Inclusion Of Palliative Care Research Articles

Effectiveness of Palliative Care before Death in Reducing Emergency Care Utilization for Patients with Terminal Cancer and Trends in the Utilization of Palliative Care from 2005-2018.

This retrospective cohort study aimed to examine the effect of palliative care for patients with terminal cancer on healthcare utilization. The National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database and death certificates were utilized to identify patients who died of cancer between 2005 and 2018. The number of terminal cancer patients between 2005 and 2018 was 605,126. Propensity score matching and conditional logistic regression were performed. The odds ratios (ORs) for "emergency care utilization", "CPR", "endotracheal intubation", and "ICU admission" were significantly lower for enrolled patients regardless of enrollment time compared to unenrolled patients. Compared to unenrolled patients, the OR for "emergency care utilization" increased from 0.34 to 0.68, the OR for "CPR use" increased from 0.13 to 0.26, the OR for "intubation" increased from 0.15 to 0.26, and the OR for "ICU admission" increased from 0.27 to 0.40 in enrolled patients. Between 2005 and 2010, CPR utilization, intubation, and ICU admission in patients enrolled in palliative care declined each year. Since the inclusion of palliative care in NHI (from 2010 onward), its utilization has increased slightly each year. Patients with terminal cancer enrolled in palliative care consume fewer medical resources before death than unenrolled patients; however, the difference decreases with longer times before death.

Otolaryngology consultations requested by palliative care services: a five-year analysis

Introduction: Otolaryngologists are required to possess the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to manage consultations requested by palliative care services. However, the inclusion of palliative care needs in otolaryngology residency training is limited. The goal of this study was to enhance awareness of otolaryngologists' palliative care knowledge and skills by evaluating otolaryngology consultations requested by tertiary palliative care services between 2016 and 2021. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients who consulted the otolaryngology department from the palliative care service of Kutahya Health Sciences University between January 1, 2016 and September 31, 2021. A total of 80 otolaryngology consultations were requested between 2016 and 2021. Patients were evaluated for age, gender, diagnosis of palliative admission, reason for consultation, date of consultation, interventions, and additional investigations. Results: There were 27 female patients (33.7%) and 53 male patients (66.2%). The mean age was 65.0 (range: 22-97) years. It was found that the volume of consultations did not increase significantly over a five-year period (p=0.502) and 78.8 % of consultations were requested during working hours (08:00-16:00). In addition, the response time (minutes) for consultations during working hours (08:00-16:00) was significantly lower than outside working hours (16:01-07:59) (p<0.001). The reasons for requesting a consultation and the procedures performed were significantly different between patients under and over 65 years of age (p=0.019 and p=0.008, respectively). Conclusions: This is the first study to evaluate otolaryngology consultations requested by a tertiary palliative care service. Awareness of these consultations may provide guidance for the assessment and management of patients in palliative care services. Keywords: consultation, otolaryngology, tracheotomy, palliative care

Thailand's experience in Advance Care Planning

In 2007, Thailand enacted the National Health Act, which contains the Advance Directive (Section 12). Even though the Act was enacted nearly sixteen years ago, physicians have not fully adopted it, limiting the number of patients who can benefit from the Advance Directive. Thai culture values the role of extended family in end-of-life planning, which is frequently marked by a conspiracy of silence (inability to discuss end-of-life issues), so patients may have limited opportunities to participate in decision-making and care planning. Thailand introduced a Palliative Care Policy in 2014. The inclusion of palliative care in the health service plan is the most crucial factor for palliative care provision. Through health inspections, the Ministry of Public Health supervises, monitors, and evaluates the management of the National Palliative Care Program. Advance Care Planning (ACP) and three other major KPIs were to be included in health inspections by 2020. In 2021, the Office of the National Health Commission implemented ACP, including the formation of (a) a committee to create a national ACP form and standard operating procedures and (b) a steering committee to oversee the nationwide implementation of ACP.

Palliative Care in India: Past, Present, and Future.

