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Objective Access to palliative care (PC) is important for many patients with uncontrolled symptom burden from serious or complex illness. However, many patients who could benefit from PC do not receive it early enough or at all. We sought to address this problem by building a predictive model into a comprehensive clinical framework with the aims to (i) identify in-hospital patients likely to benefit from a PC consult, and (ii) intervene on such patients by contacting their care team. Materials and Methods Electronic health record data for 68 349 inpatient encounters in 2017 at a large hospital were used to train a model to predict the need for PC consult. This model was published as a web service, connected to institutional data pipelines, and consumed by a downstream display application monitored by the PC team. For those patients that the PC team deems appropriate, a team member then contacts the patient’s corresponding care team. Results Training performance AUC based on a 20% holdout validation set was 0.90. The most influential variables were previous palliative care, hospital unit, Albumin, Troponin, and metastatic cancer. The model has been successfully integrated into the clinical workflow making real-time predictions on hundreds of patients per day. The model had an “in-production” AUC of 0.91. A clinical trial is currently underway to assess the effect on clinical outcomes. Conclusions A machine learning model can effectively predict the need for an inpatient PC consult and has been successfully integrated into practice to refer new patients to PC.

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the negative impact of PAH on quality of life and survival, data on use of specialty palliative care services (PCS) is scarce. Research Question We sought to evaluate the inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH. Study Design and Methods Using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, 30,495 admissions with a primary diagnosis of PAH were identified from 2001 through 2017. The primary outcome of interest was temporal trends and predictors of inpatient PCS use in patients with PAH. Results The inpatient use of PCS was low (2.2%), but increased during the study period from 0.5% in 2001 to 7.6% in 2017, with a significant increase starting in 2009. White race, private insurance, higher socioeconomic status, hospital-specific factors, higher comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index), cardiac and noncardiac organ failure, and use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and noninvasive mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of increased PCS use. PCS use was associated with a higher prevalence of do-not-resuscitate status, a longer length of stay, higher hospitalization costs, and increased in-hospital mortality with less frequent discharges to home, likely because these patients were also sicker (higher comorbidity index and illness acuity). Interpretation The inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH is low, but has been increasing over recent years. Despite increased PCS use over time, patient- and hospital-specific disparities in PCS use continue. Further studies evaluating these disparities and the role of PCS in the comprehensive care of PAH patients are warranted.

Evidence for massage therapy (MT) in hospice patients remains limited. We conducted a prospective pilot study on MTs impact on quality of life of hospice patients and caregivers. Patient-caregiver dyads were enrolled if patients scored ≥5 on pain, depression, anxiety, or well-being using the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System Revised (ESAS-r). The patient received MT weekly for up to 3 massages with assessments completed at baseline, after each massage, and 1 week after the final massage for patients and at baseline and 1 week after final massage for caregivers. A satisfaction survey was completed at study completion. A pro-rated area under the curve (AUC) was utilized to assess the primary endpoints of change in ESAS-r for patient ratings of pain, depression and anxiety as well as the Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA). Median difference scores (end of study value)-(baseline value) for each participant and caregiver were calculated. Of 27 patients and caregivers enrolled, 25 patients received MT. Fifteen patients completed all 3 MT sessions and were given the final symptom assessment and satisfaction survey and their caregivers completed final assessments. The proportion of patients considered success (AUC > baseline) in the primary endpoints were the following: pain 40.9%, depression 40.9%, anxiety 54.5%, LASA 54.5%. Median difference scores were largely zero indicating no significant temporal change in symptoms. Patients were highly satisfied with MT. This pilot study indicated that MT was a feasible and well-received intervention in our population of patients with inadequately controlled symptoms.

Background Palliative care is a medical specialty centered on improving the quality of life (QOL) of patients with complex or life-threatening illnesses. The need for palliative care is increasing and with that the rigorous testing of triage tools that can be used quickly and reliably to identify patients that may benefit from palliative care. Methods To that aim, we will conduct a two-armed stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial rolled out to two inpatient hospitals to evaluate whether a machine learning algorithm accurately identifies patients who may benefit from a comprehensive review by a palliative care specialist and decreases time to receiving a palliative care consult in hospital. This is a single-center study which will be conducted from August 2019 to November 2020 at Saint Mary’s Hospital & Methodist Hospital both within Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota. Clusters will be nursing units which will be chosen to be a mix of complex patients from Cardiology, Critical Care, and Oncology and had previously established relationships with palliative medicine. The stepped wedge design will have 12 units allocated to a design matrix of 5 treatment wedges. Each wedge will last 75 days resulting in a study period of 12 months of recruitment unless otherwise specified. Data will be analyzed with Bayesian hierarchical models with credible intervals denoting statistical significance. Discussion This intervention offers a pragmatic approach to delivering specialty palliative care to hospital patients in need using machine learning, thereby leading to high value care and improved outcomes. It is not enough for AI to be utilized by simply publishing research showing predictive performance; clinical trials demonstrating better outcomes are critically needed. Furthermore, the deployment of an AI algorithm is a complex process that requires multiple teams with varying skill sets. To evaluate a deployed AI, a pragmatic clinical trial can accommodate the difficulties of clinical practice while retaining scientific rigor. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03976297. Registered on 6 June 2019, prior to trial start.

