Initial Palliative Care Consultation Research Articles

Innovative communication approaches for initializing pediatric palliative care: perspectives of family caregivers and treating specialists

BackgroundEffective cooperation between a pediatric palliative care team (PPCT), primary treating specialists, patients and families is crucial for high quality care of children with complex life-limiting conditions. Several barriers among patients, families and treating specialists have been identified in the context of initializing pediatric palliative care. The aim of the study was to assess the experience with initial pediatric palliative care consultations from perspectives of family caregivers and treating physicians with a special focus on two innovative approaches: attendance of the treating specialist and the opportunity for parents to give feedback on the written report from the consultation.MethodsThis was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of children with malignant and non-malignant disease and their treating specialists. Framework analysis was used to guide the data collection and data analysis.ResultsIn total, 12 family caregivers and 17 treating specialists were interviewed. Four main thematic categories were identified: (1) expectations, (2) content and evaluation, (3) respect and support from the team and (4) consultation outcomes. Parents viewed the consultation as a unique opportunity to discuss difficult topics. They perceived the attendance of the treating specialist at the initial consultation as very important for facilitating communication. Treating specialists valued the possibility to learn more about psychosocial issues of the child and the family while attending the initial palliative care consultation. All participants perceived the written report from the consultation as useful for further medical decisions. Family members appreciated the chance to give feedback on the consultation report.ConclusionsOur study identified several clinically relevant issues that can help initialize pediatric palliative care and establish effective collaboration between families and PPCT and treating specialists. Supporting treating specialists in their ability to explain the role of palliative care is important in order to reduce the risk of misunderstanding or unrealistic expectations. Developing more specific expectations seems to be one of the ways to further increase the effectiveness of initial consultations. The results of the study can be especially helpful for the initial phase of implementing pediatric palliative care and initializing the process of setting up a collaborative relationship with palliative care teams in the hospital.

Early and often: Promoting early integration of pediatric palliative care for seriously ill children with cancer

Pediatric palliative care, despite substantial overlap with its adult counterpart, is also distinct in some ways. Serious illness and comorbidities are less common in children, for whom there is a stronger presumption toward aggressive treatment. This, along with impressive cure rates for pediatric cancer, can help explain why children typically survive for a longer period of time following initial palliative care consultation. Though many of the studies demonstrating benefit of integration of palliative care early in the course of the disease for seriously ill patients rather than near or at end-of-life were conducted in adults, similar findings have been documented for children with serious illness. Several barriers to early integration exist, however, including misperceptions that palliative care constitutes "giving up" and concerns about potential role confusion with the primary team. By directly addressing these misperceptions and challenges, it is possible for palliative care and oncology to work in constructive partnerships that will benefit children with cancer and their families.

Psychological Distress among Caregivers for Patients Who Die of Cancer: A Preliminary Study in Japan.

In Japan, little is known of the severity of and factors associated with psychological distress among caregivers of patients with advanced or recurrent cancer who die. This prospective cohort study of cancer patients at the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan, and their caregivers followed the participants from the initial palliative care consultation (T1) to 6 months (T2) and 13 months (T3) after the patient's death. At T1, patients and caregivers were interviewed separately. After T1, telephone interviews were conducted periodically, and a mail survey was distributed at T2 and T3. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression, and the Distress and Impact Thermometer (DIT) was used to screen for psychological distress. Items on end-of-life attitudes, including awareness, discussion, and willingness of cancer care and death, were developed. Thirty-one of 86 eligible pairs participated in this study. The participation rate was low (36%) and enrollment was thus halted. Data were collected up to T3 for 22 pairs (completion rate 71%). PHQ-9 scores at T2 and T3 were higher than at T1, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.07). PHQ-9 score at T3 was significantly associated with caregiver PHQ-9 and distress at T1, with patient distress and impact at T1, and with caregiver health problems at T2. Caregiver depression persisted up to 13 months after the patient's death, which suggests that pre-bereavement screening with the DIT might be useful. The present paired enrollment process requires improvement.

