Table 1 Definitions of terms used in the systematic review
Palliative care Patient | The term “palliative” when used to describe patients, covers a varied heterogeneous population [45]. Patients with certain primary diseases have a palliative period, the period when the disease has become progressive and emphasis is not placed on cure but quality of life that follows [45]. |
Health Care needs | Health care need can be defined as the “capacity to benefit from health care” [46]. The WHO further defines it as perceived health care needs as experienced by the patient, professionally defined health care needs as those services defined by health professionals and scientifically confirmed needs [47]. |
Models of Care | A model for Palliative care [48]: |
• Provides services for patients with life limiting illness regardless of diagnosis | |
• Addresses the palliative care needs of patients and their families during their illness trajectory | |
• Delivers care in any setting-hospital, palliative care unit, residential care or home | |
• Identifies partnerships between specialist palliative care services and primary care providers | |
Palliative care Interventions | “Palliative interventions aim to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for those who are living with, or dying from, a terminal/advanced illness.” [49] |
Palliative care outcomes | A health outcome is defined as “Change in a patient’s current or future health status that can be attributed to antecedent health care”[50] |
End of Life | The General Medical Council (GMC) defines patients as “approaching the end of life” when they are likely to die within the next twelve months [51]. This is broadly accepted cross-nationally [52]. |
Advanced disease | “Connected with the active and progressive disease and has a limited prognosis. Prognostication in advanced disease relates to different factors such as symptoms, performance status and disease trajectory. As disease trajectories vary depending on whether the patient is suffering from malignant or non-malignant disease [53], advanced stages have to be defined independently for every disease”[54] |