Background Although implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce sudden death, these patients die of heart failure (HF) or other diseases. To prevent shocks at the end of life, clinicians should discuss deactivating the defibrillation function. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine if a clinician-centered teaching intervention and automatic reminders increased ICD deactivation discussions and increased device deactivation. Methods In this 6-center, single-blinded, cluster-randomized, controlled trial, primary outcomes were proportion of patients: 1) having ICD deactivation discussions; and 2) having the shocking function deactivated. Secondary outcomes included goals of care conversations and advance directive completion. Results A total of 525 subjects were included with advanced HF who had an ICD: 301 intervention and 224 control. At baseline, 52% (n = 272) were not candidates for advanced therapies (i.e., cardiac transplant or mechanical circulatory support). There were no differences in discussions (41 [14%] vs. 26 [12%]) or deactivation (33 [11%] vs. 26 [12%]). In pre-specified subgroup analyses of patients who were not candidates for advanced therapies, the intervention increased deactivation discussions (32 [25%] vs. 16 [11%]; odds ratio: 2.90; p = 0.003). Overall, 99 patients died; there were no differences in conversations or deactivations among decedents. Secondary outcomes: Among all participants, there was an increase in goals of care conversations (47% intervention vs. 38% control; odds ratio: 1.53; p = 0.04). There were no differences in completion of advance directives. Conclusions The intervention increased conversations about ICD deactivation and goals of care. HF clinicians were able to apply new communication techniques based on patients’ severity of illness. (An Intervention to Improve Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Deactivation Conversations [WISDOM]; NCT01459744 )

Despite the growing acceptance of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy to improve survival and quality of life in heart failure (HF) patients, uncertainties persist regarding the definition of a successful implant. We sought to define an innovative approach to assess success and subsequently compare preoperative variables affecting outcomes. From January 2007 to 2015, 278 patients underwent LVAD implantation. Median age at implant was 62 years and 81% patients were males. Indication for support was bridge-to-transplantation in 36% patients and the etiology of HF was ischemic in 49% patients. Based on clinically relevant and accepted standards, we defined successful LVAD implant as someone who was alive or transplanted at 2 years, had two or less readmissions in the first year, had no major adverse events in the first year, and had a New York Heart Association class of ≤ II at 6 months. Follow-up was obtained for a median of 1.7 years for a total of 605 patient-years-of-support. Based on our criteria, 81/278 (29%) patients were defined as having a successful implant. Univariate predictors of LVAD failure included destination therapy indication (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.11 [1.24, 3.58]), ischemic cardiomyopathy (HR = 1.73 [1.02, 2.94]), and a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (HR = 1.54 [1.07, 2.22]). After multivariable analysis, only destination therapy indication (HR = 2.2 [1.28, 3.78]) was found to be independently predictive of success failure. Despite an overall trend toward improved outcomes on device therapy, our criteria classified only one-third of patients as successful. Continued improvements in adverse event profiles, appropriate patient selection, and optimal time of implantation, together hold the key to improve outcomes after LVAD therapy.

Pain is one of the most commonly experienced and feared symptoms faced by patients with a serious illness. For these patients, intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDSs) provide greater potency and/or few systemic side effects. However, despite these benefits, the integration and management of IDDS for patients receiving hospice care has not been previous studied. An electronic, 18-question survey was sent to 200 hospice practitioners (physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses) in the state of Minnesota to explore their experience, confidence, and the perceived barriers to caring for patients with IDDS while being cared for on hospice. Providers were identified though mailing lists from the Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care organization. The survey was administered by the Mayo Clinic Survey Research Center with institutional review board approval. Slightly more than 50% of respondents have ever cared for a patient with an intrathecal pump. If a patient had a pump in place, only 28% of providers expressed confidence in managing their pain. Additionally, only 3 of 10 respondents felt that adjusting an intrathecal pump should be the first option when a patient with an IDDS in place had increased pain. Indeed, the vast majority (over 80%) of respondents preferred the use of systemic therapies for primary pain management. Access to IDDS vendors for changes/refills in the home is identified as another barrier with over 50% of respondents either unaware of an available vendor or reporting no vendor available. There are numerous self-reported barriers to ongoing use of IDDS with patients receiving hospice care.

Objective To characterize the end-of-life care of all international patients who died at a global destination medical center from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2015. Patients and Methods We performed a retrospective review of all adult international patients who died at a global destination medical center from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2015. Results Eighty-two international patients from 25 countries and 5 continents died during the study period (median age, 59.5 years; 59% male). Of the study cohort, 11% (n=9) completed an advance directive, 61% (n=50) died in the intensive care unit, 26% (n=21) had a full code order at the time of death, and 73% (n=19 of 26) receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation did not survive the resuscitation process. Conclusion Seriously ill international patients who travel to receive health care in the United States face many barriers to receiving high-quality end-of-life care. Seriously ill international patients are coming to the United States in increasing numbers, and little is known about their end-of-life care. There are many unique needs in the care of this complex patient population, and further research is needed to understand how to provide high-quality end-of-life care to these patients.

BACKGROUND Calciphylaxis is a debilitating dermatological condition associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Palliative care offers a multidisciplinary approach to addressing symptoms and goals of care in patients with serious medical diagnoses. Involvement of palliative services for calciphylaxis is infrequently reported in the literature. The purpose of this report is to assess rates of palliative and pain consultation for patients with calciphylaxis. METHODS This is a comprehensive, single-institution retrospective chart review of 121 eligible patients with a diagnosis of calciphylaxis treated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1999 to 2016. Inclusion criteria were an indisputable diagnosis of calciphylaxis based on clinical, histopathologic, and radiographic features. One hundred twenty-one patients met inclusion criteria. RESULTS Fifty-one patients (42%) received either a palliative (n = 15) or pain (n = 20) consultation, or both (n = 16). Patients with a palliative care consultation were younger compared with those without (mean ages 57 vs. 62 years, P = 0.046). In 104 patients (86%), psychiatric symptoms were not assessed. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of patients with calciphylaxis, the majority do not receive palliative and pain care consultations. Psychiatric complications are inconsistently addressed. These observations highlight practice gaps in the care of patients with calciphylaxis.