Over the last 4 decades, palliative care in India had steady growth and development from the early hospice movement in the 1980s to specialist and subspecialist palliative medicine in the 2020s. In the first decade, sustainable service delivery by capacity building, novel contextual community networking models, education facilitated by international collaboration, efforts towards opioid access, and nationwide networking through the formation of an association kindled the grand beginning of palliative care in India. Over the next 2 decades, palliative care in India evolved and developed as a speciality, disseminated across the nation, found its place in all clinical settings, engaged with specialities and subspecialities, developed its own specialist training program, and focused on indigenous research enabled through its own journal. Furthermore, end-of-life care awareness, training, advocacy, and initiatives towards policy and legislation reaped huge dividends in terms of improving the quality of dying in India. Generalist training through short and intermediate courses enhanced the knowledge and interest of the primary health care providers and non-palliative care specialists and education through international collaboration both in-person and distance learning modes augmented these efforts. In 2019, most elements of palliative care are part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Policy initiatives by state and central governments and the inclusion of palliative care in the National Health Policy of 2017 offer hope for the future. In the last decade, we think that palliative care has found its footing and is ready to emerge as one of the dominant clinical specialities. Moreover, it is time for it to broaden its horizon, scope, and realm by developing into subspecialist verticals, being ubiquitous in all clinical spaces, focusing on robust evidence-based approach and research grounded in the Indian practice context.

Implementation of a Palliative Care Program in a Rural Hospital: Report From the First Year.

Palliative care has become an integral part of today's health care system. Inclusion of palliative care has been shown to positively affect patient satisfaction and can also impact medical costs. One of the ways palliative care can have such influence is through the development of prognostic awareness or a patient's understanding of their likely illness trajectory. Although palliative care programs have multiplied in general, there are still notable discrepancies in program availability, particularly in smaller rural hospitals. Despite numerous health care thought leaders' recommendations regarding the "ideal" palliative care team, this is not always feasible due to resource allocation. This article aims to describe 1 rural hospital's development of and initial outcomes from a hospital-based palliative care program.

H.O.P.E. & Healing: a randomized pilot study of structured palliative care referrals in recurrent ovarian cancer

<h3>Objectives:</h3> The inclusion of palliative care (PC) across the cancer continuum has been identified as a marker of high-quality cancer care. With limited PC specialists, integrated approaches may be necessary with the primary oncologist providing this care. However, recurrent ovarian cancer patients often have significant physical and/or emotional needs that may be best addressed by PC specialists. Our primary objective was to test the effect of a structured PC intervention on quality of life (QOL) for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Secondary objective was to assess the effect of the structured PC approach on overall survival. <h3>Methods:</h3> This was an IRB approved prospective randomized controlled trial at 2 academic institutions and was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02090582). Eligible patients included those with platinum resistant ovarian cancer or platinum sensitive cancer with a sentinel clinical event (recent bowel obstruction, liver metastases, pleural effusion or ascites). Subjects were randomized 1:1 to usual care versus a structured palliative care intervention (see Figure 1). Quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian (FACT-O) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care (FACIT-PAL) at baseline and 12-week intervals. Wilcoxon tests were used to detect differences between arms. Overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meyer curves. <h3>Results:</h3> A total of 54 subjects were enrolled from 5/2014-4/2016; 26 in the intervention arm and 28 in the control arm. Median follow up was 6.5 months (Range: 2-12months). Median age of subjects was 63 with an ECOG performance status of 1. The majority of patients were Caucasian (44; 81.5%) and had platinum resistant disease (37; 68.5%). Most patients had received between 1-3 prior lines of chemotherapy (34/54; 63%); 5 patients (9.2%) had received ≥6 lines of therapy. There was no difference in overall or subset QOL in patients receiving usual care compared to those in the structured PC arm (p=0.14). There were no differences in hospital admissions (p=0.96), days from last chemo to hospice admission (p=1.0), days from hospice admission to death (p=0.41), place of death (p=0.68) or number of PC appointments (p=0.30) between the two arms. Patients enrolled in the 2nd half of the cohort were more likely to die at home rather than in the hospital or inpatient hospice (p=0.01) compared to subjects enrolled early in the study period. 81% of subjects randomized to the intervention arm completed at least 1 QDACT assessment (range 1-17). Similarly, there was no overall survival difference between the 2 arms (9.3m vs 10.1m; p=0.21). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Structured integrated approaches between gynecologic oncology providers and PC specialists are feasible. The QDACT tool may be an effective, standardized measure to assess cancer symptom burden over time in this population. Further study is needed to identify interventions and collaborations that may have the greatest impact on QOL for recurrent ovarian cancer patients.