Differences in End-of-Life Care between COVID-19 Inpatient Decedents with English Proficiency and Limited English Proficiency.

Background: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience lower quality end-of-life (EOL) care. This inequity may have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: Compare health care utilization, EOL, and palliative care outcomes between COVID-19 decedents with and without LEP during the pandemic's first wave in Massachusetts. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of adult inpatients who died from COVID-19 between February 18, 2020 and May 18, 2020 at two academic and four community hospitals within a greater Boston health care system. We performed multivariable regression adjusting for patient sociodemographic variables and hospital characteristics. Primary outcome was place of death (intensive care unit [ICU] vs. non-ICU). Secondary outcomes included hospital and ICU length of stay and time to initial palliative care consultation. Results: Among 337 patients, 89 (26.4%) had LEP and 248 (73.6%) were English proficient. Patients with LEP were less often white (24 [27.0%] vs. 193 [77.8%]; p < 0.001); were more often Hispanic or Latinx (40 [45.0%] vs. 13 [5.2%]; p < 0.001); and less often had a medical order for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST) on admission (15 [16.9%] vs. 120 [48.4%]; p < 0.001) versus patients with English proficiency. In the multivariable analyses, LEP was not independently associated with ICU death, ICU length of stay, or time to palliative care consultation, but was independently associated with increased hospital length of stay (mean difference 4.12 days; 95% CI, 1.72-6.53; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Inpatient COVID-19 decedents with LEP were not at increased risk of an ICU death, but were associated with an increased hospital length of stay versus inpatient COVID-19 decedents with English proficiency.

End of Life in Children on Mechanical Circulatory Support

<h3>Purpose</h3> End of life (EOL) circumstances in children on mechanical circulatory support (MCS) remains an understudied area. Good EOL care facilitates bereavement experience and prevents complicated grief. Despite the ability of MCS to prolong survival, little is known regarding the actual EOL care on MCS, as well as the final trajectory until death. <h3>Methods</h3> Multicenter retrospective study from January 2015 to July 2020. Characteristics of death of children with heart disease requiring MCS were divided into 4 trajectories: A) early post-operative; B) persistent heart/other organ failure, C) improved, then terminal decline, and D) improved, then acute death. Patients on MCS for less than 24 hours were excluded. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 75 of 461 children died while receiving MCS. Mortality was 22/120 (18%) for VAD and 53/341 (15%) for ECMO. Overall, 54% patients were male and single ventricle congenital heart disease was the diagnosis in 14 (63%) VAD and 22 (41%) ECMO patients. The main cause of death was multi-organ failure (VAD: 86.4%, ECMO: 54%), followed by stroke (VAD: 18%, ECMO: 32%). Advanced care directives were established in 45% of patients on VAD and 51% of patients on ECMO with a mean time (SD) of 8.9 (+13.3) days for VAD and 0.78 (+1.15) for ECMO. Therapies utilized 48-hours preceding death (VAD and ECMO) included: mechanical ventilation (100% and 95.5%), fluids or nutrition (100% and 94%), dialysis (50% and 56%). The most common trajectory of death in VAD patients was C (41%), followed by D (27%); in ECMO patients, the majority sustained trajectory A (53%), followed by B (45%). Initial palliative care consultation (PC) was >8 days post MCS in 27% of VAD and 26% of ECMO patients. The average time (SD) from PC consultation to death was 67 (+31) and 8 (+11.9) days for VAD and ECMO, respectively. The average (SD) number of PC encounters was 16.4 (+12.2) and 4.1 (+5.8) on VAD and ECMO. All but one patient died in the ICU. There were no destination therapy patients. Nearly all children died immediately after or within 24 hours of withdrawal. Follow-up bereavement care was documented in 36% of VAD and 60% of ECMO patients, which in over 70% patients was provided by social workers. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Most children on MCS die in the hospital while still receiving aggressive support in the intensive care setting. Further work is needed to better understand the impact of early PC interventions and the barriers to PC interventions for children receiving MCS therapies.