Background: Palliative care is a medical specialty centered on improving the quality of life (QOL) of patients with complex or life-threatening illnesses. The need for Palliative care is increasing and with that the rigorous testing of triage tools that can be used quickly and reliably to identify patients that may benefit from palliative care. Methods: To that Aim we will conduct a two-armed stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial rolled out to two inpatient hospitals to evaluate whether a machine learning algorithm accurately identifies patients who may benefit from a comprehensive review by a palliative care specialist, and decreases time to receiving a palliative care consult in hospital. This is a single-center study which will be conducted from August 2019 to November 2020 at Saint Mary’s Hospital & Methodist Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Clusters will be nursing units which will be chosen to be a mix of complex patients from Cardiology, Critical Care and Oncology and had previously established relationships with palliative medicine. The stepped wedge design will have 12 units allocated to a design matrix of 5 treatment wedges. Each wedge will last 75 days resulting in a study period of 12 months unless otherwise specified. Data will be analyzed with Bayesian hierarchical models with credible intervals denoting statistical significance.Discussion: This intervention offers a pragmatic approach to delivering specialty palliative care to hospital patients in need using machine learning, thereby leading to high value care and improved outcomes. It is not enough for AI to be utilized by simply publishing research showing predictive performance; Clinical trials demonstrating better outcomes are critically needed. Furthermore, the deployment of an AI algorithm is a complex process that requires multiple teams with varying skill sets. To evaluate a deployed AI, a pragmatic clinical trial can accommodate the difficulties of clinical practice whilst retaining scientific rigor.Trial registration NCT03976297 (ClinicalTrials.gov), registered on June 6, 2019 prior to trial start.

Context Palliative care integration for patients with hematologic diseases has lagged behind solid-organ malignancies. Previous work has characterized hematologist perspectives, but less is known about palliative care physician views of this phenomenon. Objectives To examine palliative care physician attitudes and beliefs regarding hematologic diseases, patient care, and collaboration. Methods A 44-item survey containing Likert and free-response items was mailed to 1000 AAHPM physician members. Sections explored respondent comfort with specific diagnoses, palliative care integration, relationships with hematologists, and hematology-specific patient care. Logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to compare parallel Likert responses. Free responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The response rate was 55.5%. Respondents reported comfort managing symptoms in leukemia (84.0%), lymphoma (92.1%), multiple myeloma (92.9%), and following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (51.6%). Fewer expressed comfort with understanding disease trajectory (64.9%, 75.7%, 78.5%, and 35.4%) and discussing prognosis (71.0%, 82.6%, 81.6%, and 40.6%). 97.6% of respondents disagreed that palliative care and hematology are incompatible. 50.6% felt that palliative care physicians’ limited hematology-specific knowledge hinders collaboration. 89.4% felt that relapse should trigger referral. 80.0% felt that hospice referrals occurred late. In exploring perceptions of hematology-palliative care relationships, three themes were identified: misperceptions of palliative care, desire for integration, and lacking a shared model of understanding. Conclusion These data inform efforts to integrate palliative care into hematologic care at large, echoing previous studies of hematologist perspectives. Palliative care physicians express enthusiasm for caring for these patients, desire for improved understanding of palliative care, and ongoing opportunities to improve hematology-specific knowledge and skills.

Nightmares can be a distressing symptom in patients living with serious illness. Prazosin, a selective alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, has been suggested to treat nightmares, with most data supporting its use in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer who experienced healthcare-associated nightmares following hospitalisation. She did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Atypical antipsychotics and benzodiazepines were ineffective in controlling her nightmares, resulting in referral to our outpatient palliative medicine clinic. Prazosin was initiated alongside interdisciplinary psychosocial support, resulting in rapid resolution of her nightmares. To our knowledge, this is the first case to report on use of prazosin to manage nightmares in the outpatient palliative medicine setting.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the negative impact of PAH on quality of life and survival, data on use of specialty palliative care services (PCS) is scarce.We sought to evaluate the inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH.Using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, 30,495 admissions with a primary diagnosis of PAH were identified from 2001 through 2017. The primary outcome of interest was temporal trends and predictors of inpatient PCS use in patients with PAH.The inpatient use of PCS was low (2.2%), but increased during the study period from 0.5% in 2001 to 7.6% in 2017, with a significant increase starting in 2009. White race, private insurance, higher socioeconomic status, hospital-specific factors, higher comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index), cardiac and noncardiac organ failure, and use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and noninvasive mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of increased PCS use. PCS use was associated with a higher prevalence of do-not-resuscitate status, a longer length of stay, higher hospitalization costs, and increased in-hospital mortality with less frequent discharges to home, likely because these patients were also sicker (higher comorbidity index and illness acuity).The inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH is low, but has been increasing over recent years. Despite increased PCS use over time, patient- and hospital-specific disparities in PCS use continue. Further studies evaluating these disparities and the role of PCS in the comprehensive care of PAH patients are warranted.

Background: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial of early integrated palliative and oncology care in patients with advanced cancer to confirm the benefits of early palliative care (PC) seen in prior single-center studies. Methods: We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer to early integrated palliative and oncology care (n = 195) or usual oncology care (n = 196) at sites through the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Patients assigned to the intervention were expected to meet with a PC clinician at least monthly until death, whereas usual care patients consulted PC on request. The primary endpoint was the change in quality of life from baseline to week 12 per the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Secondary outcomes included anxiety, depression, and communication about prognosis and end-of-life care. Results: Due to significant morbidity and a high proportion of measures that were not completed within the protocol window or for unknown reasons, the rate of missing data was high. We anticipated that 70% of patients (n = 280) would complete the FACT-G at baseline and week 12, but only 49.3% (n = 193/391) completed the measure. Delivery of the intervention was also suboptimal, as 14.9% (n = 29/195) of intervention patients had no PC visits by week 12. Intervention patients reported a mean 3.35 (standard deviation [SD] = 14.7) increase in FACT-G scores from baseline to week 12 compared with usual care patients who reported a 0.12 (SD = 12.7) increase from baseline (p = 0.10). Conclusion: This study highlights the difficulties of conducting multicenter trials of supportive care interventions in patients with advanced cancer. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02349412.

Palliative care teams are increasingly involved in the care of patients with advanced circulatory failure and play an important role in the care of patients undergoing implantation of left ventricular assist devices. Palliative care teams focus on symptom management, caregiver support, and robust advance care planning for patients in the pre-implantation and post-implantation phase of care. Preoperative envolvement of Palliative care is effective in helping the patient articulate his/her goals and reason for pursuing surgical intervention as well as declaring just how committed the patient is to long term medical care should various types of complications occur in the perioperative period. This provides comfort to the family when a difficult decision has to be made at a time when the patient can’t take an active part in making that decision. Effective Palliative care teams are present to celebrate the victories as well as the failures in patient care.

