Effect of integrated palliative care on the quality of end-of-life care: retrospective analysis of 521 cancer patients

Abstract

Multidisciplinary decision-making with oncologists and the PCT is the most critical parameter for improving EOL care.

End-of-life care for hospitalized patients with metastatic melanoma in France: a nationwide, register-based study

“…However, these encouraging results are tarnished by the important proportion of patients whose palliative care needs remained unidentified before death. Several studies have indeed emphasized the importance of identifying palliative care needs to anticipate potential adverse events near the end of life, to ensure the adequate management of distressing symptoms, to address properly the patients’ preferences regarding the goals of care, and to avoid futile treatments …”

Integrating palliative care into the trajectory of cancer care

“…78 Alternatively, routine involvement of oncologists in palliative care team meetings might also strengthen this partnership to enhance care. 79,80 Combined tumour boards require a concerted effort from both oncology and palliative-care teams, however, and in larger centres with multiple tumour boards, it might not be possible to include a palliative-care specialist in all discussions.…”

Timing of palliative care needs reporting and aggressiveness of care near the end of life in metastatic lung cancer: A national registry‐based study

“…Previous studies have reported an association between palliative care referral and aggressiveness of care during the final weeks before death . However, these investigations have most often been based on small, select samples of cancer patients, and none have specifically compared variations in the intensity of treatments with respect to the timing of palliative care identification.…”