Palliative Care Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Palliative Care Clinicians

ContextCOVID-19 created unprecedented demand for palliative care at a time when in-person communication was highly restricted, straining efforts to care for patients and families. ObjectivesTo qualitatively explore the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of palliative care clinicians. Specifically we sought to: 1) Describe the strategies adopted by palliative care clinicians to cope with new challenges including patient and clinician isolation, prognostication of an emergent disease, and rapidly rising numbers of severely ill patients; 2) Identify additions or adjustments to in-person and system-related palliative care training, methods, and tools made during pandemics. MethodsThis descriptive qualitative study utilized a thematic approach for data analysis of individual, semi-structured interviews with palliative care clinicians (n = 25). Codes, categories, and emerging themes were identified through an iterative, comparative method. Methods align with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) ResultsA theme of “Expanding the reach of palliative care for today and the future” was identified with three subthemes: 1) Redefining attitudes and hardship due to collective uncertainty, 2) Breaking with the past towards integrated concept of palliative care, and 3) Building capacity through primary palliative care training. ConclusionCOVID-19 forced hospital systems to consider the inclusion of palliative care in unforeseen ways due to an uncontrollable, unpredictable disease. Faced with unprecedented uncertainty, palliative care clinicians utilized strategies for integration and innovation across hospitals, particularly in intensive care units and emergency departments. A need to build capacity through increased primary palliative care access and training was identified.

Addressing obstacles to the inclusion of palliative care in humanitarian health projects: a qualitative study of humanitarian health professionals\u2019 and policy makers\u2019 perceptions

BackgroundHumanitarian non-governmental organizations provide assistance to communities affected by war, disaster and epidemic. A primary focus of healthcare provision by these organizations is saving lives; however, curative care will not be sufficient, appropriate, or available for some patients. In these instances, palliative care approaches to ease suffering and promote dignity are needed. Though several recent initiatives have increased the probability of palliative care being included in humanitarian healthcare response, palliative care remains minimally integrated in humanitarian health projects.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study using interpretive description methodology to investigate humanitarian policy-makers’ and health care professionals’ experiences and perceptions of palliative care during humanitarian crises. In this article, we report on the analysis of in-depth interviews with 24 participants related to their perceptions of obstacles to providing palliative care in humanitarian crises, and opportunities for overcoming these obstacles. Among the participants, 23 had experience as humanitarian health professionals, and 12 had experience with policy development and organizational decision-making.ResultsParticipants discussed various obstacles to the provision of palliative care in humanitarian crises. More prominent obstacles were linked to the life-saving ethos of humanitarian organizations, priority setting of scarce resources, institutional and donor funding, availability of guidance and expertise in palliative care, access to medication, and cultural specificity around death and dying. Less prominent obstacles related to continuity of care after project closure, equity, security concerns, and terminology.ConclusionOpportunities exist for overcoming the obstacles to providing palliative care in humanitarian crises. Doing so is necessary to ensure that humanitarian healthcare can fulfill its objectives not only of saving lives, but also of alleviating suffering and promoting dignity of individuals who are ill or injured during a humanitarian crises, including persons who are dying or likely to die.

Strategies used to establish palliative care in rural low- and middle-income countries: an integrative review.

Globally, 40 million people need palliative care; about 69% are people over 60 years of age. The highest proportion (78%) of adults are from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where palliative care still developing and is primarily limited to urban areas. This integrative review describes strategies used by LMICs to establish palliative care in rural areas. A rigorous integrative review methodology was utilized using four electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Emcare, Embase classic+Embase and CINAHL). The search terms were: 'palliative care', 'hospice care', 'end of life care', 'home-based care', 'volunteer', 'rural', 'regional', 'remote' and 'developing countries' identified by the United Nations (UN) as 'Africa', 'Sub-Saharan Africa', 'low-income' and 'middle- income countries'. Thirty papers published in English from 1990 to 2019 were included. Papers were appraised for quality and extracted data subjected to analysis using a public health model (policy, drug availability, education and implementation) as a framework to describe strategies for establishing palliative care in rural areas. The methodological quality of the reviewed papers was low, with 7 of the 30 being simple programme descriptions. Despite the inclusion of palliative care in national health policy in some countries, implementation in the community was often reliant on advocacy and financial support from non-government organizations. Networking to coordinate care and medication availability near-patient homes were essential features of implementation. Training, role play, education and mentorship were strategies used to support health providers and volunteers. Home- and community-based palliative care services for rural LMICs communities may best be delivered using a networked service among health professionals, community volunteers, religious leaders and technology.

