Back to Search Start Over

The Use of a Palliative Care Screening Tool to Improve Referrals to Palliative Care Services in Community-Based Hospitals

Authors :
Andrea Priestley
Kelli Turner
Isabella F. Churchill
Virginia Pullar
Kristen Postma
Madelyn P. Law
Charlene Duliban
Source :
Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing. 22:327-334
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2020.

Abstract

Despite efforts to improve access to palliative care services, a significant number of patients still have unmet needs throughout their continuum of care. As such, this project was conducted to increase recognition of patients who could benefit from palliative care, increase referrals, and connect regional sites. This study utilized Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles through a quality improvement approach to develop and test the Palliative Care Screening Tool and aimed to screen 100% of patients within 24 hours who were admitted to selected units by February 2017. The intervention was implemented in 3 different units, each within community hospitals. Patients 18 years or older were screened if they were admitted to one of the selected units for the project, regardless of their diagnosis, age, or comorbidities. The percentage of newly admitted patients who were screened and the total number of palliative care consults were assessed as outcome measures. The tool was met with varying compliance among the 3 sites. However, there was an overall increase in consults across all hospital sites, and an increase in the proportion of noncancer patients was demonstrated. Although the aim was not reached, the tool helped to create a shift in the demographic of patients identified as palliative.

Details

ISSN :
15390705 and 15222179
Volume :
22
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....471f7c07648415dbda0f6beafd79b7c3