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Goldstein NE, Winter S, Mather H, DeCherrie LV, Kelley AS, McKendrick K, Zhao D, Espino C, Sealy L, Zhang M, Morrison RS. A randomized controlled trial of a novel home-based palliative care program: A report of a trial that could not be completed. J Am Geriatr Soc 2024. [PMID: 38822734 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to a growing need for accessible, efficient, and effective palliative care services, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a novel palliative care at home (PC@H) model for people with serious illness that is centered around a community health worker, a registered nurse, and a social worker, with an advanced practice nurse and a physician for support. Our objectives were to measure the impact of receipt of PC@H on patient symptoms, quality of life, and healthcare utilization and costs. METHODS We enrolled 136 patients with serious illness in this parallel, randomized controlled trial. Our primary outcome was change in symptom burden at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes included change in symptom burden at 3 months, change in quality of life at 6 weeks and 3 months, estimated using a group t-test. In an exploratory aim, we examined the impact of PC@H on healthcare utilization and cost using a generalized linear model. RESULTS PC@H resulted in a greater improvement in patient symptoms at 6 weeks (1.30 score improvement, n = 37) and 3 months (3.14 score improvement, n = 21) compared with controls. There were no differences in healthcare utilization and costs between the two groups. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a loss of funding, the trial was not able to be completed as originally intended. CONCLUSIONS A palliative care at home model that leverages community health workers, registered nurses, and social workers as the primary deliverers of care may result in improved patient symptoms and quality of life compared with standard care. We did not demonstrate significant differences in healthcare utilization and cost associated with receipt of PC@H, likely due to inability to reach the intended sample size and insufficient statistical power, due to elements beyond the investigators' control such as the COVID-19 public health emergency and changes in grant funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E Goldstein
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Health and the Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Shira Winter
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Harriet Mather
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Linda V DeCherrie
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Medically Home, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amy S Kelley
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Karen McKendrick
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Duzhi Zhao
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christian Espino
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - LaToya Sealy
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Meng Zhang
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - R Sean Morrison
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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Rammos A, Bechlioulis A, Chatzipanteliadou S, Sioros SA, Floros CD, Stamou I, Lakkas L, Kalogeras P, Bouratzis V, Katsouras CS, Michalis LK, Naka KK. The Role of Prognostic Scores in Assessing the Prognosis of Patients Admitted in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Emphasis on Heart Failure Patients. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2982. [PMID: 38792523 PMCID: PMC11122418 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13102982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patient care in Cardiac Intensive Care Units (CICU) has evolved but data on patient characteristics and outcomes are sparse. This retrospective observational study aimed to define clinical characteristics and risk factors of CICU patients, their in-hospital and 30-day mortality, and compare it with established risk scores. Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 294, mean age 70 years, 74% males) hospitalized within 15 months were studied; APACHE II, EHMRG, GWTG-HF, and GRACE II were calculated on admission. Results: Most patients were admitted for ACS (48.3%) and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) (31.3%). Median duration of hospitalization was 2 days (IQR = 1, 4). In-hospital infection occurred in 20%, 18% needed mechanical ventilation, 10% renal replacement therapy and 4% percutaneous ventricular assist devices (33%, 29%, 20% and 4%, respectively, for ADHF). In-hospital and 30-day mortality was 18% and 11% for all patients (29% and 23%, respectively, for ADHF). Established scores (especially APACHE II) had a good diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve-AUC). In univariate and multivariate analyses in-hospital intubation and infection, history of coronary artery disease, hypotension, uremia and hypoxemia on admission were the most important risk factors. Based on these, a proposed new score showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.954 (AUC) for in-hospital mortality, outperforming previous scores. Conclusions: Patients are admitted mainly with ACS or ADHF, the latter with worse prognosis. Several patients need advanced support; intubation and infections adversely affect prognosis. Established scores predict mortality satisfactorily, but larger studies are needed to develop CICU-directed scores to identify risk factors, improve prediction, guide treatment and staff training.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Katerina K. Naka
- Second Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina and University Hospital of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.R.); (A.B.); (S.C.); (S.A.S.); (C.D.F.); (I.S.); (L.L.); (P.K.); (V.B.); (C.S.K.); (L.K.M.)
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Yun I, Park EC, Nam CM, Shin J, Jang SY, Jang SI. Differences in end-of-life care patterns between types of hospice used for cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Palliat Care 2024; 23:111. [PMID: 38689262 PMCID: PMC11061907 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-024-01442-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the rapid aging population and increasing number of cancer patients, discussions on dignified end-of-life (EoL) decisions are active around the world. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the differences in EoL care patterns between types of hospice used for cancer patients. METHODS In this population-based cohort study, the Korean National Health Insurance Service cohort data containing all registered cancer patients who died between 2017 and 2021 were used. A total of 408,964 individuals were eligible for analysis. The variable of interest, the type of hospice used in the 6 months before death, was classified as follows: (1) Non-hospice users; (2) Hospital-based hospice single users; (3) Home-based hospice single users; (4) Combined hospice users. The outcomes were set as patterns of care, including intense care and supportive care. To identify differences in care patterns between hospice types, a generalized linear model with zero-inflated negative binomial distribution was applied. RESULTS Hospice enrollment was associated with less intense care and more supportive care near death. Notably, those who used combined hospice care had the lowest probability and frequency of receiving intense care (aOR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.17-0.19, aRR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.44-0.49), while home-based hospice single users had the highest probability and frequency of receiving supportive care (Prescription for narcotic analgesics, aOR: 2.95, 95% CI: 2.69-3.23, aRR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.41-1.49; Mental health care, aOR: 3.40, 95% CI: 3.13-3.69, aRR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.31-1.39). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that although intense care for life-sustaining decreases with hospice enrollment, QoL at the EoL actually improves with appropriate supportive care. This study is meaningful in that it not only offers valuable insight into hospice care for terminally ill patients, but also provides policy implications for the introduction of patient-centered community-based hospice services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il Yun
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Cheol Park
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Chung Mo Nam
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Shin
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Yong Jang
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Healthcare Management, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-In Jang
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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Alrimali AM, Alreshidi NM. Evaluating ICU nurses' education, practice, and competence in palliative and end-of-life care in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. BELITUNG NURSING JOURNAL 2024; 10:23-30. [PMID: 38425678 PMCID: PMC10900060 DOI: 10.33546/bnj.3040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) care, especially within intensive care units (ICUs), nurses' unique skills are critical, yet their expertise remains under-explored, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the education, practice, and perceived competence of adult ICU nurses in Saudi Arabia regarding PEOL care and to pinpoint key factors that influence this aspect of healthcare delivery. Methods A cross-sectional design was utilized in this study. Participants were recruited from five public hospitals and one specialized center in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Data were gathered in September 2023 using the PEOL Care Index, which measures various care dimensions on a Likert scale in Arabic and English. IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 was used for statistical analysis, particularly to conduct ANOVA, t-test, and multiple regression. Results 142 out of the targeted 171 ICU nurses completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 83.04%. Although 81% of the nurses had experience caring for dying patients, only 30.3% had received in-service PEOL care training. Those with this training demonstrated significantly higher scores in education, clinical practice, and perceived competence than their counterparts (p <0.05). Mean scores across these areas were 69.67, 71.01, and 71.61, respectively. In-service training positively correlated with these metrics (p <0.05). Multiple regressions also revealed that in-service training, job satisfaction, and communication authority are strong influencers, explaining 21.6% of the variation in clinical practice and 16.9% in perceived competence. Conclusion The study highlighted the proficiency of ICU nurses in PEOL care, emphasizing that in-service training, job satisfaction, and the authority to communicate effectively with patients and their families significantly improved clinical practice and nurses' competence in PEOL care. This underlines the critical need for healthcare institutions to acknowledge and address these key factors to optimize patient care outcomes.