Impact of a Palliative Care Education Module in Patients With Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) impacts 6.2 million American adults. With no cure, therapies aim to prevent progression and manage symptoms. Inclusion of palliative care (PC) helps improve symptoms and quality of life. Heart failure guidelines recommend the inclusion of PC in HF therapy, but referrals are often delayed. Introduce PC to patients with HF and examine the impact on PC consults, readmission, mortality, and intensive care unit (ICU) transfers. Patients (n = 60) admitted with HF to an academic hospital were asked to view a PC educational module. A number of PC consults, re-admissions, mortality, and transfers to the ICU were compared among participants and those who declined. Nine patients in the intervention group (n = 30) requested a PC consult (P = .042) versus 2 in the usual care group (n = 30; P = .302). There was no statistically significant difference in readmissions, mortality, or ICU transfers between groups. Palliative care education increases the likelihood of PC utilization but in this short-term project was not found to statistically impact mortality, re-admissions, or transfers to higher levels of care.

Palliative care for people living with heart failure: European Association for Palliative Care Task Force expert position statement.

Contrary to common perception, modern palliative care (PC) is applicable to all people with an incurable disease, not only cancer. PC is appropriate at every stage of disease progression, when PC needs emerge. These needs can be of physical, emotional, social, or spiritual nature. This document encourages the use of validated assessment tools to recognize such needs and ascertain efficacy of management. PC interventions should be provided alongside cardiologic management. Treating breathlessness is more effective, when cardiologic management is supported by PC interventions. Treating other symptoms like pain or depression requires predominantly PC interventions. Advance Care Planning aims to ensure that the future treatment and care the person receives is concordant with their personal values and goals, even after losing decision-making capacity. It should include also disease specific aspects, such as modification of implantable device activity at the end of life. The Whole Person Care concept describes the inseparability of the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the human being. Addressing psychological and spiritual needs, together with medical treatment, maintains personal integrity and promotes emotional healing. Most PC concerns can be addressed by the usual care team, supported by a PC specialist if needed. During dying, the persons' needs may change dynamically and intensive PC is often required. Following the death of a person, bereavement services benefit loved ones. The authors conclude that the inclusion of PC within the regular clinical framework for people with heart failure results in a substantial improvement in quality of life as well as comfort and dignity whilst dying.

REGISTERED NURSES PROVIDING PRIMARY PALLIATIVE CARE DURING TRANSITION FROM HOSPITAL TO HOME

Although inclusion of palliative care throughout the illness trajectory is recommended, the majority of palliative care in the United States is still limited to hospital settings. There is no established program ensuring continuity of palliative care outside of hospitals. We conducted a feasibility study testing an intervention where registered nurses provided primary palliative care (PPC) to older adults with chronic illness during the transition from hospital to home. PPC delivered by nurses included symptom management, advance care planning, and communication with healthcare providers. Compared to 15 patients who received care from non-nurse health coaches, 15 patients who received PPC from nurses in addition to the coaching had fewer symptom-related re-hospitalizations, more conversations about advance care planning, and higher satisfaction with their care. Provision of PPC by nurses through the care transition showed potential as an effective and affordable intervention to ensure continuity of palliative care beyond the hospital setting.

Cuidado Paliativo e Diretrizes Curriculares: Inclusão Necessária

RESUMO Cuidado Paliativo (CP) é uma abordagem multiprofissional que visa à qualidade de vida de pacientes com doenças ameaçadoras de vida e de seus familiares. Com o avanço das doenças crônico-degenerativas, estima-se que mais de 20 milhões de pacientes no mundo têm necessidade deste perfil de cuidado. No que tange à formação médica direcionada a essa demanda crescente, há escassa menção nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais do Curso de Graduação em Medicina. Contudo, ao se avaliar o texto oficial, observam-se diversas congruências das orientações gerais com os princípios do CP, como: formação humanística, priorização de pacientes em vulnerabilidade, valorização da dignidade humana, bioética, respeito à autonomia do paciente, abordagem centrada na pessoa, trabalho em equipe, abordagem familiar, comunicação, condutas baseadas em evidência. O estudo destes pontos em comum evidencia o CP como potencial espaço formador para aquisição de habilidades e competências requeridas pelas orientações oficiais. Neste sentido, a inserção na graduação ampliará a formação profissional de futuros médicos, podendo contribuir ainda com a garantia de uma assistência de qualidade a pacientes com doenças graves, em especial na fase final de vida.