Multicentered Evaluation of Palliative Care Pharmacists' Interventions and Outcomes in California.

Introduction: The palliative care (PC) pharmacist's role within PC teams is increasingly recognized with favorable outcomes being reported. Methods: Retrospective study evaluated hospitalized adults seen by PC pharmacists, as part of PC consultation team at three California institutions. The primary objective was to categorize pharmacists' interventions. Secondary end points included length from admission to PC pharmacist involvement and symptom improvement following pharmacist intervention. Results: Data were collected for a total of 557 patients. Over the study period, the PC pharmacists provided 1466 medication recommendations and 2545 nonsymptom-based interventions. Average length of stay (LOS) was 15.6 days with mean time to PC service referral of 3.6 days. PC pharmacist consult occurred after a mean of 4.3 days after PC team consulted. LOS was significantly lower if seen by PC pharmacist within 72 hours of PC consultation, 12.3 days versus 24.5 days (p < 0.001), as well as when serving as lead clinician 9.3 days versus 15.5 days (p < 0.001). Achievement of severity goal was significantly higher at 24 and 72 hours assessment periods when received a medication recommendation for pain, dyspnea, anxiety, and constipation. Conclusion: PC pharmacists provide substantial transdisciplinary interventions. Significantly decreased LOS was found when PC pharmacist was involved within 72 hours of initial PC consultation and when served as lead clinician. Improved symptom goal attainment was demonstrated for pain, dyspnea, anxiety, and constipation. In summary, integration of a PC pharmacist on a PC team can be relied upon to provide patient-centered, transdisciplinary care and enhance symptom management.

Patterns of palliative care consultation among patients with brain metastasis: an opportunity for radiation oncologists to facilitate earlier referral

Early palliative care (PC) physician involvement alongside standard oncologic care has been recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines for all advanced cancer patients, although adherence to these guidelines is variable. Radiation oncologists (ROs) could help facilitate early PC referral for patients treated with palliative radiation, particularly those with brain metastasis (BRM), and the aim of this study was to evaluate the circumstances of PC referral at our institution to better understand the multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate it. Patients diagnosed with BRM from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from 2012 to 2018 whose primary RO and MO were at our institution were reviewed. Overall survival and time to PC consultation from the first oncologic visit following BRM diagnosis was determined using the KaplanMeier method. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-Squared assessed for predictive factors for shorter time to PC consultation. For these factors, the overall survival, rate of PC consultation, and PC setting was used to determine utilization of early PC. Among 103 eligible patients, only 48% underwent a PC consultation in their lifetime, with the initial evaluation being as an outpatient for 37%, and within 1 month of death for 35%. Median survival from BRM diagnosis was 9.0 months. The median time from oncologic appointment to PC referral was 2.8 months, and from initial PC consultation to death was 1.6 months. Only more recent BRM diagnosis (2016-2018 vs. 2012-2015) was associated with shorter time to PC consultation (1.0 vs. 5.6 months, P=0.013), increased PC consult rate (60% vs. 42%, P=0.105), and increased outpatient PC consultation (56% vs. 26%, P=0.037). The majority of patients did not undergo early PC consultation, though utilization has improved over time. As ROs are commonly involved in BRM management, they may be in a position to proactively support early PC consultations in this patient population.

Barriers to the early integration of palliative care in pediatric oncology in 11 Eurasian countries.