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Bigelow S, Medzon R, Siegel M, Jin R. Difficult Conversations: Outcomes of Emergency Department Nurse-Directed Goals-of-Care Discussions. J Palliat Care 2024; 39:3-12. [PMID: 36594209 DOI: 10.1177/08258597221149402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the potential impact of addressing goals-of-care (GOC) with selected patients in the emergency department (ED), GOC documentation, hospital utilization, and patient satisfaction. Method: This is a single-center, retrospective, and prospective, observational convenience-sample study. ED registered nurses (ED RNs) received standardized GOC conversation training. Their selection criteria included a selection interview, a minimum of 3 years of ED clinical experience, and current employment in the ED. ED RNs used a standardized GOC questionnaire. Patient inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years and one or more of the following: chronic kidney disease ≥ stage III, congestive heart failure with an ejection fraction ≤ 40%, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with home oxygen use, and/or malignancy with metastasis. GOC conversations were recorded in the electronic medical record (EMR). Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms were completed as appropriate. Select individual patient data for the 12 months prior to the conversation were compared with the following 12 months. Results: Over 6 months, 94 of 133 patients who were approached consented to the GOC discussion with the RN. All 94 enrolled patients had their GOC recorded into the EMR. One-third already had a completed POLST form prior to ED arrival. 50% without a POLST on ED arrival left with a completed POLST. Eighty-four patients survived the index visit and 46 patients survived to study completion. Patient satisfaction with the interaction was high: In the cohort who survived past the index visit, 95% rated their experience at 4/5 or 5/5 (Likert scale, 5: strongly agree, 1: strongly disagree). In the survival-to-study completion cohort, 100% rated their experience as 4/5 or 5/5. Subsequent median ED visits decreased by 15% (1.0-4.0 interquartile range). There were no statistically significant changes in hospitalizations (both decreased by 25%, 0-3.0) or intensive care unit admissions (0%, 0-0). Conclusions: An ED RN-led GOC conversation had high patient satisfaction and 100% GOC documentation in the EMR. There was a significant increase in ED POLST form completion. There were no significant changes noted in subsequent hospitalizations, length of hospitalization, or intensive care unit utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Bigelow
- Emergency Medicine, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, Everett, WA, USA
- Elson School of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Ron Medzon
- Emergency Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Solomont Center for Clinical Simulation and Nursing Education, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mari Siegel
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Palliative Medicine, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruyun Jin
- Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research and Data Science (CARDS), Providence Heart Institute, Providence Research Network, Portland, OR, USA
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Yun I, Jang SI, Park EC, Jang SY. Changes in the Place of Death of Patients With Cancer After the Introduction of Insurance-Covered, Home-Based Hospice Care in Korea. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2341422. [PMID: 37930703 PMCID: PMC10628724 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.41422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Although hospice care has been covered by health insurance for the purpose of improving the quality of life of patients with terminal cancer as well as their caregivers, few studies have evaluated the outcomes of the policy to cover home-based hospice care services. Objective To investigate the changes in the place of death of patients with cancer after the introduction of insurance-covered, home-based hospice care services in Korea. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used data from February 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021, from the Causes of Death Statistics database, released annually by Statistics Korea, which contains information on all deaths in the country. Individuals who died of cancer, a representative hospice-eligible disease, were assigned to the case group, and those who died of dementia, a non-hospice-eligible disease, were assigned to the control group. A total of 218 522 individuals constituted the study population. Exposure Because the Korean Health Insurance Service had begun covering home-based hospice care services on September 1, 2020, and the last follow-up date was December 31, 2021, the follow-up periods for before and after intervention were 31 months and 16 months, respectively (preintervention period: February 1, 2018, to August 31, 2020; postintervention period: September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021). Main Outcomes and Measures The place of death was categorized as a binary variable according to whether it was the person's own home or not. Comparative interrupted time-series models with segmented regression were applied to analyze the time trend and its change in outcomes. Results Of the 218 522 deaths eligible for the analysis (mean [SD] age at death, 78.6 [8.8] years; 130 435 men [59.7%]), 207 459 were due to cancer, and 11 063 were due to dementia. Immediately after the introduction of home-based hospice care, the rate of home deaths was 24.5% higher for patients with cancer than for those with dementia (estimate, 1.245 [95% CI, 1.030-1.504]; P = .02). The difference in the level change between cancer deaths and dementia deaths, on intervention, was more pronounced for those living in rural areas (estimate, 1.320 [95% CI, 1.118-1.558]; P = .001). In addition, a higher educational level was associated with a larger difference in the immediate effect size due to home-based hospice care (low educational level: estimate, 1.205 [95% CI, 1.025-1.416]; P = .02; middle educational level: estimate, 1.307 [95% CI, 0.987-1.730], P = .06; high educational level: estimate, 1.716 [95% CI, 0.932-3.159]; P = .08). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study exploring the changes in the place of death for patients with cancer after the insurance mandates for home-based hospice care in Korea, the probability of patients with cancer dying in their own homes increased after the intervention. This finding suggests the need to broaden the extent of home-based hospice care to honor the autonomy of individuals with terminal illness and improve their quality of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il Yun
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-In Jang
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Cheol Park
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Yong Jang
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Healthcare Management, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Phillips V, Quest TE, Higgins M, Marconi VC, Balthazar MS, Holstad M. A Cost-Effective Analysis of Motivational Interviewing with Palliative Care Versus Usual Care: Results from the Living Well Project. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:1259-1268. [PMID: 36334215 PMCID: PMC10832615 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03862-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the impact of early palliative care (EPC) combined with motivational interviewing (MI) for persons living with AIDS (PWA). We compared the cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of EPC + MI (n = 61) versus usual care (UC) (n = 60) for patients with AIDS, not on antiretroviral medications, enrolled into the Living Well Project trial. Data on clinic, emergency department, and hospital visits were collected through self-report and billing records. Risk-adjusted average annual health care costs were estimated using a generalized linear model with a gamma log-link function. QALYs were calculated using the SF-12v2. Cost-effectiveness was defined as cost per QALY gained. Estimated intervention costs were $165 per participant. EPC + MI reduced costs by 33% (AOR = 0.67; CI 95%: 0.15, 0.93). QALYs did not differ between groups. Results suggest EPC + MI for PWA is cost-saving and maintains quality of life compared to UC due to reduced hospital and ED costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Phillips
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Room 614, 30322, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Tammie E Quest
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Melinda Higgins
- Office of Research, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Vincent C Marconi
- Department of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Monique S Balthazar
- Georgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Marcia Holstad
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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Neugarten C, Stanley M, Erickson S, Baldeo R, Aaronson E. Emergency Department Clinician Experience with Embedded Palliative Care. J Palliat Med 2023; 26:191-198. [PMID: 36074083 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: While the benefits of embedding palliative care (PC) clinicians into the emergency department (ED) are now more widely appreciated, only a handful of programs have been reported in the literature. None has previously evaluated the attitudes and experiences of the multidisciplinary ED team with such an intervention. Objectives: We evaluated the experience of ED attendings, residents, nurses, social workers, and chaplains with an embedded PC clinician in the ED. Design/Subjects: We embedded PC clinicians into an urban, academic ED in the United States and surveyed 142 ED clinicians about their experiences. We analyzed survey results using descriptive analysis for closed-ended responses and thematic analyses for open-ended responses. Measurements/Results: One hundred six of 141 clinicians responded (75% response rate). Quantitative analysis found that 99% of participants found the program valuable. Benefits of embedded PC included changing patients' management or care trajectory, freeing up ED providers for other tasks, contributing to provider education, helping providers feel more supported during their shifts, and adding to providers' skill sets and confidence in practicing primary PC. Most participants reported minimal barriers to engaging with PC. The qualitative analysis identified program approval, desire for expansion/continuation of the program, and ongoing education of ED staff. Important themes for future programs include staff education, PC proactivity, importance of adapting to the needs of the ED, and education regarding PC consultation criteria. Conclusions: ED clinicians' attitudes toward embedded PC reflected overall approval, with underlying themes of providers feeling more supported during their shifts, improved resource management, the perception of better patient care, and nursing empowerment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter Neugarten
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mary Stanley
- Rush University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Ryan Baldeo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Emily Aaronson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Jiang J, Kim N, Garrido MM, Jacobson M, Mockler D, May P. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of palliative care in natural experiments: a systematic review. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2023:spcare-2022-003993. [PMID: 36650024 PMCID: PMC10350467 DOI: 10.1136/spcare-2022-003993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Investigators in palliative care rely heavily on routinely collected data, which carry risk of unobserved confounding and selection bias. 'Natural experiments' offer opportunities to generate credible causal treatment effect estimates from observational data. OBJECTIVES We aimed first to review studies that employed 'natural experiments' to evaluate palliative care, and second to consider implications for expanding use of these methods. METHODS We searched systematically seven databases to identify studies using 'natural experiments' to evaluate palliative care's effect on outcomes and costs. We searched three grey literature repositories, and hand-searched journals and prior systematic reviews. We assessed reporting using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist and a bespoke methodological quality tool, using two reviewers at each stage. We combined results in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS We included 17 studies, which evaluated a wide range of interventions and populations. Seven studies employed a difference-in-differences design; five each used instrumental variables and interrupted time series analysis. Outcomes of interest related mostly to healthcare use. Reporting quality was variable. Most studies reported lower costs and improved outcomes associated with palliative care, but a third of utilisation and place of death evaluations found no effect. CONCLUSION Among the large number of observational studies in palliative care, a small minority have employed causal mechanisms. High-volume routine data collection, the expansion of palliative care services worldwide and recent methodological advances offer potential for increased use of 'natural experiments'. Such studies would improve the quality of the evidence base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Jiang
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Narae Kim
- The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Melissa M Garrido
- Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mireille Jacobson
- The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David Mockler
- The Library of Trinity College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter May
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Davis MP, Vanenkevort EA, Elder A, Young A, Correa Ordonez ID, Wojtowicz MJ, Ellison H, Fernandez C, Mehta Z, Behm B, Digwood G, Panikkar R. The Financial Impact of Palliative Care and Aggressive Cancer Care on End-of-Life Health Care Costs. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2023; 40:52-60. [PMID: 35503515 DOI: 10.1177/10499091221098062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medicare cancer expenditures in the last month of life have increased. Aggressive cancer care at the end-of-life (ACEOL) is considered poor quality care. We used Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) last month's costs for cancer patients who died in 2018 and 2019 to determine the costs of and influence of Palliative Care (PC) on ACEOL. METHOD Patients with GHP ages 18-99 who died in 2018 and 2019 were included. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and Charlson Comorbid Index were compared across care groups defined as no ACEOL indicator, 1 or more than 1 indicator. Differences between groups were compared with Kruskal-Wallis tests and one-way ANOVA for 3 groups. Median two-sample tests and independent t-tests compared groups of 2. A P-value </= .05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS Of 608 eligible patients; 261 had no indicator, 133 had 1 and 214 > 1. There were incremental cost increases with each additional ACEOL indicator (p = < .0001). Palliative Care <90 days before death was associated with increased costs while consultations >90 days before death lowered cost (P < .0001) due to reduced chemotherapy in the last month. Completed ADs reduced cost by $4000. DISCUSSION ACEOL indicators multiply costs during the last month of life. Palliative care instituted >90 days before death reduces chemotherapy in the last month of life and AD reduces health care costs. CONCLUSION Cancer health care costs increase with indicators of ACEOL. Palliative care consultations >90 days before death; ADs reduce cancer health care costs.
