Using a prediction of death in the next 12 months as a prompt for referral to palliative care acts to the detriment of patients with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Early identification of palliative care patients in general practice: development of RADboud indicators for PAlliative Care Needs (RADPAC)

“…Small et al suggest making it more explicit for patients with CHF and COPD. 32 In 2008, the UK's Department of Health published an end-of-life strategy, in which identifying people approaching the end of life is one of the key subjects. 33 This strategy is partly based on the Gold Standards Framework (GSF).…”

The Spectrum of Children's Palliative Care Needs: a classification framework for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions

“…In addition to good practice points, these guidelines provide a rationale for using ‘surprise questions’ to prompt professionals to consider whether a child may die within a specified period of time. Participants had mixed feelings about their use, which reflects similar debates about ‘surprise questions’ that have occurred in adult end-of-life care 16 17. However, given that uncertainty is a major stressor for families and a known barrier in managing the transition from curative to palliative care,18–20 the Researchers and Project Steering Group agreed with the view that ‘surprise questions’ provide a useful heuristic function in identifying individuals who may benefit from palliative care 17.…”

Exploring the transition from curative care to palliative care: a systematic review of the literature

“…While policy guidelines advocate the use of the ‘12-months question’ (‘Would you be surprised if this patient were to die in the next 12 months?’) as an indicator that patients may require palliative care input, recent evidence suggests this question may not be appropriate for patients with non-cancer diagnoses 12. The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) suggests the use of a prognostic indicator guide to identify patients predicted to be in the final 6–12 months of life who might be in need of palliative care 13.…”