The early integration of palliative care significantly improves quality of life for children with cancer. However, cultural, structural, and socioeconomic barriers can delay the integration of palliative care into cancer care, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. To date, little is known regarding the timing of and barriers to palliative care integration in Eurasia. The Assessing Doctors' Attitudes on Palliative Treatment (ADAPT) survey evaluates physician perceptions regarding palliative care integration into pediatric oncology in Eurasia. This evidence-based survey was adapted to the regional context; iteratively reviewed by US and regional panelists; and piloted in English, Russian, and Mongolian. After distribution to physicians caring for children with cancer, statistical analysis was complemented by qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. A total of 424 physician responses were received from 11 countries in the Eurasian region. Study findings demonstrated wide variability in access to palliative care experts across countries (18%-96%), with the majority of providers (64%) reporting that the initial palliative care consultation typically occurs when curative options are no longer available. Providers desired an earlier initial palliative care consultation than what currently occurs in their setting (P<.001). Primary barriers to timely consultation included limited access to palliative care services and specialists, lack of physician education, and perceived family resistance. The current study is the first to identify physician perceptions of the delayed timing of palliative care integration into childhood cancer care and associated barriers in Eurasia. These findings will inform the development of targeted interventions to mitigate local structural and cultural barriers to access and facilitate earlier palliative care integration in the region.

Patterns of Palliative Care Consultation Among Patients with Brain Metastasis: An Opportunity for Radiation Oncologists to Facilitate Earlier Referral

Background Early palliative care (PC) physician involvement alongside standard oncologic care has been recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines for all advanced cancer patients, although adherence to these guidelines is variable. Radiation oncologists (ROs) could help facilitate early PC referral for patients treated with palliative radiation, particularly those with brain metastasis (BRM), and the aim of this study was to evaluate the circumstances of PC referral at our institution to better understand the multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate it. Methods Patients diagnosed with BRM from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from 2012 to 2018 whose primary RO and MO were at our institution were reviewed. Overall survival and time to PC consultation from the first oncologic visit following BRM diagnosis was determined using the KaplanMeier method. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-Squared assessed for predictive factors for shorter time to PC consultation. For these factors, the overall survival, rate of PC consultation, and PC setting was used to determine utilization of early PC. Results Among 103 eligible patients, only 48% underwent a PC consultation in their lifetime, with the initial evaluation being as an outpatient for 37%, and within 1 month of death for 35%. Median survival from BRM diagnosis was 9.0 months. The median time from oncologic appointment to PC referral was 2.8 months, and from initial PC consultation to death was 1.6 months. Only more recent BRM diagnosis (2016-2018 vs. 2012-2015) was associated with shorter time to PC consultation (1.0 vs. 5.6 months, P=0.013), increased PC consult rate (60% vs. 42%, P=0.105), and increased outpatient PC consultation (56% vs. 26%, P=0.037). Conclusions The majority of patients did not undergo early PC consultation, though utilization has improved over time. As ROs are commonly involved in BRM management, they may be in a position to proactively support early PC consultations in this patient population.

Characteristics and Trends Among Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Referred to Palliative Care

Use of palliative care (PC) for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased recently. However, it is unknown if patients are receiving earlier referrals to PC. To assess characteristics and trends of patients with CVD referred to PC. Cohort study in which analysis of data from the multicenter Quality Data Collection Tool for Palliative Care registry from January 2, 2015, through December 29, 2017, included patients with CVD 18 years or older referred to initial PC consultation who had a documented palliative performance score (PPS) . Patients with CVD who presented for an initial PC visit. The primary outcome was PPS. Secondary outcomes included symptoms and end-of-life documentation. Among 1801 patients (mean [SD] age, 77.7 [13.7] years) from 16 sites in the analysis, 875 (48.6%) were women and 1339 (74.3%) were white. A low PPS score (0%-30%), consistent with bedbound status, was recorded for 521 patients (28.9%), with no change through time. The most common moderate to severe symptoms were poor well-being, tiredness, anorexia, and dyspnea. Year of encounter was associated with improved symptoms of pain (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.05-1.50) and with constipation (odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03-1.69). No change through time was noted in other symptoms or end-of-life documentation. Although the proportion of referrals from general medicine increased from 43.2% (167 of 387) in 2015 to 52.9% (410 of 775) in 2017, the proportion of referrals from cardiologists decreased from 16.5% (64 of 387) in 2015 to 10.5% (81 of 775) in 2017. The proportion of patients referred to PC who were black decreased from 11.9% (46 of 387) in 2015 to 6.3% (49 of 775) in 2017. While 69.5% of all patients with CVD (1252 of 1801) had a primary diagnosis of heart failure, the proportion of non-heart failure CVD diagnoses, such as coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease, increased from 25.6% (99 of 387) in 2015 to 30.1% (233 of 775) in 2017. Patients with CVD demonstrated significant symptom burden, and there was no evidence in the registry of change in the PPSs of patients with CVD referred to PC through time. Cardiologists provided comparatively fewer referrals to PC for patients with CVD, and this proportion decreased through time. The proportion of racial and ethnic minorities referred to PC was small and decreased through time. These findings reinforce the need for cardiologists to be more engaged with PC and consider referring appropriate patients with CVD sooner.