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Singh S, Molina E, Meyer E, Min SJ, Fischer S. Post-Acute Care Outcomes and Functional Status Changes of Adults with New Cancer Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022; 23:1854-1860. [PMID: 35337793 PMCID: PMC9912689 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Older hospitalized adults with an existing diagnosis of cancer rarely receive cancer treatment after discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). It is unclear to what degree these outcomes may be driven by cumulative effects of previous cancer treatment and their complications vs an absolute functional threshold from which it is not possible to return. We sought to understand post-acute care outcomes of adults newly diagnosed with cancer and explore functional improvement during their SNF stay. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study, 2011-2013. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results - Medicare database of patients with new stage II-IV colorectal, pancreatic, bladder, or lung cancer discharged to SNF. METHODS Primary outcome was time to death after hospital discharge. Covariates include cancer treatment receipt and hospice use. A Minimum Data Set (MDS)-Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score was calculated to measure changes in ADLs during SNF stay. Patient groups of interest were compared descriptively using means and standard deviations for continuous variables and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to compare patient groups. RESULTS A total of 6791 cases were identified. Forty-six percent of patients did not receive treatment or hospice, 25.0% received no treatment but received hospice, 20.8% received treatment but no hospice, and 8.5% received both treatment and hospice. Only 43% of decedents received hospice. Patients who received treatment but not hospice had the best survival. There were limited improvements in MDS-ADL scores in the subset of patients for whom we have complete data. Those with greater functional improvement had improved survival. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The majority of patients did not receive future cancer treatment or hospice care prior to death. There was limited improvement in MDS-ADL scores raising concern this population might not benefit from the rehabilitative intent of SNFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarguni Singh
- Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | | | | | - Sung-Joon Min
- Division of Health Care Policy & Research, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Stacy Fischer
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
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12
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Framework for Integrating Equity Into Machine Learning Models. Chest 2022; 161:1621-1627. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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13
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Tang Y, Chen T, Zhao Y, Taghizadeh-Hesary F. The Impact of the Long-Term Care Insurance on the Medical Expenses and Health Status in China. Front Public Health 2022; 10:847822. [PMID: 35646763 PMCID: PMC9130047 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.847822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on the panel data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011, 2015, and 2018, this paper used the difference-in-difference (DID) method to evaluate the implementation effect how the Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) policy impacted on the medical expenses and the health status of the middle-aged and elder population. The empirical results show that LTCI has reduced the outpatient and inpatient quantity by 0.1689 and 0.1093 per year, and cut the outpatient and inpatient expenses by 23.9% and 19.8% per year. Moreover, the implementation of LTCI has improved the self-rated health, the activity of daily living (ADL), as well as the mental health. These conclusions verify the implementation value of LTCI system and provide policy implications for the medical reform and the further LTCI implementation in a larger scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Tang
- School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tianran Chen
- School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- School of International Business, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Zhao
| | - Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary
- School of Global Studies, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
- TOKAI Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability (TRIES), Hiratsuka, Japan
- Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary
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14
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Chung TH, Nguyen LK, Lal LS, Swint JM, Le YCL, Hanley KR, Siller E, Chanaud CM. Palliative Care Consultation in the Intensive Care Unit Reduces Hospital Costs: A Cost-Analysis. J Palliat Care 2022:8258597221095986. [PMID: 35469500 DOI: 10.1177/08258597221095986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative care aims to improve or maintain quality of life for patients with life-limiting or life-threatening diseases. Limited research shows that palliative care is associated with reduced intensive care unit length of stay and use of high-cost resources. METHODS This was an observational, non-experimental comparison group study on all patients 18 years or older admitted to any intensive care unit (ICU) at Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center for 7 to 30 days from August 2013 to December 2015. Length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs were compared between the treatment group of patients with palliative care in the ICU and the control group of patients with usual care in the ICU. To adjust for confounding of the palliative care consultation on LOS and hospital cost, an inverse probability of treatment weighted method was conducted. Generalized linear models using gamma distribution and log link were estimated. All costs were converted to 2015 US dollars. RESULTS Mean LOS was 13 days and mean total hospital costs were USD 58,378. In adjusted and weighted analysis, LOS for the treatment group was 8% longer compared to the control group. The mean total hospital cost was estimated to decrease by 21% for the treatment group versus the control group. We found a reduction of USD 33,783 in hospital costs per patient who died in the hospital and reduction of USD 9113 per patient discharged alive. CONCLUSION Palliative care consultation was associated with a reduction in the total cost of hospital care for patients with life-limiting or life-threatening diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Han Chung
- Department of Healthcare Transformation Initiatives, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77004
| | - Linh K Nguyen
- Department of Healthcare Transformation Initiatives, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77004
| | - Lincy S Lal
- Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J Michael Swint
- Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yen-Chi L Le
- Department of Healthcare Transformation Initiatives, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77004
| | - Kathleen R Hanley
- Department of Healthcare Transformation Initiatives, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77004
| | | | - Cheryl M Chanaud
- Clinical Innovation and Research, Memorial Hermann, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA
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15
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Lean Management Approach for Reengineering the Hospital Cardiology Consultation Process: A Report from AORN "A. Cardarelli" of Naples. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084475. [PMID: 35457344 PMCID: PMC9026877 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Consultations with specialists are essential for safe and high-quality care for all patients. Cardiology consultations, due to a progressive increase in cardiology comorbidities, are becoming more common in hospitals prior to any type of treatment. The appropriateness and correctness of the request, the waiting time for delivery and the duration of the visit are just a few of the elements that can affect the quality of the process. Methods: In this work, a Lean approach and Telemedicine are used to optimize the cardiology consultancy process provided by the Cardiology Unit of “Antonio Cardarelli” Hospital of Naples (Italy), the largest hospital in the southern Italy. Results: The application of corrective actions, with the introduction of portable devices and telemedicine, led to a reduction in the percentage of waiting for counseling from 29.6% to 18.3% and an increase in the number of patients treated. Conclusions: The peculiarity of the study is to apply an innovative methodology such as Lean Thinking in optimizing the cardiology consultancy process, currently little studied in literature, with benefits for both patients and medical staff.
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16
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Fagundes A, Berg DD, Bohula EA, Baird-Zars VM, Barnett CF, Carnicelli AP, Chaudhry SP, Guo J, Keeley EC, Kenigsberg BB, Menon V, Miller PE, Newby LK, van Diepen S, Morrow DA, Katz JN. End-of-life care in the cardiac intensive care unit: a contemporary view from the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) Registry. EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR CARE 2022; 11:190-197. [PMID: 34986236 DOI: 10.1093/ehjacc/zuab121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Increases in life expectancy, comorbidities, and survival with complex cardiovascular conditions have changed the clinical profile of the patients in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs). In this environment, palliative care (PC) services are increasingly important. However, scarce information is available about the delivery of PC in CICUs. METHODS AND RESULTS The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) Registry is a network of tertiary care CICUs in North America. Between 2017 and 2020, up to 26 centres contributed an annual 2-month snapshot of all consecutive medical CICU admissions. We captured code status at admission and the decision for comfort measures only (CMO) before all deaths in the CICU. Of 13 422 patients, 10% died in the CICU and 2.6% were discharged to palliative hospice. Of patients who died in the CICU, 68% were CMO at death. In the CMO group, only 13% were do not resuscitate/do not intubate at admission. The median time from CICU admission to CMO decision was 3.4 days (25th-75th percentiles: 1.2-7.7) and ≥7 days in 27%. Time from CMO decision to death was <24 h in 88%, with a median of 3.8 h (25th-75th 1.0-10.3). Before a CMO decision, 78% received mechanical ventilation and 26% mechanical circulatory support. A PC provider team participated in the care of 41% of patients who died. CONCLUSIONS In a contemporary CICU registry, comfort measures preceded death in two-thirds of cases, frequently without PC involvement. The high utilization of advanced intensive care unit therapies and lengthy times to a CMO decision highlight a potential opportunity for early engagement of PC teams in CICU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Fagundes
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Berg
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erin A Bohula
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vivian M Baird-Zars
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher F Barnett
- Medstar Heart and Vascular Institute, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anthony P Carnicelli
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Jianping Guo
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ellen C Keeley
- Division of Cardiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Benjamin B Kenigsberg
- Medstar Heart and Vascular Institute, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Venu Menon
- Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - P Elliott Miller
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - L Kristin Newby
- Divison of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sean van Diepen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David A Morrow
- TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Suite 7022, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jason N Katz
- Divison of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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17
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End of life care pathways in the Emergency Department and their effects on patient and health service outcomes: An integrative review. Int Emerg Nurs 2022; 61:101153. [PMID: 35240435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2022.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION End of life (EOL) care in the Emergency Department (ED) requires focused, person-centred care to meet the needs of this vulnerable cohort of patients. METHODS An integrative review of the literature using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was conducted. Studies were included if they were primary research relating to patients in the ED at the EOL, and/or evaluated EOL care pathways in the ED. Databases OVID Emcare, OVID Medline, and Scopus were searched from 1966-September 2021; followed by screening and appraisal. Articles were compared and data grouped into categories. RESULTS Eleven research articles were included generating three categories for EOL care in ED. 1) tools/criteria to identify patients who may require EOL care in ED; 2) processes for providing EOL care, and 3) implementation methods/frameworks to support the uptake of EOL care processes. CONCLUSION There were some commonalities in the criteria used to identify patients who may be at their EOL and the interventions implemented thereafter. There was no standardised process for screening for or treating EOL care needs in the ED. Further research is required to determine the impact that EOL care pathways have on patient and health service outcomes to inform strategies for future policy development.
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Chang JCY, Yang C, Lai LL, Huang HH, Tsai SH, Hsu TF, Yen DHT. Differences in Characteristics, Hospital Care, and Outcomes between Acute Critically Ill Emergency Department Patients Receiving Palliative Care and Usual Care. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312546. [PMID: 34886271 PMCID: PMC8656613 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: The early integration of palliative care in the emergency department (ED-PC) provides several benefits, including improved quality of life with optimal comfort measures, and symptom control. Whether palliative care could affect the intensive care unit admissions, hospital care and resource utilization requires further investigation. Aim: To determine the differences in inpatient characteristics, hospital care, survival, and resource utilization between patients receiving palliative care (ED-PC) and usual care (UC). Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting/participants: We enrolled consecutive, acute, critically ill patients admitted to the emergency intensive care unit at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 1 February 2018 to 31 January 2020. Results: A total of 1273 patients were evaluated for unmet palliative care needs; 685 patients received ED-PC and 588 received UC. The palliative care patients were more severely frail (AOR 2.217 (1.295–3.797), p = 0.004), had functional deterioration with three ADLs (AOR 1.348 (1.040–1.748), p = 0.024), biopsychosocial discomfort (AOR 1.696 (1.315–2.187), p < 0.001), higher Taiwan Triage and Acuity Scale 1 (p = 0.024), higher in-hospital mortality (AOR 1.983 (1.540–2.555), p < 0.001), were four times more likely to sign an DNR (AOR 4.536 (2.522–8.158), p < 0.001), and were twice as likely to sign an DNR at admission (AOR 2.1331.619–2.811), p < 0.001). Palliative care patients received less epinephrine (AOR 0.424 (0.265–0.678), p < 0.001), more frequent withdrawal of an endotracheal tube (AOR 8.780 (1.122–68.720), p = 0.038), and more narcotics (AOR1.675 (1.132–2.477), p = 0.010). Palliative care patients exhibited lower 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day survival rates (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the hospital length of stay (LOS) (21.2 ± 26.6 vs. 21.7 ± 20.6, p = 0.709) nor total hospital expenses (293,169 ± 350,043 vs. 294,161 ± 315,275, p = 0.958). Conclusion: Acute critically ill patients receiving palliative care were more frail, more critical, and had higher in-hospital mortality. Palliative care patients received less epinephrine, more endotracheal extubation, and more narcotics. There was no difference in the hospital LOS or hospital costs between the palliative and usual care groups. The synthesis of ED-PC is new but achievable with potential benefits to align care with patient goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Chia-Yu Chang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (J.C.-Y.C.); (H.-H.H.); (T.-F.H.)
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Che Yang
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (C.Y.); (L.-L.L.)
| | - Li-Ling Lai
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (C.Y.); (L.-L.L.)
| | - Hsien-Hao Huang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (J.C.-Y.C.); (H.-H.H.); (T.-F.H.)
