Table 3 Integrated Palliative Care (IPC) Criteria describes the eleven criteria of Integrated Palliative Care for the evaluation of the content of the included guidelines and pathways

1. Discussion of illness limitations and prognosis.

2. Recommendations for conducting a whole patient assessment including the patient’s physical, social, psychological, and spiritual issues, their family and community setting.

3. Recommendations for when to make these assessments

4. Recommendations on when PC should be integrated-referral criteria.

5. Assessment of the patient’s goals for care.

6. Continuous goal adjustment as the illness and the person’s disease progresses.

7. Palliative care interventions to reduce suffering as needed.

8. Advance care planning.

9. Recommendation of involving a PC team.

10. Recommendations on care during the last hours of living.

11. Recommendations on grief and bereavement care.