Background Goals of care (GOC) conversations in the emergency department (ED) are often a brief discussion of code status rather than a patient-oriented dialogue. We aimed to develop a guide to facilitate conversations between ED clinicians and patients to elicit patient values and establish goals for end-of-life care, while maintaining ED efficiency. Paths of ED Care, a conversation guide, is the product of this work. Design A multidisciplinary/multispecialty group used recommended practices to adapt a GOC conversation guide for ED patients. ED clinicians used the guide and provided feedback on content, design, and usability. Patient-clinician interactions were recorded for discussion analysis, and both were surveyed to inform iterative refinement. A series of discussions with patient representatives, multidisciplinary clinicians, bioethicists, and health care designers yielded feedback. We used a process similar to the International Patient Decision Aid Standards and provide comparison to these. Results A conversation guide, eight pages with each page 6 by 6 inches in dimension, uses patient-oriented prompts and includes seven sections: 1) evaluation of patient/family understanding of disease, 2) explanation of possible trajectories, 3) introduction to different pathways of care, 4) explanation of pathways, 5) assessment of understanding and concerns, 6) code status, and 7) personalized summary. Limitations Recruitment of sufficient number of patients/providers to the project was the primary limitation. Methods are limited to qualitative analysis of guide creation and feasibility without quantitative analysis. Conclusions Paths of ED Care is a guide to facilitate patient-centered shared decision making for ED patients, families, and clinicians regarding GOC. This may ensure care concordant with patients’ values and preferences. Use of the guide was well-received and facilitated meaningful conversations between patients and providers.

Calciphylaxis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Palliative care (PC) is a subspecialty that treats the pain and stress of serious illness. To assess whether the role of quality of life (QoL) indices, patient-reported outcome measures and PC have been studied in patients with calciphylaxis, we performed a systematic literature review. Several databases were searched from inception to October 2016 according to modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. We searched for papers on calciphylaxis that mentioned the symptoms and supportive needs of patients, QoL or outcome measures to report symptom severity, and the involvement of PC. Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria. Reported patient symptoms included pain, skin lesion resolution and pruritus, with the first being the most frequently reported. Four papers measured pain using a previously verified patient-reported outcome measure, including the Visual Analogue Scale. One paper used a verified QoL measure, the Dermatology Quality of Life Index. No tool was used consistently. Eight papers reported the use of hospice care or PC in the treatment of calciphylaxis. No outcome measure was used to prompt PC involvement. Overall, QoL indices, patient-reported outcome measures and PC are underreported in the treatment of calciphylaxis. PC may be a resource to assist in symptom management and adaptive coping strategies for patients from the onset of disease.

Background Although guidelines call on clinicians to conduct regular conversations about advance care planning and end-of-life (EOL) preferences with patients with heart failure (HF), research suggests that physicians often avoid these discussions. Methods and Results From January 20, 2014, to January 18, 2016, Southeastern Minnesota residents hospitalized with acute decompensated HF (ADHF) at Mayo Clinic hospitals were enrolled into an observational cohort study that included the administration of face-to-face questionnaires. Risk of death (prognosis) was estimated using the Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure score. Among 400 patients (mean age 77.7 years, 46% female, 48% preserved ejection fraction), only 69 (17%) reported previously discussing EOL wishes with their physician. Patients reporting EOL discussions more often had an advance directive (81% vs 66%; P = .009), recognized the term “hospice” (96% vs 87%; P = .027), and had more favorable attitudes of dying and hospice ( P = .030). Resuscitation preferences and rates of completion of advance directives varied with prognosis, although patient-clinician EOL discussions did not. Conclusions The majority of patients hospitalized with ADHF did not recall discussing their preferences for EOL care with their physician. This represents an important modifiable gap in the optimal longitudinal care of HF patients.

Introduction Intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDSs) have dramatically improved analgesia and the functional status of cancer patients and those with chronic pain states. However, given the close proximity to the neuraxis and frequent concomitant use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications, this intervention is not without risk. The goal of this investigation was to determine the incidence of bleeding complications following IDDS placement. Methods This is a retrospective review from 2005 through 2014 of adult patients undergoing IDDS implantation or revision at a tertiary care center. The primary outcome was a bleeding-related neurological complication requiring emergency medicine, neurology, or neurosurgical evaluation within 31 days. Results A total of 247 procedures were performed on 216 unique patients. Patients received aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within seven days of needle placement for 64 procedures (25.9%). A preprocedural platelet count or international normalized ratio (INR) was available within 30 days for 138 procedures (55.9%). Of these, two patients had a platelet count lower than 100 x 109/L and one patient had an INR of 1.5 or higher at the time of the procedure. One neurological complication was identified (0.4%) that was not related to procedural bleeding. Similarly, three patients (1.2%) received a periprocedural red blood cell transfusion, none of which were related to procedural bleeding. Conclusion No cases of bleeding-related neurological complications were identified following IDDS placement or revision, including in those receiving aspirin or NSAIDs. Future investigations with larger numbers are needed to further explore the safety of antithrombotic therapy continuation or discontinuation periprocedurally.

There is overwhelming evidence that racial and ethnic minorities face multiple health care disparities. Recognizing and addressing cultural and religious/spiritual (RS) values is a critical aspect of providing goal-concordant care for patients facing a serious illness, especially at the end of life. Failure to address a patient's cultural and RS needs can lead to diminished quality of care and worse health outcomes. Given the multitude of cultural and RS values, we believe that a framework of cultural and RS curiosity along with a willingness to engage patients in discussions about these elements of their care within an interdisciplinary team should be the goal of all providers who are discussing goals, preferences, and values with patients facing advanced terminal illness.

Cancer-related pain affects up to 50% of patients receiving cancer-directed therapies and between 70% and 90% of patients with advanced-stage cancers. However, pain is a common symptom for many patients with serious illness other than cancer. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis, and various neurodegenerative disorders experience pain from their conditions. In these cases, pain is often underrecognized and undertreated, which can lead to functional impairment and suboptimal quality of life.