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hung Tsai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Teh-Fu Hsu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (J.C.-Y.C.); (H.-H.H.); (T.-F.H.)
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - David Hung-Tsang Yen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan; (J.C.-Y.C.); (H.-H.H.); (T.-F.H.)
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
- Department of Nursing, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu 30015, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
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19
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Friedrichsen M, Hajradinovic Y, Jakobsson M, Brachfeld K, Milberg A. Cultures that collide: an ethnographic study of the introduction of a palliative care consultation team on acute wards. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:180. [PMID: 34802436 PMCID: PMC8606051 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00877-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acute care and palliative care (PC) are described as different incompatible organisational care cultures. Few studies have observed the actual meeting between these two cultures. In this paper we report part of ethnographic results from an intervention study where a palliative care consultation team (PCCT) used an integrative bedside education approach, trying to embed PC principles and interventions into daily practice in acute wards. Purpose To study the meeting and interaction of two different care cultures, palliative care and curative acute wards, when a PCCT introduces consulting services to acute wards regarding end-of-life palliative care, focusing on the differences between the cultures. Methods An ethnographic study design was used, including observations, interviews and diary entries. A PCCT visited acute care wards during 1 year. The analysis was inspired by Spradleys ethnography. Results Three themes were found: 1) Anticipations meets reality; 2) Valuation of time and prioritising; and 3) The content and creation of palliative care. Conclusion There are many differences in values, and the way PC are provided in the acute care wards compared to what a PCCT expects. The didactic challenges are many and the PC require effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Friedrichsen
- Palliative Education and Research Centre in Region Östergötland, Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden.
| | | | - Maria Jakobsson
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Vrinnevi Hospital, Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Brachfeld
- Palliative Education and Research Centre in Region Östergötland, Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Anna Milberg
- Palliative Education and Research Centre in Region Östergötland, Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden.,Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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20
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Dadsetan F, Shahrbabaki PM, Mirzai M, Nouhi E. Palliative care needs of patients with multiple sclerosis in southeast Iran. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:169. [PMID: 34706707 PMCID: PMC8554857 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00867-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the chronic nature of multiple sclerosis, palliative care can play a significant role in improving the quality of life and well-being of the affected patients. An essential step for developing appropriate palliative care for these patients is to determine the types of palliative care necessary, from different points of view. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the palliative care needs from the nurses' and patients' points of view in southeast Iran in 2017. METHOD This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 154 nurses working in neurology wards of teaching hospitals associated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences and 132 patients with multiple sclerosis who were referred to these hospitals in southeast Iran. The data were collected using a questionnaire for assessing the palliative care needs of patients with multiple sclerosis. Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, and the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine the data. RESULTS Both nurses and patients mentioned the palliative needs of patients with multiple sclerosis in terms of physical, social, spiritual, psychological, and economic dimensions, respectively, but the results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in all dimensions of palliative needs (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Given the differences in how patients and nurses prioritize palliative care needs, it is essential to consider the different dimensions of palliative needs of patients with multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Dadsetan
- M.s Medical Surgical Nursing, Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Parvin Mangolian Shahrbabaki
- Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Critical Care Nursing, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Moghadameh Mirzai
- Health Modeling Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Esmat Nouhi
- Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. .,Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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May P, Normand C, Noreika D, Skoro N, Cassel JB. Using predicted length of stay to define treatment and model costs in hospitalized adults with serious illness: an evaluation of palliative care. HEALTH ECONOMICS REVIEW 2021; 11:38. [PMID: 34542719 PMCID: PMC8454145 DOI: 10.1186/s13561-021-00336-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Economic research on hospital palliative care faces major challenges. Observational studies using routine data encounter difficulties because treatment timing is not under investigator control and unobserved patient complexity is endemic. An individual's predicted LOS at admission offers potential advantages in this context. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study on adults admitted to a large cancer center in the United States between 2009 and 2015. We defined a derivation sample to estimate predicted LOS using baseline factors (N = 16,425) and an analytic sample for our primary analyses (N = 2674) based on diagnosis of a terminal illness and high risk of hospital mortality. We modelled our treatment variable according to the timing of first palliative care interaction as a function of predicted LOS, and we employed predicted LOS as an additional covariate in regression as a proxy for complexity alongside diagnosis and comorbidity index. We evaluated models based on predictive accuracy in and out of sample, on Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria, and precision of treatment effect estimate. RESULTS Our approach using an additional covariate yielded major improvement in model accuracy: R2 increased from 0.14 to 0.23, and model performance also improved on predictive accuracy and information criteria. Treatment effect estimates and conclusions were unaffected. Our approach with respect to treatment variable yielded no substantial improvements in model performance, but post hoc analyses show an association between treatment effect estimate and estimated LOS at baseline. CONCLUSION Allocation of scarce palliative care capacity and value-based reimbursement models should take into consideration when and for whom the intervention has the largest impact on treatment choices. An individual's predicted LOS at baseline is useful in this context for accurately predicting costs, and potentially has further benefits in modelling treatment effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter May
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, 3-4 Foster Place, Dublin, Ireland.
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Charles Normand
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, 3-4 Foster Place, Dublin, Ireland
- King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, London, UK
| | - Danielle Noreika
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Nevena Skoro
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - J Brian Cassel
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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22
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Underutilization of Palliative Care for Patients with Advanced Peripheral Arterial Disease. Ann Vasc Surg 2021; 76:211-217. [PMID: 34403753 DOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced peripheral arterial disease is associated with an overall annual mortality between 20-40%. Amputees are at particularly high risk for perioperative and long-term mortality and may benefit from palliative care programs to improve quality of life and to align medical treatments with their goals of care. As studies of palliative care in vascular patients are scarce, we sought to examine palliative care utilization using below knee amputation (BKA) as a surrogate for advanced peripheral arterial disease. METHODS All patients who underwent below knee amputation over a 5-year period at a single large academic medical center were identified through chart review. Demographics, preoperative conditions, intraoperative factors, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. The primary outcome was palliative care consultation at the time of the amputation. The secondary outcomes included one-year mortality and palliative care consultation prior to death. RESULTS The cohort comprised 111 patients (76 men, 35 women) who received BKA for chronic limb threatening ischemia. Three patients (2.7%) received palliative care consultations at the time of their amputation. Of these, one had been obtained remotely for an oncologic condition and the others for surgical decision-making. Follow-up was available for 73 patients. One-year mortality was 21.9% (n = 16) at a mean of 102 ± 86 days after BKA. Among patients who died within 1 year of their amputation, 37.5% (n = 6) received palliative care consultations prior to their death. The median interval between amputation and palliative consultation was 26 (IQR 14-81) days. The median interval between palliative consultation and death was 9 (IQR 4-39) days. CONCLUSION Palliative care services were rarely provided to patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease. When obtained, consultations occurred closer to death than to amputation suggesting a missed opportunity to receive the benefits of early evaluation. Future studies can be aimed at identifying a cohort of vascular patients who would most benefit from early palliative evaluation and determining if palliative consultations alter health care utilization patterns and outcomes for vascular patients.
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Loffredo AJ, Chan GK, Wang DH, Goett R, Isaacs ED, Pearl R, Rosenberg M, Aberger K, Lamba S. United States Best Practice Guidelines for Primary Palliative Care in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med 2021; 78:658-669. [PMID: 34353647 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The growing palliative care needs of emergency department (ED) patients in the United States have motivated the development of ED primary palliative care principles. An expert panel convened to develop best practice guidelines for ED primary palliative care to help guide frontline ED clinicians based on available evidence and consensus opinion of the panel. Results include recommendations for screening and assessment of palliative care needs, ED management of palliative care needs, goals of care conversations, ED palliative care and hospice consults, and transitions of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Loffredo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
| | - Garrett K Chan
- Department of Physiologic Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - David H Wang
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Scripps Health, San Diego, CA
| | - Rebecca Goett
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
| | - Eric D Isaacs
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Rachel Pearl
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mark Rosenberg
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St Joseph's Health, Paterson and Wayne, NJ
| | - Kate Aberger
- Division of Palliative Medicine and Geriatrics, St Joseph's Health, Paterson, NJ; Department of Emergency Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville, NJ
| | - Sangeeta Lamba
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
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Wiegert EVM, da Costa Rosa KS, Dos Santos RTF, Dos Santos DA, de Freitas R, de Oliveira LC. The use of nutrition support near the end of life for hospitalized patients with advanced cancer at a reference center: Two realities. Nutr Clin Pract 2021; 37:425-434. [PMID: 34245470 DOI: 10.1002/ncp.10737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency and factors associated of the provision of nutrition support (NS) in the last 30 days of life in patients with advanced cancer in the palliative or non-palliative setting. METHODS Retrospective cohort study in palliative and non-palliative care units at a specialized cancer center for oncology in Brazil. The use of oral nutrition supplements (ONS) and enteral (EN) and parenteral (PN) nutrition in the 30 days before death were assessed. RESULTS The 239 patients included were predominantly older (>60 years; 63.2%) and female (61.1%). The use of ONS was lower in palliative than non-palliative care during the last 30 (52% vs. 6%), 7 (42% vs. 4%), and 3 (23% vs. 2%) days before death (all P < .001). The use of EN and PN was lower in palliative care, decreasing with the approach of death. The independent factors associated with ONS in non-palliative care were (odds ratio): breast tumor (3.03), hypoalbuminemia (1.10), and nutrition risk (16.98); in palliative care, only the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥40% (1.24) was associated to the use of ONS. The use of EN and PN was associated with head-neck (HN) tumor in both settings (5.41) in non-palliative and (8.74) in palliative. Others independent factors were: hypoalbuminemia (3.12) in non-palliative care and KPS (1.31) in palliative care. CONCLUSIONS The use of NS near the end of life was high in the non-palliative and less frequent in palliative care setting. The factors associated with NS differed according to the clinical oncology setting, with one of the factors in palliative care being a better prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Renata de Freitas
- Palliative Care Unit, National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Livia Costa de Oliveira
- Palliative Care Unit, National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Association between Palliative Care, Days at Home, and Health Care Use in Patients with Advanced COPD: A Cohort Study. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021; 19:48-57. [PMID: 34170780 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202007-859oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for patients with life-limiting conditions. While previous studies have shown palliative care to be associated with reduced acute health care use in people with cancer and other illnesses, these findings may not generalize to patients with COPD. OBJECTIVES We examined the association between palliative care and rates of days at home, location of death, and acute health care use in patients with COPD. METHODS We used health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada to identify patients with advanced COPD hospitalized between April 2010 and March 2017 and followed until March 2018. Patients who received palliative care were matched 1:1 to those who did not on age, sex, long-term oxygen, previous COPD hospitalizations and propensity scores. Rate ratios (RR) were estimated using Poisson models with generalized estimating equations to account for matching. RESULTS Among 35,492 patients, 1,788 (5%) received palliative care. In the matched cohort (1,721 pairs), people with COPD receiving palliative care had similar rates of days at home (RR=1.01, 95% CI [0.97, 1.05]) but were more likely to die at home (16.4% vs. 10.0%, p<0.001) compared to those who did not receive palliative care. Rates of healthcare utilization were similar except for increased hospitalizations in the palliative care group (RR=1.09, 95% CI [1.01, 1.18]). CONCLUSIONS Receipt of palliative care did not reduce days at home or healthcare utilization but was associated with a modest increase in proportion dying at home. Future work should evaluate palliative care strategies designed specifically for patients with COPD.
