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The planning of end-of-life care can often be a complicated and overwhelming subject for patients. It can also be hard to identify when those conversations are needed or appropriate. However, when planned in a timely manner, it can be much easier for healthcare providers to offer the services needed. In a recent study conducted by To (2024) and colleagues, the effectiveness of two screening tools used to identify the need for palliative care were assessed.
A cross-sectional survey was the primary method used to examine these tools. The researchers took into consideration all acute medical and surgical inpatients. The two tools examined were the Indicators for a palliative approach and the Surprise question tool. All patients were at risk of dying in the next year and were followed to help predict a proactive care planning. At the end of the study, the results indicated that after one year, 27% of the participants had died. However, the tools used had predicted the higher mortality rate for 65% of those cases.
The findings from the use of both these screening tools proved that the methods were significant in identifying high risk of mortality. This indicates that these tools could be useful for physicians to help identify which hospitalized patients could best benefit from advance care planning and a more personalized approach to their care. By identifying these patients, healthcare professionals can help them better prepare for what’s to come, initiate some difficult discussions about end-of-life and establish any goals of care or interventions that the patient would like to follow. Another important role for these tests could be to facilitate the time frame appropriate for interventions with patients in palliative care. These early identifications could help reduce unnecessary treatments and excessive time spent at the hospital.
It is however important to consider the limitations of these tools. Although they may provide important insight on the patient’s condition, it is also important to use clinical judgment and completely assess the comprehensive care planning.
In conclusion, the research demonstrates that the tools studied are promising for identifying hospitalized patients at high risk of dying withing the next year and could be beneficial in help to plan end of life care. The integration of these screening methods into clinical practice, healthcare professionals can help improve the quality of care for patients nearing the end of life and ensuring that their preferences and values are being honored.
Source: To, T., Hakendorf, P., & Currow, D. C. (2024). Screening for End-of-Life in Acute Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 10499091231226299.