Outcomes of Embedded Palliative Care Outpatients Initial Consults on Timing of Palliative Care Access, Symptoms, and End-of-Life Quality Care Indicators among Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

To determine the timing of palliative care (PC) access, symptoms, and end-of-life (EOL) quality care outcomes of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) referred to outpatients embedded palliative care consults (EPC) compared with those of outpatients palliative care consults (OPC). There are no studies comparing the outcomes of outpatients EPC consults with those of stand-alone OPC consults among patients with NSCLC. The design consists of a random sample of OPC consults (January 2009 to July 2012) and EPC consults (August 2012 to June 2013) at MD Anderson Cancer Center. After the initial consult, all EPC follow-ups occurred at the OPC clinic. Patients' characteristics, symptoms (assessed by Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale), time from referral to first consult, overall survival from consult to death, and EOL quality care outcomes (ICU admissions, emergency center visits, hospitalizations within last 30 days, cancer treatments within last 14 days, hospice referrals, advanced care planning [ACP] discussions, and completion of advanced directives) were reviewed. A total of 340 consults were included (EPC consults = 147). Baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status (2.2 vs. 1.9, p < 0.001) and median pain (6 vs. 5, p = 0.038) were higher among EPC consults. In EPC consults, time from referral to first consult was shorter (median: 0 day vs. 7 days, p < 0.001), and ACP discussions occurred more frequently (90% vs. 77%, p = 0.026), and earlier (median: 2 month vs. 1 month before death, p = 0.018). No other significant differences in symptoms, EOL outcomes, or survival were observed. EPC consults plus OPC follow-ups accessed PC earlier, and had more frequent and earlier ACP discussions as compared with OPC consults. Embedded palliative cancer care might not be the ideal model for an initial PC consultation. Further research is necessary.

Feeling Heard and Understood in the Hospital Environment: Benchmarking Communication Quality Among Patients With Advanced Cancer Before and After Palliative Care Consultation

ContextMaximizing value in palliative care requires continued development and standardization of communication quality indicators. ObjectivesTo describe the basic epidemiology of a newly adopted patient-centered communication quality indicator for hospitalized palliative care patients with advanced cancer. MethodsCross-sectional analysis of 207 advanced cancer patients who received palliative care consultation at two medical centers in the U.S. Participants completed the Heard & Understood quality indicator immediately before and the day after the initial palliative care consultation: Over the past two days [“24 hours” for the post-consultation version], how much have you felt heard and understood by the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff?—completely/quite a bit/moderately/slightly/not at all. We categorized completely as indicating ideal quality. ResultsApproximately one-third indicated ideal Heard & Understood quality before palliative care consultation. Age, financial security, emotional distress, preferences for comfort-longevity tradeoffs at the end of life, and prognosis expectations were associated with preconsultation quality. Among those with less-than-ideal quality at baseline, 56% rated feeling more Heard & Understood the day after palliative care consultation. The greatest prepost improvement was among people who had unformed end-of-life treatment preferences or who reported having no idea about their prognosis at baseline. ConclusionMost patients felt incompletely heard and understood at the time of referral to palliative care consultation, and more than half of the patients improved after consultation. Feeling heard and understood is an important quality indicator sensitive to interventions to improve care and key variations in the patient experience.