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De Elia C, Macchio P, Khan W, Perigini L, Kaell A, Haggerty G. Increasing Awareness of Palliative Medicine With the Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Project. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021; 39:160-163. [PMID: 34060326 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211021838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Palliative medicine can be essential in helping to align patients' goals of care with their treatment team. Referrals for palliative medicine are more advantageous when initiated in the emergency department as this is the first point of contact for seriously ill patients being admitted to the hospital. This paper highlights a quality improvement project initiated to address knowledge gaps in palliative medicine with emergency department (ED) staff and to increase referrals for palliative medicine from the ED. The palliative medicine staff held an in-service training with the ED staff which focused on defining palliative medicine and the importance of early consults when the patient presents in the ED. Palliative medicine staff also highlighted the differences between palliative medicine and hospice care, when and how to initiate a consult for palliative medicine, as well as how to contact the palliative medicine division. The results showed that after this educational intervention the number of palliative medicine consults increased three-fold. Before the educational intervention, monthly averages for palliative medicine were 6 and after rose to 18.9 per month.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina De Elia
- Division of Palliative Medicine, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Phyllis Macchio
- Division of Palliative Medicine, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wardah Khan
- Internal Medicine Residency, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lindsay Perigini
- Department of Medical Affairs, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan Kaell
- Graduate Medical Education, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Greg Haggerty
- Graduate Medical Education, 20860Mather Hospital Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA
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Denney CJ, Duan Y, O'Brien PB, Peach DJ, Lanier S, Lopez J, Buxton D, Maulfair M, Kuhlman J, Ahmad S, Helmstetter K. An Emergency Department Clinical Algorithm to Increase Early Palliative Care Consultation: Pilot Project. J Palliat Med 2021; 24:1776-1782. [PMID: 34015232 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The emergency department (ED) is a primary entry point of hospitals but does not have a system to identify and consult palliative care (PC) early in patients who meet criteria. Objectives: To determine the measurable effects of an ED PC consultation on patients who meet criteria, hypothesizing that ED PC consultation would lead to decreased average length of stay (ALOS), average direct cost per patient, decreased number of surgeries, and radiological tests performed per patient. Materials and Methods: A physician-led data-driven evidence-based algorithm was designed and piloted with implementation in two hospitals during January-March 2019 in Orlando, FL. A retrospective review of health record data was completed, comparing patients receiving PC consultation ordered in the ED versus those ordered after admission. Results: ED patients (n = 662) met PC criteria. PC consultation was ordered in ED for 80 (12.1%) cases. The following outcomes were lower for patients who received ED PC consultation than those who did not: ALOS by 6.4 days (6.74 vs. 13.14 days; p < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (12.5% vs. 19.1%; p = 0.11), surgery (11% vs. 37%; p < 0.01), radiological tests per patient (4.01 vs. 10.57; p < 0.001), and average direct cost per patient ($7,193 vs. $22,354). However, 30-day hospital revisit rates were relatively higher in those who did receive ED PC consultation than those who did not (20% vs. 13% p = 0.15). Conclusions: In this pilot project, PC patients can be identified in the ED with an algorithm that leads to earlier consultation and improved patient outcomes. Larger research trials are needed to replicate this strategy and results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford J Denney
- Department of Emergency Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Yuchen Duan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Paul B O'Brien
- Department of Emergency Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel J Peach
- Department of Clinical Innovation, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Shelley Lanier
- Department of Clinical Innovation, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Joshua Lopez
- Department of Clinical Innovation, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - David Buxton
- Department of Palliative Care, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Mitchell Maulfair
- Department of Emergency Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kuhlman
- Department of Clinical Innovation, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | | | - Kyle Helmstetter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA
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Takayama H, Kawahara K, Fushimi K. Relationship between pre-hospitalization home-based medical care of elderly patients who died from pneumonia and inpatient aggressive therapy in Japan. PROGRESS IN PALLIATIVE CARE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09699260.2021.1919046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Takayama
- Department of Health Policy Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
- Reginal Medical Support Center, Nagasaki University Hospital, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kawahara
- Department of Health Policy Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
| | - Kiyohide Fushimi
- Department of Health Policy and Informatics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
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Flöther L, Pötzsch B, Jung M, Jung R, Bucher M, Glowka A, Medenwald D. Treatment effects of palliative care consultation and patient contentment: A monocentric observational study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e24320. [PMID: 33761631 PMCID: PMC9282054 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000024320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Palliative care is a central component of the therapy in terminally ill patients. During treatment in non-palliative departments this can be realized by consultation.To analyze the change in symptom burden during palliative care consultation.In this observational study, we enrolled all cancer cases (n = 163) receiving inpatient treatment for 2015 to 2018 at our institution. We used the MDASI-questionnaire (0 = 'not present' and 10 = "as bad as you can imagine") and the FAMCARE-6 (1 = very satisfied, 5 = very dissatisfied) to analyze the treatment effect and patient satisfaction, respectively.We examined the association of symptom burden and patient satisfaction using Spearman-correlation. Comparing mean values, we applied the Wilcoxon-test and one-way ANOVA.An improvement in MDASI-core-items after treatment completion was significant (P < .05) in 14/18 symptoms. The change in perception of pain showed the strongest improvement (median: 5 to 3). Initially the MDASI-items "activity" (median = 8) and emotional distress (median = 5 and 6) were viewed as especially incriminating. There was no evidence for a correlation between patients' age, the type of diagnosis and time since diagnosis.The analysis of FAMCARE-6 patient contentment was lower or equal to two in all of the six items. There was a weak negative association between the change in symptom burden of psycho-emotional items "distress/feeling upset" (P = .006, rSp = -0,226), "sadness" and patient satisfaction in FAMCARE-6.A considerable improvement of the extensive symptom burden particularly of pain relief was achieved by integrating palliative consultation in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilit Flöther
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barabara Pötzsch
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Maria Jung
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Robert Jung
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Michael Bucher
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - André Glowka
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik Universitätsmedizin Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Daniel Medenwald
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie
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Elk R, Gazaway S. Engaging Social Justice Methods to Create Palliative Care Programs That Reflect the Cultural Values of African American Patients with Serious Illness and Their Families: A Path Towards Health Equity. THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS : A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS 2021; 49:222-230. [PMID: 34924058 DOI: 10.1017/jme.2021.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cultural values influence how people understand illness and dying, and impact their responses to diagnosis and treatment, yet end-of-life care is rooted in white, middle class values. Faith, hope, and belief in God's healing power are central to most African Americans, yet life-preserving care is considered "aggressive" by the healthcare system, and families are pressured to cease it.
