TY - JOUR
T1 - The COMPASS study: A descriptive study on the characteristics of palliative care team consultation for cancer patients in hospitals
AU - Brinkman-Stoppelenburg, Arianne
AU - Polinder, Suzanne
AU - Meerum-Terwogt, Jetske
AU - de Nijs, Ellen
AU - van der Padt-Pruijsten, Annemiek
AU - Peters, Liesbeth
AU - van der Vorst, Maurice
AU - van Zuylen, Lia
AU - Lingsma, Hester
AU - van der Heide, Agnes
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Objective: To describe the characteristics of palliative care team (PCT) consultation for patients with cancer who are admitted in hospital and to investigate when and why PCTs are consulted. Methods: In this descriptive study in ten Dutch hospitals, the COMPASS study, we compared characteristics of patients with cancer for whom a PCT was or was not consulted (substudy 1). We also collected information about the process of PCT consultations and the disciplines involved (substudy 2). Results: In substudy 1, we included 476 patients. A life expectancy <3 months, unplanned hospitalisation and lack of options for anti-cancer treatment increased the likelihood of PCT consultation. In substudy 2, 64% of 550 consultations concerned patients with a life expectancy of <3 months. The most frequently mentioned problems that were identified by the PCTS were complex pain problems (56%), issues around the organisation of care (31%), fatigue (27%) and dyspnoea (27%). There was much variance between hospitals in the disciplines that were involved in consultations. Conclusion: Palliative care teams in Dutch hospitals are most often consulted for patients with a life expectancy of <3 months who have an unplanned hospital admission because of physical symptoms or problems. We found much variance between hospitals in the composition and activities of PCTs.
AB - Objective: To describe the characteristics of palliative care team (PCT) consultation for patients with cancer who are admitted in hospital and to investigate when and why PCTs are consulted. Methods: In this descriptive study in ten Dutch hospitals, the COMPASS study, we compared characteristics of patients with cancer for whom a PCT was or was not consulted (substudy 1). We also collected information about the process of PCT consultations and the disciplines involved (substudy 2). Results: In substudy 1, we included 476 patients. A life expectancy <3 months, unplanned hospitalisation and lack of options for anti-cancer treatment increased the likelihood of PCT consultation. In substudy 2, 64% of 550 consultations concerned patients with a life expectancy of <3 months. The most frequently mentioned problems that were identified by the PCTS were complex pain problems (56%), issues around the organisation of care (31%), fatigue (27%) and dyspnoea (27%). There was much variance between hospitals in the disciplines that were involved in consultations. Conclusion: Palliative care teams in Dutch hospitals are most often consulted for patients with a life expectancy of <3 months who have an unplanned hospital admission because of physical symptoms or problems. We found much variance between hospitals in the composition and activities of PCTs.
KW - descriptive study
KW - hospitals
KW - neoplasms
KW - palliative care
KW - palliative medicine
KW - referral and consultation
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85073996178&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31571338
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13172
DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13172
M3 - Article
C2 - 31571338
SN - 0961-5423
VL - 29
JO - European journal of cancer care
JF - European journal of cancer care
IS - 1
M1 - e13172
ER -