Recent evidence suggests that music therapy, a holistic method of care, potentially is beneficial for symptom management. This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate the effect of music therapy on symptom management and coping skills of patients receiving palliative care and to measure patient satisfaction with the therapy. A secondary aim was to evaluate staff perception of patient outcomes of music therapy services.Palliative care clinicians attended a 30-minute education session on music therapy before the project was initiated. Study participants were patients and their families who were cared for by the inpatient palliative care consulting service at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) from June 1 through December 31, 2016. Patients were eligible if they required ongoing management of pain and anxiety or needed adaptive coping strategies. Patients and families were asked to complete a survey after each music therapy session. Staff were asked to complete a survey after completion of the project.Music therapy was provided to 57 patients and 53 family members. Patient surveys indicated a decrease in anxiety and pain. All patients reported that music therapy facilitated stress relief, relaxation, pain relief, spiritual support, emotional support, and a general feeling of wellness. All participants recommended music therapy services for others. Palliative care clinicians reported that music therapy added value as a holistic service.In this quality improvement project, music therapy positively affected multiple domains of well-being for patients receiving palliative care.

Olanzapine is commonly utilized in palliative care for the treatment of nausea, and a known side effect of olanzapine is increased appetite. Olanzapine is also known to cause re-emergence of eating disorders (EDs) in patients utilizing olanzapine for its antipsychotic effects. It is unclear to what extent this may also occur in patients with serious/life-limiting illness.We present a case of a 70-year-old female with recurrent ovarian cancer and a history of bulimia nervosa (BN) that developed resurgence of her BN after initiation of olanzapine for cancer-associated nausea. Her BN resolved with reducing the dose of olanzapine.It is important to recognize that recurrence of EDs can occur when using olanzapine in the palliative care setting.

The integration of palliative care in oncology has advanced rapidly in just a few short years. It is only within the past decade that the landscape of early integrated palliative care even reached a point where multiple clinical trials exist, showing significant improvements in outcomes including quality of life, symptoms and even caregiver well-being. Ensuing policy statements now call for the inclusion of palliative care as a standard component of high-quality, comprehensive cancer care.1 2 However, palliative care use among patients with haematological malignancies remains far less frequent, and is generally underdeveloped as a practice at most centres. This is certainly not due to a lack of need. Patients with haematological malignancies experience high symptom burden, frequent psychological comorbidities and poor end-of-life quality outcomes.3–5 Indeed, many of us have called attention to these significant issues to date, and advocating for early prognosis-independent integration of palliative care into haematology.6 7 Within this landscape, one might question the need for another study on the palliative care needs of those with haematological malignancies, or the associated poor end-of-life care outcomes. However, the study by Beaussant et al in this month’s issue illustrates a greater level of sophistications that is needed in the literature in this area.8 Haematological malignancies is a catchall term used to describe a remarkably heterogeneous group of diseases, characterised by striking differences in treatment intensities and outcomes. They range from acute to chronic conditions, and portend a variety of responses to disease-directed treatments, sometimes even including the possibility of cure, which is quite unlike most advanced solid tumours. This results in …

Central pain syndromes are a complex, diverse group of clinical conditions that are poorly understood. We present a patient with progressive, debilitating central pain and co-existing mood disorders that was refractory to multimodal pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies, but that ultimately responded to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The patient described it at various times as her skin being “lit on fire,” “stabbed,” “squeezed like a boa constrictor,” or itching unbearably. She underwent a course of three sequential ECT treatments during her hospitalization and it dramatically decreased her pain. She began maintenance ECT, and a rate of roughly one treatment a month provided persistent pain suppression. Despite this lack of evidence, ECT has a favorable safety profile and can be considered in the therapeutic armamentarium for patients who have exhausted standard treatment regimens who continue to have suffering in the setting of central pain syndromes and coexisting mood disorders.

BackgroundPalliative sedation (PS) involves the administration of sedative medications and analgesics with the purpose of reducing level of consciousness for patients with refractory suffering in the setting of imminent dying and terminal illness. Although the merits of PS, as well as potential concerns, have been raised frequently in the literature in the past two decades, the clinical utilization and acceptance of PS (and of palliative care in general) have been sparse in Mexico.DiscussionAs a relatively new treatment option for medical care providers in Mexico, palliative care and the appropriate use of PS are being slowly and cautiously introduced into clinical practice. However, acceptance of the ethical, moral, and legal permissibility of PS remains variable, as is the understanding of appropriate use or integration of palliative care into clinical practice in Mexico.SummaryGiven changes to Mexican law that have called for provision of adequate palliative care for all patients in Mexico, and...

Background: As heart failure often follows an unpredictable clinical trajectory, there has been an impetus to promote iterative patient-provider discussions regarding prognosis and preferences for end-of-life care. Aim: To examine clinicians’ practices, expectations, and personal level of confidence in discussing goals of care and providing end-of-life care to their patients with heart failure. Design: Multi-site clinician survey. Setting and Participants: Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota, USA) and its surrounding health system were asked to participate in an electronic survey in October 2013. Tertiary Care Cardiology, Community Cardiology, and Primary Care clinicians were surveyed. Results: A total of 95 clinicians participated (52.5% response rate). Only 12% of clinicians reported having annual end-of-life discussions as advocated by the American Heart Association. In total, 52% of clinicians hesitated to discuss end-of-life care citing provider discomfort (11%), perception of patient (21%) or family (12%) unreadiness, fear of destroying hope (9%), or lack of time (8%). Tertiary and Community Cardiology clinicians (66%) attributed responsibility for end-of-life discussions to the heart failure cardiologist, while 66% of Primary Care clinicians felt it was their responsibility. Overall, 30% of clinicians reported a low or very low level of confidence in one or more of the following: initiating prognosis or end-of-life discussions, enrolling patients in hospice, or providing end-of-life care. Most clinicians expressed interest in further skills acquisition. Conclusion: Clinicians vary in their views and approaches to end-of-life discussions and care. Some lack confidence and most are interested in further skills acquisition.