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Blosnich JR, Montgomery AE, Taylor LD, Dichter ME. Adverse social factors and all-cause mortality among male and female patients receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration. Prev Med 2020; 141:106272. [PMID: 33022319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Social factors account more for health outcomes than medical care, yet health services research in this area is limited due to the lack of social factors data contained within electronic health records (EHR) systems. Few investigations have examined how cumulative burdens of co-occurring adverse social factors impact health outcomes. From 293,872 patients in one region of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), we examined how increasing numbers of adverse social factors extracted from the EHR were associated with mortality across a one-year period for male and female patients. Adverse social factors were identified using four sources in the EHR: responses to universal VHA screens, International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnostic codes that indicate social factors, receipt of VHA services related to social factors, and templated social work referrals. Seven types of adverse social factors were coded: violence, housing instability, employment or financial problems, legal issues, social or familial problems, lack of access to care or transportation, and nonspecific psychosocial needs. Overall, each increase in an adverse social factor was associated with 27% increased odds of mortality, after accounting for demographics, medical comorbidity, and military service-related disability. Non-specific psychosocial factors were most strongly associated with mortality, followed by social or familial problems. Although women were more likely than men to have multiple adverse social factors, social factors were not associated with mortality among women as they were among men. By incorporating social factors data, health care systems can better understand patient all-cause mortality and identify potential prevention efforts built around social determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Blosnich
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
| | - Ann Elizabeth Montgomery
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Tampa, FL, United States of America; Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, United States of America; Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Laura D Taylor
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Social Work Program Office, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Melissa E Dichter
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America; School of Social Work, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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Huo J, Hong YR, Turner K, Diaby V, Chen C, Bian J, Grewal R, Wilkie DJ. Timing, Costs, and Survival Outcome of Specialty Palliative Care in Medicare Beneficiaries With Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract 2020; 16:e1532-e1542. [DOI: 10.1200/op.20.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE: ASCO recommends early integration of palliative care in treating patients diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. Our study sought to examine utilization of timely specialty palliative care (SPC) and its association with survival and cost outcomes in patients diagnosed with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The 2001-2015 SEER-Medicare data were used to determine the baseline characteristics and outcomes of 79,253 patients with metastatic NSCLC. The predictors of early SPC use were examined using logistic regression. Mean and adjusted total and SPC-related costs were calculated using generalized linear regression. We used Cox regression model to determine the survival outcomes by SPC service settings. All statistical tests were two sided. RESULTS: The time from cancer diagnosis to the first SPC use has reduced significantly, from 13.7 weeks in 2001 to 8.3 weeks in 2015 ( P < .001). SPC use was associated with lower health care costs compared with those who had no SPC, from −$3,180 in 2011 ( P < .001) to −$1,285 in 2015 ( P = .059). Outpatient SPC use was associated with improved survival compared with patients who received SPC in other settings (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.88; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC now have more timely SPC service utilization, which was demonstrated to be a cost-saving treatment. Strategies to improve outpatient palliative care use might be associated with longer survival in patients with metastatic NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhai Huo
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Young-Rock Hong
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Kea Turner
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Vakaramoko Diaby
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Jiang Bian
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Reetu Grewal
- Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
| | - Diana J. Wilkie
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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Montgomery AE, Dichter M, Byrne T, Blosnich J. Intervention to address homelessness and all-cause and suicide mortality among unstably housed US Veterans, 2012-2016. J Epidemiol Community Health 2020; 75:jech-2020-214664. [PMID: 33208386 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2020-214664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People without stable housing-and Veterans specifically-are at increased risk of suicide. This study assessed whether unstably housed Veterans' participation in homeless services is associated with reduced risk of all-cause and suicide mortality. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used a sample of 169 221 Veterans across the US who self-reported housing instability between 1 October 2012 and 30 September 2016. Multivariable Cox regression models assessed the association between Veterans' utilisation of homeless services and all-cause and suicide mortality, adjusting for sociodemographics and severity of medical comorbidities. RESULTS More than one-half of unstably housed Veterans accessed homeless services during the observation period; utilisation of any homeless services was associated with a 6% reduction in hazards for all-cause mortality (adjusted HR[aHR]=0.94, 95% CI[CI]=0.90-0.98). An increasing number of homeless services used was associated with significantly reduced hazards of both all-cause (aHR=0.93, 95% CI=0.91-0.95) and suicide mortality (aHR=0.81, 95% CI=0.73-0.89). CONCLUSIONS The use of homeless services among Veterans reporting housing instability was significantly associated with reduced hazards of all-cause and suicide mortality. Addressing suicide prevention and homelessness together-and ensuring 'upstream' interventions-within the context of the VHA healthcare system holds promise for preventing suicide deaths among Veterans. Mental health treatment is critical for suicide prevention, but future research should investigate if social service programmes, by addressing unmet human needs, may also reduce suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Elizabeth Montgomery
- National Center on Homelessness among Veterans, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Health Behavior, The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Melissa Dichter
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Thomas Byrne
- School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John Blosnich
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Wan CS, Mitchell J, Maier AB. A Multidisciplinary, Community-Based Program to Reduce Unplanned Hospital Admissions. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 22:1331.e1-1331.e9. [PMID: 33162357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) on unplanned hospitalization, bed days, and mortality of enrolled individuals and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HARP. DESIGN A retrospective longitudinal analysis of hospital administrative data. INTERVENTION Individuals at risk of hospitalization were provided with multidisciplinary, community-based care support managed by care coordinators including integrated care planning, education, monitoring, service linkages, and general practitioner liaison over 6-9 months. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Individuals who were enrolled into 1 of 8 HARP chronic disease management programs between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia. METHODS Hospital admissions between 18 months before and 18 months after HARP enrollment were analyzed. Total hospital costs were compared between 18 months before and 12 months after HARP enrollment. RESULTS A total of 1553 individuals with a median age of 71 years (interquartile range 60-81), 63.4% males, were admitted to HARP. Both unplanned hospitalizations and bed days were reduced during the HARP intervention compared to within 3 months before enrollment in each of the HARP management programs. After the HARP intervention, cardiac coach, cardiac heart failure, chronic respiratory, diabetes comanagement, and medication management programs had higher hospitalizations and bed days than individuals' baseline of at least 3 months before HARP enrollment. Individuals in cardiac heart failure and chronic respiratory management programs had a higher mortality rate than other HARP chronic disease management programs. Individuals in cardiac coach, diabetes comanagement, and medication management programs had lower hospital costs during the HARP intervention compared to within 3 months before HARP enrollment. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS HARP reduced unplanned hospitalization and bed days but did not return individuals' hospital use to baseline before the intervention. The variations in mortality between HARP chronic disease management programs implies that condition-specific goals between programs is preferable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching Shan Wan
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, @AgeMelbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jade Mitchell
- Department of Medicine and Community Care, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea B Maier
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, @AgeMelbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Human Movement Sciences, @AgeAmsterdam, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Pham R, McQuade C, Somerfeld A, Blakowski S, Hickey GW. Palliative Care Consultation Affects How and Where Heart Failure Patients Die. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 38:807-811. [PMID: 33016083 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120963565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Determine the role of palliative care on terminal code status and setting of death for those with heart failure. BACKGROUND Although palliative care consultation (PCC) has increased for many conditions, PCC has not increased in those with cardiovascular disease. While it has been shown that the majority of those with heart failure die in medical facilities, the impact of PCC on terminal code status and setting of death requires further analysis. METHODS Patients admitted with heart failure between 2014-2015 at an academic VA Healthcare System were reviewed. Primary outcome was terminal code status. Secondary outcomes included setting of death, hospice utilization, and mortality scores. Student t-testing and Chi-square testing were performed where appropriate. RESULTS 334 patients were admitted with heart failure and had a median follow up time of 4.3 years. 196 patients died, with 122 (62%) receiving PCC and 74 (38%) without PCC. Patients were more likely to have terminal code statuses of comfort measures with PCC (OR = 4.6, p = 0.002), and less likely to be full code (OR = 0.09, p < 0.001). 146 patients had documented settings of death and were more likely to receive hospice services with PCC (OR 6.76, p < 0.001). A patient's chance of dying at home was not increased with PCC (OR 0.49, p = 0.07), but they were more likely to die with inpatient hospice (OR = 17.03; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Heart failure patients who received PCC are more likely to die with more defined care preferences and with hospice services. This does not translate to dying at home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Pham
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, 6595University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Casey McQuade
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, 6595University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alex Somerfeld
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, 6595University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sandra Blakowski
- Department of Medicine, 6595Veterans Health Administration Pittsburgh Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gavin W Hickey
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, 6595University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Janberidze E, Poláková K, Bankovská Motlová L, Loučka M. Impact of palliative care consult service in inpatient hospital setting: a systematic literature review. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2020; 11:351-360. [PMID: 32958505 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite a number of studies on effectiveness of palliative care, there is a lack of complex updated review of the impact of in-hospital palliative care consult service. The objective is to update information on the impact of palliative care consult service in inpatient hospital setting. METHODS This study was a systematic literature review, following the standard protocols (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Joanna Briggs Institute tools) to ensure the transparent and robust review procedure. The effect of palliative care consult service was classified as being associated with improvement, no difference, deterioration or mixed results in specific outcomes. PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate and SocINDEX were systematically searched up to February 2020. Studies were included if they focused on the impact of palliative care consult service caring for adult palliative care patients and their families in inpatient hospital setting. RESULTS After removing duplicates, 959 citations were screened of which 49 full-text articles were retained. A total of 28 different outcome variables were extracted. 18 of them showed positive effects within patient, family, staff and healthcare system domains. No difference was observed in patient survival and depression. Inconclusive results represented patient social support and staff satisfaction with care. CONCLUSIONS Palliative care consult service has a number of positive effects for patients, families, staff and healthcare system. More research is needed on factors such as patient spiritual well-being, social support, performance, family understanding of patient diagnosis or staff stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elene Janberidze
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology - Division of Medical Psychology, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Praha, Czech Republic .,Department of Gerontology and Palliative Medicine, Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University/Institute of Morphology, Tbilisi, Georgia.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and Public Health, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Kristýna Poláková
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology - Division of Medical Psychology, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Praha, Czech Republic.,Center for Palliative Care, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Bankovská Motlová
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology - Division of Medical Psychology, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Loučka
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology - Division of Medical Psychology, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Praha, Czech Republic.,Center for Palliative Care, Praha, Czech Republic
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Li L, Du T, Hu Y. The effect of different classification of hospitals on medical expenditure from perspective of classification of hospitals framework: evidence from China. COST EFFECTIVENESS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION 2020; 18:35. [PMID: 32944007 PMCID: PMC7493371 DOI: 10.1186/s12962-020-00229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Different classification of hospitals (COH) have an important impact on medical expenditures in China. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of COH on medical expenditures with the hope of providing insights into appropriate care and resource allocation. Methods From the perspective of COH framework, using the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) data of Chengdu City from 2011 to 2015, with sample size of 488,623 hospitalized patients, our study empirically analyzed the effect of COH on medical expenditure by multivariate regression modeling. Results The average medical expenditure was 5468.86 Yuan (CNY), the average expenditure of drug, diagnostic testing, medical consumables, nursing care, bed, surgery and blood expenditures were 1980.06 Yuan (CNY), 1536.27 Yuan (CNY), 500.01 Yuan (CNY), 166.23 Yuan (CNY), 221.98 Yuan (CNY), 983.18 Yuan (CNY) and 1733.21 Yuan (CNY) respectively. Patients included in the analysis were mainly elderly, with an average age of 86.65 years old. Female and male gender were split evenly. The influence of COH on total medical expenditures was significantly negative (p < 0.001). The reimbursement ratio of UEBMI had a significantly positive (p < 0.001) effect on various types of medical expenditures, indicating that the higher the reimbursement ratio was, the higher the medical expenditures would be. Conclusions COH influenced medical expenditures significantly. In consideration of reducing medical expenditures, the government should not only start from the supply side of healthcare services, but also focus on addressing the demand side.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lele Li
- School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, 1 Tsinghua Yard, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Tiantian Du
- Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, 1 Tsinghua, Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province China
| | - Yanping Hu
- Department of Medical Engineering, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 2 Yinghua Yuan, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