The inclusion of palliative care in initial treatment planning for women with gynecologic cancer and the use of advanced directives.

23 Background: To determine differences in Advanced Directive (AD) utilization among women with gynecologic cancer at a facility with a functioning Palliative Care (PC) program, vs those in a facility without access to a PC program. Also, to identify possible ethnic differences or relationships to other PC needs to AD utilization. Methods: 95 subjects with gynecologic cancer were prospectively identified, 30 from an inner-city academic facility (Site A), and 65 from a suburban community facility in the same metropolitan area. (Site B) All patients received treatment from board-certified oncologists. All subjects were approached by Master’s trained Social Workers at presentation with a diagnosis of cancer and asked to complete a standardized, validated questionnaire (modified Distress Thermometer (DT)) to determine their palliative care needs and whether they had an AD prior to treatment (baseline), and 6 months later. Completed questionnaires were collected and data was depersonalized and analyzed by the authors. Statistical differences were assessed using standard methods. Results: Site A patients were younger (56.3 vs 61.5 years) less likely to be Caucasian (12/30, 40% vs 40/65, 61.5%) and less likely to have private insurance (10/30, 33.3% vs 41/65, 63%). The presence of AD was similar in both sites at baseline. (8/65, 12.3% vs. 4/30, 13.3%) At 6 months, Site B patients were more likely to have an active AD. (50/65, 77.0% vs 5/30, 16.7%) No differences were seen based on ethnicity (Caucasian vs. Black) at either baseline or 6 months. No differences were seen based on the stage or type of gynecologic cancer. No relationship between AD utilization and any other PC needs (as recorded by DT) were identified. All differences were significant at a p &lt; 0.05. Conclusions: Advanced Directive utilization is uncommon in women diagnosed with gynecologic cancer in the facilities analyzed. Subsequent creation of an AD is strongly associated with the presence of a PC program. PC programs have multiple benefits for gynecologic cancer patients, and should be offered routinely as part of the initial treatment plan.

The Inclusion of Palliative Care in Initial Treatment Planning is Associated with Increased Utilization of Advanced Directives in Women with Gynecologic Cancer

The Inclusion of Palliative Care in Initial Treatment Planning is Associated with Increased Utilization of Advanced Directives in Women with Gynecologic Cancer

Palliative care nursing education features more prominently in 2015 than 2005: Results from a nationwide survey and qualitative analysis of curricula

Background: Making palliative care accessible to all citizens who are in need of this type of care requires effective policies and education. Moreover, healthcare professionals have an ethical and legal responsibility to ensure quality palliative care. Nevertheless, palliative care has had traditionally a limited emphasis in healthcare professionals’ undergraduate education. Aim: To study the current status of palliative care education in nursing undergraduate curricula and compare 2005 and 2015 findings. Design: An online survey was sent to all state schools providing nursing undergraduate education in Portugal (N = 21). The survey assessed if and how palliative care was included in the curricula, and whether or not national and international recommendations for palliative care nursing education were followed. Further analysis included the content of available curricula/syllabi. Setting/participants: A total of 19 schools completed the survey (90% of response rate). These institutions are geographically dispersed and representative of state nursing educational institutions in Portugal. Results: In 2015, all participant schools integrated palliative care in their curricula; nine schools had palliative care as an independent curricular unit (an 800% increase compared to 2005). While in 2005, only 14 out of 23 (61%) schools included palliative care explicitly in their curricula; in 2015, all 19 participant schools did so. National and international recommendations were followed. Conclusion: The inclusion of palliative care within nursing undergraduate curricula strongly increased from 2005 to 2015. Further research is needed to understand the contribution of education in the access, care provision, quality and development of palliative care in this country.