We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with Klippel-Feil syndrome who developed progressive generalized dystonia of unclear etiology, resulting in intractable pain despite aggressive medical and surgical interventions. Ultimately, palliative sedation was required to relieve suffering. Herein, we describe ethical considerations including defining sedation, determining prognosis in the setting of an undefined neurodegenerative condition, and use of treatments that concurrently might prolong or alter end-of-life trajectory. We highlight pertinent literature and how it may be applied in challenging and unique clinical situations. Finally, we discuss the need for expert multidisciplinary involvement when implementing palliative sedation and illustrate that procedures and rules need to be interpreted to deliver optimal patient-centered plan of care.

Context Accurate documentation of preferences for cardiopulmonary resuscitation at hospital admission is critical to ensure that patients receive resuscitation or not in accordance with their wishes. Objectives We sought to identify and characterize inconsistencies in patient-reported and clinician-ordered resuscitation status in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods Southeastern Minnesota residents hospitalized with ADHF were prospectively enrolled into a study that included the administration of face-to-face questionnaires from January 2014 to February 2016. Patient-reported resuscitation status was assessed at enrollment using a validated question. Clinician-ordered resuscitation preferences at hospital admission were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Results Of the 400 patients administered the questionnaire; 213 (53.3%) stated their resuscitation preference as Full Code, 166 (41.5%) do-not-resuscitate (DNR), and 21 (5.3%) were unsure. In comparison, clinician-ordered resuscitation status was Full Code in 263 (65.8%) patients, DNR in 133 (33.3%), and not documented in four (1.0%). Patient-reported and clinician-ordered resuscitation status was discordant in 20% of patients, of whom 5.6% elected Full Code by questionnaire and had a DNR clinician order, and 14.4% elected DNR by questionnaire but had a Full Code clinician order. Differences in age, comorbidities, health literacy, marital status, completion of advance directives, hospital length of stay, and discharge destination in patients with discordant vs. concordant resuscitation preferences were observed. Conclusions Patient-reported and clinician-ordered resuscitation preferences were discordant in 20% of patients hospitalized with ADHF. The underlying etiology of these inconsistencies may reflect factors such as patient indecisiveness or patient-clinician miscommunication and requires further exploration.

11514 Background: Cancer pain is a significant problem that impairs patient quality of life and increases healthcare utilization. ePAL is a smartphone application that utilizes patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize cancer pain management. This randomized controlled trial examined the impact of ePAL on cancer pain severity, attitudes toward cancer pain, and healthcare utilization. Methods: Patients with pain from metastatic solid tumors (n = 112) undergoing treatment in a palliative care clinic were randomized to either a control group (n = 56) that received usual care or an intervention group (n = 56) that received ePAL in addition to usual care for 8 weeks. Measures of pain severity (Brief Pain Inventory), attitudes towards cancer treatment (Barriers Questionnaire II) and anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7) were assessed. We used repeated measures mixed modeling to assess change in outcome measures over time. We also conducted a chart review to identify pain-related hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits and compared risk between study groups. Results: Pain severity (BPI) and negative attitudes toward cancer treatment (BQ-II) decreased significantly for those assigned to ePAL compared to controls (ß = -0.09, p = 0.034 and ß = -0.037, p = 0.042, respectively). Patients assigned to ePAL reported higher anxiety scores compared to controls (ß = 0.21, p = 0.015). Patients assigned to ePAL had significantly fewer pain-related hospital admissions (n = 4 vs. n = 20, per patient risk ratio 0.31, p = 0.018) and fewer pain-related admissions through the ED (n = 2 vs. n = 14, per patient risk ratio 0.18, p = 0.008) compared to control group. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first mobile app to utilize patient reported outcomes and artificial intelligence to significantly decrease pain scores and pain-related hospitalizations in patients with cancer-related pain. Future directions include examining the efficacy of ePAL in settings with limited access to palliative care.

95 Background: Palliative care (PC) specialists provide supportive care for patients with hematologic diseases (HD). However, the degree of engagement by PC physicians may be limited by the views of both PC physicians & hematologists. Prior studies have surveyed hematologists to identify barriers to delivery of PC, however PC physician views are unclear. This study aimed to examine views of PC physicians toward hematology. Methods: A survey was mailed to a random sample of the AAHPM physician contact list in 2017. Items focused on perceptions of their understanding of HD, comfort providing care, opinions regarding PC & hospice involvement, & beliefs about hematologists. Anonymized responses were assessed on a Likert scale. Statistical testing was based on logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to account for correlated data within respondents. Results: 538 of 1000 surveys were completed. 51.9% of respondents were male. Community (37.2%), academic (36.7%) & hospice (26.2%) physicians were represented. Respondents were likelier to believe they understand the trajectories of lymphoma & myeloma than leukemia or patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (p < 0.001). They were more comfortable discussing prognosis (p < 0.001) & managing symptoms (p < 0.001) in lymphoma & myeloma than leukemia & HSCT. They were likelier to believe that hematologists’ perceptions of PC physicians limit collaboration rather than their own views of hematologists (p < 0.001). 80.2% agreed that hospice referrals are not made early enough. Conclusions: PC physicians’ understanding of trajectories & comfort caring for patients varies by hematologic disease. They perceive that hematologists’ perceptions are a larger barrier than their own & hospice referrals are delayed. These results provide insights into opportunities for better collaboration with hematologists.

More than 120,000 US patients were listed for solid organ transplants in 2016. Although data are scarce, we suspect that many of these patients will die while awaiting transplant and without engaging in goals-of-care discussions with their physicians. The challenges of addressing goals of care in patients with malignancy, end-stage renal disease, and heart failure have been studied. However, there is sparse literature on addressing goals of care throughout the dynamic process of transplant assessment and listing. We propose the concept of an organ transplant imperative, which is the perceived obligation by patients and health care providers to proceed with organ transplant and to avoid advance care planning and triggered goals-of-care discussions, even in situations in which patients' clinical trajectories have worsened, resulting in poor quality of life and low likelihood of meaningful survival. We situate this concept within the paradigms of clinical inertia and the treatment and technological imperatives. We illustrate this concept by describing a patient with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) who was hoping for a liver transplant, who was caught between the conflicting perspectives of specialist and primary care physicians, and who died of complications of ESLD without experiencing the benefits of advance care planning. Greater awareness of the transplant imperative should generate a shared understanding among specialists, generalists, and patients and will provide opportunities for more formalized involvement of palliative medicine experts in the care of transplant patients.