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Eltaybani S, Igarashi A, Yamamoto-Mitani N. Assessing the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education-Practice-Competence Triad in Intensive Care Units: Content Validity, Feasibility, and Reliability of a New Tool. J Palliat Care 2020; 36:234-242. [PMID: 32779529 DOI: 10.1177/0825859720948972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, a comprehensive, psychometrically robust instrument to assess palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) care education, practice, and perceived competence among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses does not exist. OBJECTIVE To examine content validity and reliability of a proposed instrument to assess the PEOL care education-practice- competence triad among ICU nurses. METHODS An international modified e-Delphi and a cross-sectional pilot questionnaire survey. The Delphi involved 23 panelists from 11 countries. The pilot study involved 40 staff nurses and 3 nurse managers from 3 adult ICUs in a randomly selected hospital in Egypt. An instrument was developed and judged for content validity by international panelists, and then pretested in a pilot study, where data were collected at 2 time points using self-administered questionnaires, followed by cognitive interviews. Test-retest reliability was examined using intraclass correlation (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and repeatability coefficient (RC). RESULTS The panelists confirmed content validity of the proposed instrument, and staff nurses confirmed its comprehensibility. At the level of the instrument's total scores, the lowest ICC was .9 (95% confidence interval: .8-.9); and the highest SEM and RC were 4.8 and 13.3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The PEOL Care Index is a comprehensive, comprehensible, content valid, and reliable instrument to assess the PEOL care education-practice-competence triad among ICU nurses. Construct and criterion validities need to be confirmed in future studies. Applicability of the PEOL Care Index in different settings and cultures needs to be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh Eltaybani
- Department of Gerontological Home Care and Long-Term Care Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt
| | - Ayumi Igarashi
- Department of Gerontological Home Care and Long-Term Care Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Yamamoto-Mitani
- Department of Gerontological Home Care and Long-Term Care Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Baker EF, Geiderman JM, Kraus CK, Goett R. The role of hospital ethics committees in emergency medicine practice. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2020; 1:403-407. [PMID: 33000063 PMCID: PMC7493501 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergency physicians face real-time ethical dilemmas that may occur at any hour of the day or night. Hospital ethics committees and ethics consultation services are not always able to provide immediate responses to emergency physicians' consultation requests. When faced with an emergent dilemma, emergency physicians sometimes rely on risk management or hospital counsel to answer legal questions, but may be better served by real-time ethics consultation. When other resources are not immediately available, emergency physicians should feel confident in making timely decisions, guided by basic principles of medical ethics. We make the following recommendations: (1) availability of a member of the hospital ethics committee to provide in-person or telephonic consultation concurrent with patient care; (2) appointment to the hospital ethics committee of an emergency physician who is familiar with bioethical principles and is available for consultation when other ethics consultants are not; and (3) development of educational tools by professional societies or similar organizations to assist emergency physicians in making reasoned and defensible clinical ethics decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen F Baker
- University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Toledo Ohio USA
- Inc, Riverwood Emergency Services Perrysburg Ohio USA
| | - Joel M Geiderman
- Emergency Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles California USA
| | - Chadd K Kraus
- Emergency Medicine Geisinger Medical Center Danville Pennsylvania USA
| | - Rebecca Goett
- Emergency and Palliative Medicine Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Newark New Jersey USA
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Starr LT, Ulrich CM, Junker P, Huang L, O’Connor NR, Meghani SH. Patient Risk Factor Profiles Associated With the Timing of Goals-of-Care Consultation Before Death: A Classification and Regression Tree Analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 37:767-778. [DOI: 10.1177/1049909120934292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Early palliative care consultation (“PCC”) to discuss goals-of-care benefits seriously ill patients. Risk factor profiles associated with the timing of conversations in hospitals, where late conversations most likely occur, are needed. Objective: To identify risk factor patient profiles associated with PCC timing before death. Methods: Secondary analysis of an observational study was conducted at an urban, academic medical center. Patients aged 18 years and older admitted to the medical center, who had PCC, and died July 1, 2014 to October 31, 2016, were included. Patients admitted for childbirth or rehabilitationand patients whose date of death was unknown were excluded. Classification and Regression Tree modeling was employed using demographic and clinical variables. Results: Of 1141 patients, 54% had PCC “close to death” (0-14 days before death); 26% had PCC 15 to 60 days before death; 21% had PCC >60 days before death (median 13 days before death). Variables associated with receiving PCC close to death included being Hispanic or “Other” race/ethnicity intensive care patients with extreme illness severity (85%), with age <46 or >75 increasing this probability (98%). Intensive care patients with extreme illness severity were also likely to receive PCC close to death (64%) as were 50% of intensive care patients with less than extreme illness severity. Conclusions: A majority of patients received PCC close to death. A complex set of variable interactions were associated with PCC timing. A systematic process for engaging patients with PCC earlier in the care continuum, and in intensive care regardless of illness severity, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T. Starr
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Bioethics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Connie M. Ulrich
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paul Junker
- Program for Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Improvement, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Liming Huang
- BECCA Lab, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nina R. O’Connor
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Salimah H. Meghani
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Carlin E, Dubash R, Kozlovski J. End of life care in the emergency department. Emerg Med Australas 2020; 32:504-506. [DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.13528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Carlin
- Emergency DepartmentWellington Regional Hospital Wellington New Zealand
| | - Roxanne Dubash
- Emergency DepartmentRoyal North Shore Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Jenny Kozlovski
- Emergency and Trauma CentreAlfred Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia
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Jordan L, Russell D, Baik D, Dooley F, Masterson Creber RM. The Development and Implementation of a Cardiac Home Hospice Program: Results of a RE-AIM Analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 37:925-935. [PMID: 32421373 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120925432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use of hospice has grown among patients with heart failure; however, gaps remain in the ability of agencies to tailor services to meet their needs. AIM This study describes the implementation of a cardiac home hospice program and insights for dissemination to other hospice programs. DESIGN We conducted a multimethod analysis structured around the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS We used electronic medical records for our quantitative data source and interviews with hospice clinicians from a not-for-profit hospice agency (N = 32) for our qualitative data source. RESULTS Reach-A total of 1273 participants were enrolled in the cardiac home hospice program, of which 57% were female and 42% were black or Hispanic with a mean age was 86 years. Effectiveness-The cardiac home hospice program increased hospice enrollment among patients with heart failure from 7.9% to 9.5% over 1 year (2016-2017). Adoption-Institutional factors that supported the program included the acute need to support medically complex patients at the end of life and an engaged clinical champion. Implementation-Program implementation was supported by interdisciplinary teams who engaged in care coordination. Maintenance-The program has been maintained for over 3 years. CONCLUSION The cardiac home hospice program strengthened hospice clinicians' ability to confidently provide care for patients with heart failure, expanded awareness of their symptoms among clinicians, and was associated with increased enrollment of patients with heart failure over the study period. This RE-AIM evaluation provides lessons learned and strategies for future adoption, implementation, and maintenance of a cardiac home hospice program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizeyka Jordan
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Russell
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Sociology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
| | - Dawon Baik
- College of Nursing University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frances Dooley
- Hospice and Palliative Care, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ruth M Masterson Creber
- Department of Healthcare Research & Policy, Division of Health Informatics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Fliedner MC, Hagemann M, Eychmüller S, King C, Lohrmann C, Halfens RJG, Schols JMGA. Does Time for (in)Direct Nursing Care Activities at the End of Life for Patients With or Without Specialized Palliative Care in a University Hospital Differ? A Retrospective Analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 37:844-852. [PMID: 32180430 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120905779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nurses' end of life (EoL) care focuses on direct (eg, physical) and indirect (e,g, coordination) care. Little is known about how much time nurses actually devote to these activities and if activities change due to support by specialized palliative care (SPC) in hospitalized patients. AIMS (1) Comparing care time for EoL patients receiving SPC to usual palliative care (UPC);(2) Comparing time spent for direct/indirect care in the SPC group before and after SPC. METHODS Retrospective observational study; nursing care time for EoL patients based on tacs® data using nonparametric and parametric tests. The Swiss data method tacs measures (in)direct nursing care time for monitoring and cost analyses. RESULTS Analysis of tacs® data (UPC, n = 642; SPC, n = 104) during hospitalization before death in 2015. Overall, SPC patients had higher tacs® than UPC patients by 40 direct (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.7-75, P = .023) and 14 indirect tacs® (95% CI: 6.0-23, P < .001). No difference for tacs® by day, as SPC patients were treated for a longer time (mean number of days 7.2 vs 16, P < .001).Subanalysis for SPC patients showed increased direct care time on the day of and after SPC (P < .001), whereas indirect care time increased only on the day of SPC. CONCLUSIONS This study gives insight into nurses' time for (in)direct care activities with/without SPC before death. The higher (in)direct nursing care time in SPC patients compared to UPC may reflect higher complexity. Consensus-based measurements to monitor nurses' care activities may be helpful for benchmarking or reimbursement analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica C Fliedner
- Department of Oncology, University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Monika Hagemann
- Department of Oncology, University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Eychmüller
- Department of Oncology, University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Christa Lohrmann
- Institute of Nursing Science, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ruud J G Halfens
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jos M G A Schols
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Family Medicine; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Huang YT, Wang YW, Chi CW, Hu WY, Lin R, Shiao CC, Tang WR. Differences in medical costs for end-of-life patients receiving traditional care and those receiving hospice care: A retrospective study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229176. [PMID: 32078660 PMCID: PMC7032706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hospice care has a positive effect on medical costs. The correlation between survival time after receiving hospice care and medical costs has not been previously investigated in the literature on Taiwan. This study aimed to compare the differences in medical costs between traditional care and hospice care among end-of-life patients with cancer. Methods Data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program on all patients who had passed away between 2010 and 2013 were used. Those whose year of death was between 2010 and 2013 were defined as end-of-life patients. The patients were divided into two groups: traditional care and hospice care. We then analyzed the differences in end-of-life medical cost between the two groups. Results From 2010 to 2013, the proportion of patients receiving hospice care significantly increased from 22.2% to 41.30%. In the hospice group, compared with the traditional group, the proportions of hospital stays over 14 days and deaths in a hospital were significantly higher, but the proportions of outpatient clinic visits; emergency room admissions; intensive care unit admissions; use of ventilator; use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and use of hemodialysis, surgery, and chemotherapy were significantly lower. Total medical costs were significantly lower. A greater number of days of survival for end-of-life patients when receiving hospice care results in higher saved medical costs. Conclusion Hospice care can effectively save a large amount of end-of-life medical costs, and more medical costs are saved when patients are referred to hospice care earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ting Huang
- Department of Nursing, Camillian Saint Mary`s Hospital Luodong, Luodong, Yilan, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Saint Mary's Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Sanxing Township, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Ying-Wei Wang
- Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Datong Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chou-Wen Chi
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, Taiwan, R.O.C.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Yu Hu
- Department of Nursing College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C
| | - Rung Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chih-Chung Shiao
- Saint Mary's Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Sanxing Township, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Camillian Saint Mary`s Hospital Luodong, Luodong, Yilan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Woung-Ru Tang
- School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
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Design and implementation of a clinical decision support tool for primary palliative Care for Emergency Medicine (PRIM-ER). BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2020; 20:13. [PMID: 31992301 PMCID: PMC6988238 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-020-1021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The emergency department is a critical juncture in the trajectory of care of patients with serious, life-limiting illness. Implementation of a clinical decision support (CDS) tool automates identification of older adults who may benefit from palliative care instead of relying upon providers to identify such patients, thus improving quality of care by assisting providers with adhering to guidelines. The Primary Palliative Care for Emergency Medicine (PRIM-ER) study aims to optimize the use of the electronic health record by creating a CDS tool to identify high risk patients most likely to benefit from primary palliative care and provide point-of-care clinical recommendations. Methods A clinical decision support tool entitled Emergency Department Supportive Care Clinical Decision Support (Support-ED) was developed as part of an institutionally-sponsored value based medicine initiative at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health. A multidisciplinary approach was used to develop Support-ED including: a scoping review of ED palliative care screening tools; launch of a workgroup to identify patient screening criteria and appropriate referral services; initial design and usability testing via the standard System Usability Scale questionnaire, education of the ED workforce on the Support-ED background, purpose and use, and; creation of a dashboard for monitoring and feedback. Results The scoping review identified the Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening (P-CaRES) survey as a validated instrument in which to adapt and apply for the creation of the CDS tool. The multidisciplinary workshops identified two primary objectives of the CDS: to identify patients with indicators of serious life limiting illness, and to assist with referrals to services such as palliative care or social work. Additionally, the iterative design process yielded three specific patient scenarios that trigger a clinical alert to fire, including: 1) when an advance care planning document was present, 2) when a patient had a previous disposition to hospice, and 3) when historical and/or current clinical data points identify a serious life-limiting illness without an advance care planning document present. Monitoring and feedback indicated a need for several modifications to improve CDS functionality. Conclusions CDS can be an effective tool in the implementation of primary palliative care quality improvement best practices. Health systems should thoughtfully consider tailoring their CDSs in order to adapt to their unique workflows and environments. The findings of this research can assist health systems in effectively integrating a primary palliative care CDS system seamlessly into their processes of care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03424109. Registered 6 February 2018, Grant Number: AT009844–01.