Proxy-Reported Quality of Life and Family Impact for Children Followed Longitudinally by a Pediatric Palliative Care Team.

One goal of pediatric palliative care is to maintain quality of life for children and their families. Quality-of-life investigations may be enhanced by considering clinically important metrics in addition to statistical significance. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate the effect of time on quality of life and family impact for pediatric palliative care patients across all diagnoses and ages. This prospective quality-of-life study included administration of a 23-item PedsQL™ Measurement Model to evaluate for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive dimensions of the child's quality of life and a 36-item PedsQL Family Impact Module to assess for the familial impact at time of initial palliative care consultation, Month 6, and Month 12. All pediatric patients who received a palliative care consultation in our Midwestern free-standing children's hospital over a five-year period were included in the longitudinal study (n = 87). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to investigate how proxy-reported quality of life and family impact changed with time with attentiveness to also follow trends in minimal clinically important difference (MCID) metrics. The emotional domain showed a statistically significant positive trend over the first six months of palliative care involvement (p = 0.049), while the physical domain (p = 0.028) and daily activity (p = 0.039) showed a positive improvement for the full year. In using a standard of MCID, the physical, emotional, and cognitive domains improved in the quality-of-life scale and the communication, worry, and daily activity domains improved in the family impact scale over 12 months. In considering quality-of-life analyses for pediatric palliative care programmatic improvements, providers may consider analyzing not only for statistical significance in collective data sets but also for clinically important difference over time.

Distress Due to Prognostic Uncertainty in Palliative Care: Frequency, Distribution, and Outcomes among Hospitalized Patients with Advanced Cancer.

Prognostic uncertainty is common in advanced cancer and frequently addressed during palliative care consultation, yet we know little about its impact on quality of life (QOL). We describe the prevalence and distribution of distress due to prognostic uncertainty among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer before palliative care consultation. We evaluate the association between this type of distress and overall QOL before and after palliative care consultation. Observational cohort study. Hospitalized patients with advanced cancer who receive a palliative care consultation at two geographically distant academic medical centers. At the time of enrollment, before palliative care consultation, we asked participants: "Over the past two days, how much have you been bothered by uncertainty about what to expect from the course of your illness?" (Not at all/Slightly/Moderately/Quite a Bit/Extremely). We defined responses of "Quite a bit" and "Extremely" to be indicative of substantial distress. Two hundred thirty-six participants completed the baseline assessment. Seventy-seven percent reported being at least moderately bothered by prognostic uncertainty and half reported substantial distress. Compared with others, those who were distressed by prognostic uncertainty (118/236) reported poorer overall QOL before palliative care consultation (mean QOL 3.8 out of 10 vs. 5.3 out of 10, p = < 0.001) and greater improvement in QOL following consultation (Adjusted difference in mean QOL change = 1.1; 95% confidence interval = 0.2, 2.0). Prognostic uncertainty is a prevalent source of distress among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer at the time of initial palliative care consultation. Distress from prognostic uncertainty is associated with lower levels of preconsultation QOL and with greater pre-post consultation improvement in the QOL.

Trending Longitudinal Agreement between Parent and Child Perceptions of Quality of Life for Pediatric Palliative Care Patients.

Pediatric palliative care studies often rely on proxy-reported instead of direct child-reported quality of life metrics. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate quality of life for pediatric patients receiving palliative care consultations and to compare patient-reported quality of life with parent perception of the child’s quality of life across wellness domains. The 23-item PedsQL™ V4.0 Measurement Model was utilized for ten child and parent dyads at time of initial palliative care consultation, Month 6, and Month 12 to assess for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive dimensions of quality of life as reported independently by the child and by the parent for the child. Findings were analyzed using Bland–Altman plots to compare observed differences to limits of agreement. This study revealed overall consistency between parent- and child-reported quality of life across domains. Physical health was noted to be in closest agreement. At the time of initial palliative care consult, children collectively scored their social quality of life higher than parental perception of the child’s social quality of life; whereas, emotional and cognitive quality of life domains were scored lower by children than by the parental report. At the one year survey time point, the physical, emotional, and social domains trended toward more positive patient perception than proxy perception with congruence between quality of life scores for the cognitive domain. Findings reveal the importance of eliciting a child report in addition to a parent report when measuring and longitudinally trending perceptions on quality of life.