Background— Despite the ability of left ventricular assist device as destination therapy (DT-LVAD) to prolong survival for many patients with advanced heart failure, little is known about the eventual end-of-life care that patients with DT-LVAD receive. Methods and Results— All patients undergoing DT-LVAD at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 2007, to September 30, 2014, who subsequently died before July 1, 2015, were included. Information about end-of-life care was obtained from documentation in the electronic medical record. Of 89 patients who died with a DT-LVAD, the median (25th–75th percentile) time from left ventricular assist device implantation to death was 14 (4–31) months. The most common causes of death were multiorgan failure (26%), hemorrhagic stroke (24%), and progressive heart failure (21%). Nearly half (46%) of the patients saw palliative care within 1 month before death; however, only 13 (15%) patients enrolled in hospice a median 11 (range 1–315) days before death. Most patients (78%) died in the hospital, of which 88% died in the intensive care unit. In total, 49 patients had their left ventricular assist device deactivated before death, with all but 3 undergoing deactivation in the hospital. Most patients died within an hour of left ventricular assist device deactivation and all within 26 hours. Conclusions— In contrast to the general heart failure population, most patients with DT-LVAD die in the hospital and few use hospice. Further work is needed to understand these differences and to determine whether patients with DT-LVAD are receiving optimal end-of-life care.

Background: Left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy (DT-LVAD) have been shown to decrease mortality compared with medical management, and can improve quality of life for many patients with advanced heart failure. However, while most patients live longer with DT-LVAD than they would have with medical therapy, deaths still occur. We sought to systematically examine the end-of-life care of patients who died with a DT-LVAD at a single center. Methods: All patients undergoing DT-LVAD at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota from January 1, 2007 through September 30, 2014 who subsequently died prior to July 1, 2015 were included. The cause of death was determined based on review of documentation in the electronic medical record, including autopsy reports, death certificates and clinical notes. Details about palliative care consultations, hospice enrollment, hospitalizations, and device deactivation at the end-of-life were obtained from the electronic medical record. Results: Of 89 patients that died with a DT-LVAD (84 HeartMate II, 3 HeartWare, 2 Heartmate XVE, mean age at death 66.1 years), the mean (standard deviation) time from LVAD implantation to death was 2.0 (1.9) years. The most common causes of death were multiorgan failure (25.9%), hemorrhagic stroke (24.7%), and progressive heart failure (20.0%). Nearly half (45.6%) of patients saw palliative care in consultation within a month prior to death. However, only 13 (15.5%) patients enrolled in hospice a median of 11 (range 1-315) days prior to death, including 4 patients with concurrent cancer, 2 with stroke, and 7 with multiorgan failure. The vast majority of patients (78.6%) died in the hospital, and of those hospitalized at death, 87.7% died in the intensive care unit. Most patients hospitalized at death transitioned to a comfort-directed approach to care within 24 hours of dying. In total, 43 (48.3%) patients had their LVAD deactivated prior to death, with all but 3 undergoing deactivation in the hospital. The vast majority of patients died within an hour of LVAD deactivation, and all within 26 hours. Conclusions: In contrast to the general heart failure population, most patients with DT-LVAD die in the hospital and very few enroll in hospice. A significant body of research has demonstrated that patients who die in the intensive care unit and the hospital, as opposed to home or with hospice assistance, experience worse quality of life, quality of death and caregiver outcomes. Potential reasons that patients with DT-LVAD may experience different end-of-life care than other patients with heart failure exist, including that they often experience sudden changes in health status prior to death from acute events such as hemorrhagic stroke. However, further work is needed to understand these differences and to determine whether patients with DT-LVAD are receiving optimal end-of-life care.

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

Background: Palliative care specialists provide supportive care for patients with hematologic diseases. However, the degree of engagement by palliative care physicians may be limited by the views of both palliative care physicians and hematologists. Prior studies have surveyed hematologists to identify barriers to delivery of palliative care, however palliative care physician views are unclear. This study aimed to examine views of palliative care physicians toward hematology. Methods: A survey was mailed to a random sample of the AAHPM physician contact list in 2017. Items focused on perceptions of their understanding of hematologic diseases, comfort providing care, opinions regarding palliative care and hospice involvement, and beliefs about hematologists. Anonymized responses were assessed on a Likert scale. Statistical testing was based on logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to account for correlated data within respondents. Results: 538 of 1000 surveys were completed. 51.9% of respondents were male. Community (37.2%), academic (36.7%) and hospice (26.2%) physicians were represented. Respondents were likelier to believe they understand the trajectories of lymphoma and myeloma than leukemia or patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (p < 0.001). They were more comfortable discussing prognosis (p =< 0.001) and managing symptoms (p < 0.001) in lymphoma and myeloma than leukemia and HSCT. They were likelier to believe that hematologists' perceptions of palliative care physicians limit collaboration rather than their own views of hematologists (p < 0.001). 80.2% agreed that hospice referrals are not made early enough. Conclusions: Palliative care physicians' understanding of trajectories and comfort caring for patients varies by hematologic disease. They perceive that hematologists' perceptions are a larger barrier than their own and hospice referrals are delayed. These results provide insights into opportunities for better collaboration with hematologists. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Leucocytosis (leucocyte count15 x 10(9)/l) was recently associated with thrombosis in polycythaemia vera (PV). This study sought the prognostic relevance of leucocytosis for survival and leukaemic or fibrotic transformation. Amongst 459 patients with PV seen at our institution in recent years (median age, 60 years; 56% males), 146 deaths and 88 leukaemic (n = 34) or fibrotic (n = 54) transformations were documented. Arterial or venous thrombosis occurred in 14% and 9% of patients at diagnosis and in 25% and 15% during follow-up, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the advanced age (P0.0001), leucocytosis (leucocyte count/=15 x 10(9)/l; P = 0.0006) and arterial thrombosis at diagnosis (P = 0.01) as independent predictors of inferior survival. In the absence of the first two risk factors, median survival was projected at 272 months as opposed to 108 months in the presence of both risk factors (P0.0001). Leucocytosis was also identified as an independent predictor of both leukaemic transformation and venous thrombosis during follow-up. Time-to-event analysis did not disclose a significant association between single or multiple cytotoxic drug exposure and either leukaemic or fibrotic transformation. The current study highlighted the prognostic relevance of leucocytosis on various aspects of the disease in PV.

