programme, to what has since become a formal arrangement with the local university, whereby students can access taught palliative care modules at degree and diploma levels as part of a distance learning degree in cancer care and a distance learning post- graduate certificate in palliative care. The resource enhances the knowledge of the practitioners who have completed it and also formalizes and expands the working links between education and clinical practice. It is hoped to continue and develop the scheme to further enhance the collaborative partnerships.

Improving cancer patients' pain: the impact of the hospital specialist palliative care team

Pain is reported to occur in the majority of patients with advanced cancer and is one of the main reasons for referral to a hospital specialist palliative care team. Yet despite this, there is a paucity of research into the impact the hospital specialist palliative care team has on pain control in patients. A non-equivalent control group design using a quota sample investigated 100 cancer patients who had been admitted to hospital for symptom control. Fifty patients received specialist hospital palliative care team intervention compared with 50 patients receiving traditional care. Outcome was assessed using the Palliative Care Assessment (PACA) tool on three occasions. There was no difference between the groups on the initial assessment and the results indicated that all cancer patients admitted to hospital had a significant improvement in their pain control. However, the patients who had the additional input of the palliative care team demonstrated a statistically significant greater improvement than the control group (P<0.001). Potential explanations are made for the results including the enhanced knowledge and skills of the hospital specialist palliative care team.

Audit of cancer pain management in a cancer centre.

Despite the availability of effective methods of controlling pain, many patients continue to receive inadequate pain relief. An audit was carried out on a single day to identify the prevalence, severity and management of cancer pain in adults in the two teaching hospitals in the Nottingham Cancer Centre. Of 186 patients with cancer, 52 had experienced pain as a result of their cancer during their admission. Of these 52 patients, 47 were assessed. More than half had unrelieved pain that was 'severe' at it s worst and interfered greatly with activities. Compared with patients whose pain had been relieved, patients with uncontrolled pain were likely to have spent less time in hospital, to have not had a formal assessment or reassessment of their pain and not to have a pain-care plan in the nursing notes or to have been seen by the hospital specialist palliative care team. We use our results to highlight areas of good practice, to identify where improvements could be made, and to inform the development of local standards and future audits.