Performance of Consultative Palliative Care Model in Achieving Quality Metrics in the ICU

ContextQuality metrics for intensive care unit (ICU)-based palliative care have been proposed, but it is unknown how consultative palliative care can contribute to performance on these measures. ObjectivesAssess adherence to proposed quality metrics of ICU-based palliative care by palliative care specialists. MethodsSurrogates for 9/14 patient-level quality metrics were assessed in all patients who received an initial palliative care specialist consult while in an ICU from 10/26/2012 to 1/16/2015 in the Global Palliative Care Quality Alliance, a nationwide palliative care quality registry. ResultsTwo hundred fifty-four patients received an initial palliative care consultation in an ICU setting. Mean (SD) age was 67.5 (17.3) years, 52% were female. The most common reasons for consultation were symptom management (33%) and end-of-life transition (24%). Adherence to ICU quality metrics for palliative care was variable: clinicians documented presence or absence of advance directives in 36% of encounters, assessed pain in 52.0%, dyspnea in 50.8%, spiritual support in 62%, and reported an intervention for pain in 100% of patients with documented moderate to severe intensity pain. ConclusionPalliative care consultations in an ICU setting are characterized by variable adherence to candidate ICU palliative care quality metrics. Although symptom management was the most common reason for palliative care consultation, consultants infrequently documented symptom assessments. Palliative care consultants performed better in offering spiritual support and managing documented symptoms. These results highlight specific competencies of consultative palliative care that should be complimented by ICU teams to ensure high-quality comprehensive care for the critically ill.

Unmet Needs of African Americans and Whites at the Time of Palliative Care Consultation.

Differences among patient populations that present to consultative palliative care are not known. Such an appreciation would inform health-care delivery tailored to unique populations. We aimed to compare characteristics and palliative care needs of African Americans (AAs) and whites during initial palliative care consultation. We analyzed patient-reported, clinician-entered clinical encounter data from a large, multisite community-based, nonhospice palliative care collaborative. We included first specialty palliative care consultations from January 1, 2014, to July 2, 2015, across 15 sites within the Global Palliative Care Quality Alliance registry. Demographics, disease, performance status, advance care planning, and symptom prevalence/severity were compared. Of 775 patients, 12.9% (N = 100) were AA. African Americans were younger (63 vs 75.4 years, P < .0001). A larger proportion of AAs had a diagnosis of cancer (45.0% vs 36.3%, P = .09) and in the hospital (71% vs 61.8%, P = .07). African Americans were more likely to have a Palliative Performance Score of 0 to 30 (35.6% vs 23.7%, P = .049). Around 50% in both racial groups were full code; slightly more than 40% had an advance directive. Nearly two-thirds in both racial groups reported 3 or more symptoms of any severity; one-third reported 3 or more moderate or severe symptoms. A larger proportion of Africans than whites reported pain of any severity (66.0% vs 56.1%, P = .06). All patients present to palliative care consultations with significant symptom and advance care planning needs. Further research is needed to identify how to deliver palliative care: earlier, in noncancer conditions, and improve pain management in AA populations.

Impact of Staffing on Access to Palliative Care in U.S. Hospitals.

Over the past decade over two-thirds of U.S. hospitals have established palliative care programs. National data on palliative care program staffing and its association with operational outcomes are limited. The objective of this report is to examine the impact of palliative care program staffing on access to palliative care in U.S. hospitals. Data from the National Palliative Care Registry™ for 2014 were used to calculate staffing levels, palliative care service penetration, and time to initial palliative care consultation for 398 palliative care programs operating across 482 U.S. hospitals. Hospital-based palliative care programs reported an average service penetration of 4.4%. Higher staffing levels were associated with higher service penetration; higher service penetration was associated with shorter time to initial palliative care consultation. This report demonstrates that operational effectiveness, as measured by staffing and palliative care service penetration, is associated with shorter time to palliative care consultation.