Inclusion of palliative care in Indian undergraduate physiotherapy curriculum-course guidelines and content

According to the guidelines published by the WHO in 2010, palliative care has been defined as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.” Intervention provided as a part of the palliative care has to be by health professionals who strictly work as a part of the multidisciplinary team and have been specifically trained to an optimal level of competency in the field. Two key problem areas in palliative care which a physiotherapist deals with are poor physical function and pain. This article deals with the following issues: (1) What is palliative care education and its importance? (2) Current scenario of palliative care in medical and allied fields internationally. (3) Current scenario of palliative care education in medical and allied fields in India. (4) Proposed curriculum guidelines for palliative care in physiotherapy.

The National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) and the 4-hour rule: time to review the target.

We explored the relationship between the National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) compliance rate, defined as the proportion of patients admitted or discharged from emergency departments (EDs) within 4 hours of presentation, and the risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality of patients admitted to hospital acutely from EDs. Retrospective observational study of all de-identified episodes of care involving patients who presented acutely to the EDs of 59 Australian hospitals between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2014. The relationship between the risk-adjusted mortality of inpatients admitted acutely from EDs (the emergency hospital standardised mortality ratio [eHSMR]: the ratio of the numbers of observed to expected deaths) and NEAT compliance rates for all presenting patients (total NEAT) and admitted patients (admitted NEAT). ED and inpatient data were aggregated for 12.5 million ED episodes of care and 11.6 million inpatient episodes of care. A highly significant (P <0.001) linear, inverse relationship between eHSMR and each of total and admitted NEAT compliance rates was found; eHSMR declined to a nadir of 73 as total and admitted NEAT compliance rates rose to about 83% and 65% respectively. Sensitivity analyses found no confounding by the inclusion of palliative care and/or short-stay patients. As NEAT compliance rates increased, in-hospital mortality of emergency admissions declined, although this direct inverse relationship is lost once total and admitted NEAT compliance rates exceed certain levels. This inverse association between NEAT compliance rates and in-hospital mortality should be considered when formulating targets for access to emergency care.

The contribution of undergraduate palliative care education: does it influence the clinical patient's care?

The aim of this 2-year systematic review is to understand how learner assessment and curriculum evaluation of education in palliative care is being undertaken and to examine whether current undergraduate education influences the clinical patient's care. Almost half of the 30 studies reviewed used a qualitative approach to evaluate learning experiences. Only three of them were controlled studies and a further one was a cohort study.When students openly express themselves, they agree that there is 'something' deep as regards the core or the essence of medical practice or nursing. They feel that they become better professionals and better prepared for the patients, not only in terms of end of life care, but also as regards care, irrespective of the phase of the disease.The inclusion of palliative care in undergraduate education is a way of providing knowledge, skill, and competences about palliative care (especially communication) and also improving attitudes toward caring in advanced disease and at the end of life. Different methods of experiential learning, even brief experiences, which bring students into close contact with palliative care clinical cases or patients, are providing better results. From research studies, there is only indirect evidence that palliative care training at university leads to better clinical care of patients. In the future, long-term cohort or controlled studies might answer that question.

Integration of palliative care services into standard oncology practice at diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System.

165 Background: The 2012 ASCO provisional clinical opinion addressed the integration of palliative care into standard oncology practice at the time a person is diagnosed with metastatic or advanced cancer. The inclusion of Palliative Care among the National Quality Forum (NQF) framework represented a major advance in palliative care. NQF metrics include chemotherapy administered in the last 14 days of life, hospice less than 3 days before death, ICU or hospital admission, more than one Emergency Room visit in the last 30 days, and death in hospital. Although the use of hospice and other palliative care services has increased, many are enrolled in hospice less than 3 weeks before death. By improving quality of life, cost, and survival in patients with metastatic cancer, palliative care has increasing relevance for the care of patients with cancer. Methods: Retrospective chart review study of lung cancer patients diagnosed at VA from 2010-2013. Inclusion criteria: &gt; 18 years of age with new diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer. Exclusion criteria: &lt; 18 years of age, Stage I-III lung cancer. Results: Total of 125 patients were diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. The mean time from diagnosis to death was only 185 days (6.1 months). The VA NYHHS patients were more likely to visit the ED, be admitted to the hospital and ICU in the last 30 days of life, and subsequently die in the hospital. Conclusions: Several confounders were identified, including climate related closure of facilities (2012 Sandy storm), lack of social support, low ICU admission criteria, burial benefits for patients dying in a VA, and delay in transition to Hospice. Currently 392 patients with stage IV solid tumors diagnosed 2010-2014 are being studied. [Table: see text]