Background Trainees are responsible for conducting advance care discussions but are often stressed by this role. Objective We developed an instrument to determine whether residents could identify a clinical scenario that necessitated an examination of a patient's goals and preferences as they pertain to clinical care, and subsequently measured their readiness to engage in such discussions. Methods Participants responded verbally to open-ended case presentations and completed survey items. We scored responses according to proximity to idealized answers. Results The sample consisted of 44 internal medicine residents, 12 students, 5 hospitalists, and 3 palliative care attendings, all of whom volunteered for the study and participated in standard interviews. Residents had widely varying scores (range 0–12, maximum score of 15) on the scored open response items. For eliciting values, mean score increased with training, and students, trainees, and attending physicians had mean scores of 3.7, 5.7, and 8.7, respectively (P = .01). For recommending care, mean scores were 3.0, 6.5, and 9.3, respectively (P < .001). Scores were correlated closely with increasing clinical experience and inversely with self-reported stress when conducting a goals-of-care discussion. The Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 reliability for the instrument was 0.52. Interrater reliability for sections about eliciting and recommending care were 0.64 (P < .001) and 0.50 (P < .001), respectively. The 1-week test-retest reliability was 0.91 for open response items and 0.76 for Likert responses. Conclusions A verbally administered instrument can readily and rapidly characterize a trainee's readiness to participate in advance care planning with patients.

An 82-year-old female with complex past medical history including systolic heart failure, stage III chronic kidney disease, and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on 4 L home oxygen therapy presents to your outpatient clinic with ongoing severe dyspnea on exertion. She has struggled with repeated hospitalizations for her dyspnea, and notes that it is a significant impediment to her quality of life. She is now unable to play with her grandchildren due to the dyspnea of this minimal exertion. While reasonably comfortable at rest, she develops increasing dyspnea ambulating in your office, describing an inability to “catch my breath” associated with anxiety. Afterwards, she is visibly tachypneic and using accessory muscles of respiration. Vitals signs reveal a temperature of 37.9, respiratory rate of 32, heart rate of 104, and pulse oximetry at 93% on 4 L/min of oxygen by nasal cannula. Pulmonary examination exhibits a prolonged expiratory phase and intermittent scattered rhonchi throughout her lung fields, with hyperresonance to percussion. Jugular venous pressure is measured at 6 cm of water at 451 bed angle. Which one of the following interventions is most appropriate to treat her dyspnea?

Effective communication with patients and their caregivers continues to form the basis of a constructive clinician-patient relationship and is critical to providing patient-centered care. Engaging patients in meaningful, empathic communication not only fulfills an ethical imperative for our work as clinicians, but also leads to increased patient satisfaction with their own care and improved clinical outcomes. While these same imperatives and benefits exist for discussing goals of care and end-of-life, communicating with patients about these topics can be particularly daunting. While clinicians receive extensive training on how to identify and treat illness, communication techniques, especially those centering around emotion-laden topics such as end-of-life care, receive short shrift medical education. Fortunately, communication techniques can be taught and learned through deliberate practice and in this article we seek to discuss a framework, drawn from published literature and our own experience, for approaching goals of care discussions in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Palliative care specialists focus on meeting the needs of patients with serious and/or life-threatening illnesses. These physicians have expertise in managing complex pain and nonpain symptoms, providing psychosocial and spiritual support to patients and their families, and communicating about complex topics and advance care planning. The American Board of Medical Specialties has allowed 10 of its member boards to co-sponsor certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Thus, physicians from specialties ranging from pediatrics to surgery now practice hospice and palliative medicine. At the core of this field, however, are physicians who trained as internists and are boarded by the American Board of Internal Medicine. This article discusses the central principles of palliative care and explores its growth in two areas: oncology and critical care medicine.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome with an overall poor prognosis, but the clinical trajectory is often unpredictable in individuals. There has been an impetus to promote iterative patient-provider discussions regarding preferences for end of life (EOL) care and advanced care planning. However, very little is known regarding provider preferences or their personal confidence addressing EOL care with their patients with HF. To address these gaps in knowledge, we surveyed clinicians at three practice sites in a large integrated health system. Methods: Physicians, nurse practitioners (NP), and physician assistants (PA) at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) and its surrounding health system were asked to participate in an electronic survey in October 2013. Clinicians surveyed included tertiary care HF specialists (Tertiary Care Cardiology), cardiologists and NP/PAs practicing in a community setting (Community Cardiology), and primary care clinicians (Primary Care). Results: A total of 95 clinicians completed the survey (52.5% response rate), including 50 physicians and 45 NP/PAs. Clinicians reported discussing prognosis and EOL wishes when their patient’s health status was worsening, but only 12% reported annual discussions as advocated by the American Heart Association. In total 52% of providers reported one or more reasons that they hesitate to discuss EOL care with their patients, including provider discomfort (11%), perception of patient (21%) or family (12%) unreadiness to have the discussion, fear of destroying hope (9%), or a lack of time (8%). Tertiary Care (63%) and Community Cardiology (58%) clinicians were more likely to attribute responsibility for having EOL discussions to the HF cardiologist, while 66% of Primary Care providers felt it was their responsibility. Tertiary and Community Cardiology clinicians were more likely to have referred patients to Palliative Medicine within the last year than Primary Care (89% vs. 21%, p Conclusion: There is tremendous variability in the way that clinicians view and approach advanced care discussions with their patients with HF; varying provider perception and lack of provider confidence may contribute. Despite this variability, most clinicians are interested in further development and skills acquisition. Addressing the learning needs of providers is an important next step toward enhancing the EOL care of patients with HF.