Spiritual well-being among outpatients with cancer receiving concurrent oncologic and palliative care.

Spiritual well-being is threatened by cancer, but its correlation with other illness symptoms and the efficacy of palliative care (PC) to ameliorate spiritual suffering are not well understood. We conducted a retrospective study using a convenience sample of oncology patients at a comprehensive cancer center who received concurrent oncologic and palliative care between 2008 and 2011 and completed ESAS, QUAL-E, and Steinhauser Spiritual well-being survey questions was conducted. Descriptive, correlation, and t test statistics. Eight hundred eighty-three patients surveyed had an average age of 65.6 years, with 54.1 % female, 69.3 % white, and 49.3 % married. Half (452, 51.2 %) had metastatic disease. Religious affiliation was reported as Christian by 20.3 %, Catholic by 18.7 %, and "none" by 39.0 %. Baseline spiritual well-being was not significantly correlated with age, gender, race, cancer stage, marital status, insurance provider, or having a religious affiliation. Greater spiritual well-being was correlated with greater quality of life (<p = 0.001) and well-being (<p = 0.001), and with less depression (<p = 0.001), anxiety (<p = 0.001), fatigue (p = 0.005), and pain (p = 0.01). In multiple regression analysis, the associations persisted between spiritual well-being and anxiety, depression, fatigue, and quality of life (R (2) = 0.677). Spiritual well-being improved comparing mean scores immediately prior to initial PC consultation with those at first follow-up (2.89 vs. 3.23 on a 1-5 scale, p = 0.005). Among patients with cancer receiving concurrent oncologic and palliative care, spiritual well-being was not associated with patient age, gender, or race, or disease stage. It was correlated with physical and emotional symptoms. Spiritual well-being scores improved from just prior to the initial PC consultation to just prior to the first PC follow-up visit.

Does the Type and Dose of Palliative Care Services Impact Symptom Control in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure?

Does the Type and Dose of Palliative Care Services Impact Symptom Control in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure? Lorraine S. Evangelista 1 , Jennifer Ballard-Hernandez 2 , Dawn Lombardo 2 , Shaista Malik 2 , Marjan Motie 1 , Solomon Liao 2 ; 1 University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA; 2 University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA Introduction: Outpatient palliative care (PC) for patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) is a relatively new practice and few data exist that describe the nature of these clinical encounters. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the nature of outpa- tient PC services (i.e. type, duration, frequency) used by patients with advanced HF would impact symptom burden 3 months post-discharge. Methods: This study was conducted at a single, tertiary care medical center. Patients were recruited from the inpatient setting during an episode of acute HF exacerbation and referred for an ini- tial PC consultation and subsequent follow-up support with the PC team. Data on PC services accessed were monitored over 3 months. Surveys were conducted immedi- ately after and 3 months post-discharge to assess symptom burden. Results: Thirty six patients completed the initial PC consultation with a PC specialist (17%) or ad- vanced practice nurse (83%); care focused on physical and psychosocial assessment (100%), advanced care planning (100%), symptom management (81%), illness un- derstanding (69%), and patient and family coping (50%). Median total time for the initial PC consultation was 75 minutes (range 50-120). Twenty-nine (83.7%) agreed to receive additional PC support (Figure 1); median number of visits per patient was 2 (range 1-4). Marked improvements in all symptoms, except depression, were noted at 3 months (Table 1). Participants who sought PC services beyond the initial consulta- tion reported significantly better symptom control than their counterparts (P!.050). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the type and dose of PC significantly improved the symptoms evaluated. Randomized controlled trials are indicated to further eval- uate the effectiveness of PC services in patients with advanced HF.