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Hagemann M, Zambrano SC, Bütikofer L, Bergmann A, Voigt K, Eychmüller S. Which Cost Components Influence the Cost of Palliative Care in the Last Hospitalization? A Retrospective Analysis of Palliative Care Versus Usual Care at a Swiss University Hospital. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020; 59:20-29.e9. [PMID: 31518631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Although the number of studies on the economic impact of palliative care (PC) is growing, the great majority report costs from North America. OBJECTIVES We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of PC hospital cost components from the perspective of a European mixed funded health care system by identifying cost drivers of PC and quantifying their effect on hospital costs compared to usual care (UC). METHODS We performed a retrospective, observational analysis examining cost data from the last hospitalization of patients who died at a large academic hospital in Switzerland comparing patients receiving PC vs. UC. RESULTS Total hospital costs were similar in PC and UC with a mean difference of CHF -2777 [95% CI -12,713 to 8506, P = 0.60]. Average costs per day decreased by CHF -3224 [95% CI -3811 to -2631, P < 0.001] for PC patients with significant reduction of costs for diagnostic intervention and medication. Higher cost components for PC patients were catering, room, nursing, social counseling, and nonmedical therapists. In sensitivity analyses, when we restricted PC exposure to three days from admission, total costs and average costs per day were significantly lower for PC. CONCLUSION Studies measuring the impact of PC on hospital costs should analyze various cost components beyond total costs to understand wanted and potentially unwanted cost-reducing effects. An international definition of a set of cost components, specific for cost-impact PC studies, may help avoid superficial and potentially dangerous cost discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Hagemann
- University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern.
| | - Sofia C Zambrano
- University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern
| | | | - Antje Bergmann
- Department of General Practice, Medical Clinic III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Karen Voigt
- Department of General Practice, Medical Clinic III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Steffen Eychmüller
- University Center for Palliative Care, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern
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Mathew C, Hsu AT, Prentice M, Lawlor P, Kyeremanteng K, Tanuseputro P, Welch V. Economic evaluations of palliative care models: A systematic review. Palliat Med 2020; 34:69-82. [PMID: 31854213 DOI: 10.1177/0269216319875906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative care aims to improve quality of life by relieving physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Health system planning can be informed by evaluating cost and effectiveness of health care delivery, including palliative care. AIM The objectives of this article were to describe and critically appraise economic evaluations of palliative care models and to identify cost-effective models in improving patient-centered outcomes. DESIGN We conducted a systematic review and registered our protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42016053973). DATA SOURCES A systematic search of nine medical and economic databases was conducted and extended with reference scanning and gray literature. Methodological quality was assessed using the Drummond checklist. RESULTS We identified 12,632 articles and 5 were included. We included two modeling studies from the United States and England, and three economic evaluations from England, Australia, and Italy. Two studies compared home-based palliative care models to usual care, and one compared home-based palliative care to no care. Effectiveness outcomes included hospital readmission prevented, days at home, and palliative care symptom severity. All studies concluded that palliative care was cost-effective compared to usual care. The methodological quality was good overall, but three out of five studies were based on small sample sizes. CONCLUSION Applicability and generalizability of evidence is uncertain due to small sample sizes, short duration, and limited modeling of costs and effects. Further economic evaluations with larger sample sizes are needed, inclusive of the diversity and complexity of palliative care populations and using patient-centered outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy T Hsu
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Insitute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Prentice
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Insitute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Lawlor
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
- Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Institut du Savoir Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Vivian Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Brinkman-Stoppelenburg A, Polinder S, Olij BF, van den Berg B, Gunnink N, Hendriks MP, van der Linden YM, Nieboer D, van der Padt-Pruijsten A, Peters LA, Roggeveen B, Terheggen F, Verhage S, van der Vorst MJ, Willemen I, Vergouwe Y, van der Heide A. The association between palliative care team consultation and hospital costs for patients with advanced cancer: An observational study in 12 Dutch hospitals. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2019; 29:e13198. [PMID: 31825156 PMCID: PMC7319483 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early palliative care team consultation has been shown to reduce costs of hospital care. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between palliative care team (PCT) consultation and the content and costs of hospital care in patients with advanced cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective, observational study was conducted in 12 Dutch hospitals. Patients with advanced cancer and an estimated life expectancy of less than 1 year were included. We compared hospital care during 3 months of follow-up for patients with and without PCT involvement. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effect of PCTs on costs of hospital care. Additionally, gamma regression models were estimated to assess predictors of hospital costs. RESULTS We included 535 patients of whom 126 received PCT consultation. Patients with PCT had a worse life expectancy (life expectancy <3 months: 62% vs. 31%, p < .01) and performance status (p < .01, e.g., WHO status higher than 2:54% vs. 28%) and more often had no more options for anti-tumour therapy (57% vs. 30%, p < .01). Hospital length of stay, use of most diagnostic procedures, medication and other therapeutic interventions were similar. The total mean hospital costs were €8,393 for patients with and €8,631 for patients without PCT consultation. Analyses using propensity scores to control for observed confounding showed no significant difference in hospital costs. CONCLUSIONS PCT consultation for patients with cancer in Dutch hospitals often occurs late in the patients' disease trajectories, which might explain why we found no effect of PCT consultation on costs of hospital care. Earlier consultation could be beneficial to patients and reduce costs of care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suzanne Polinder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Branko F Olij
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nicolette Gunnink
- Department of Internal Medicine, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathijs P Hendriks
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
| | - Yvette M van der Linden
- Center of Expertise Palliative Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daan Nieboer
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Liesbeth A Peters
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Northwest Clinics, Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Brenda Roggeveen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frederiek Terheggen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bravis Hospital, Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvia Verhage
- Breast Center, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Maurice J van der Vorst
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Internal Medicine, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Willemen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Elisabeth-Tweesteden Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Vergouwe
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Agnes van der Heide
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds may influence the demand for critical care. Although small studies support a model of supply-induced demand in the ICU, there is a paucity of system-wide data. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between ICU bed supply and ICU admission in United States hospitals. RESEARCH DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using all-payer inpatient records from Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington from 2010 to 2012, linked to hospital data from Medicare's Healthcare Cost Reporting Information System. SUBJECTS Three patient groups with a low likelihood of benefiting from ICU admission-low severity patients with acute myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism; and high severity patients with metastatic cancer at the end of life. MEASURES We compared the risk-adjusted probability of ICU admission at hospitals that increased their ICU bed supply over time to matched hospitals that did not, using a difference-in-differences approach. RESULTS For patients with acute myocardial infarction, ICU supply increases were associated with an increase in the probability of ICU admission that diminished over time. For patients with pulmonary embolism, there was a trend toward an association between change in ICU supply and ICU admission that did not meet statistical significance. For patients with metastatic cancer, admission to hospitals with an increasing ICU supply was not associated with changes in the probability of ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS Increases in ICU bed supply were associated with inconsistent changes in the probability of ICU admission that varied across patient subgroups.
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May P, Normand C, Del Fabbro E, Fine RL, Morrison RS, Ottewill I, Robinson C, Cassel JB. Economic Analysis of Hospital Palliative Care: Investigating Heterogeneity by Noncancer Diagnoses. MDM Policy Pract 2019; 4:2381468319866451. [PMID: 31535032 PMCID: PMC6737878 DOI: 10.1177/2381468319866451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Single-disease-focused treatment and hospital-centric care are poorly suited to meet complex needs in an era of multimorbidity. Understanding variation in palliative care’s association with treatment choices is essential to optimizing interdisciplinary decision making in care of complex patients. Aim. To estimate the association between palliative care and hospital costs by primary diagnosis and multimorbidity for adults with one of six life-limiting conditions: heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), liver failure, kidney failure, neurodegenerative conditions including dementia, and HIV/AIDS. Methods. Data from four studies (2002–2015) were pooled to provide an analytic dataset of 73,304 participants with mean costs $10,483, of whom 5,348 (7%) received palliative care. We estimated average effect of palliative care on direct hospital costs among the treated, using propensity scores to control for observed confounding. Results. Palliative care was associated with a statistically significant reduction in total direct costs for heart failure (estimated treatment effect: −$2666; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −$3440 to −$1892), neurodegenerative conditions (−$3523; −$4394 to −$2651), COPD (−$1613; −$2217 to −$1009), kidney failure (−$3589; −$5132 to −$2045), and liver failure (−$7574; −$9232 to −$5916). The association for liver failure patients was statistically significantly larger than for any other disease group. Cost-saving associations were also statistically larger for patients with multimorbidity than single disease for two of the six groups: neurodegenerative and liver failure. Conclusions. Heterogeneity in treatment effect estimates was observable in assessing association between palliative care and hospital costs for adults with serious life-limiting illnesses other than cancer. The results illustrate the importance of careful definition of palliative care populations in research and practice, and raise further questions about the role of interdisciplinary decision making in treatment of complex medical illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter May
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Charles Normand
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Egidio Del Fabbro
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | | | - R Sean Morrison
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, New York
| | - Isabel Ottewill
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - J Brian Cassel
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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