Table 1 Core set of measures

Phase of Illness

The measure describes the stage in the patient’s illness and the suitability of the care plan according to the needs of the patients and their unpaid care givers. The scale classifies the patient into one of 5 possible stages: stable, unstable, deteriorating, dying and deceased [34, 35].

The instrument is recommended within the Outcome Assessment and Complexity Collaborative (OACC) suite of measure [18].

On admission and on subsequent assessments if changes occur.

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG)

The 6-grade expert-rated ECOG describes the patient’s level of physical functioning/disability in terms of daily activities [36].

On admission and on subsequent assessments if changes occur.

Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS)

IPOS is based on the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS) which has been validated within different PC settings [37] and is one of the most frequently used outcome measures in palliative care [38]. It captures the patient’s most important concerns (symptoms, information needs, practical concerns, anxiety of patients’ and care givers’ and overall feeling of being at peace). The different domains are scored using a 5-grade likert scale. The self-report of the patient is preferred, however, proxy versions for professionals and unpaid care givers are available.

The instrument is recommended within the OACC suite of measure [18].

On admission and subsequently after about 5–10 days AND ≥ 3 appointments, at least once in the further course and if changes occur.

IPOS Views on Care (VoC)

IPOS Views on Care is based on the St. Christopher’s Index of Patient Priorities (SKIPP) tool [39] and can be used as a supplement to IPOS [40]. The measure captures the patients’ view on the impact the palliative care service has on their quality of life and their principal problems. Patients rate their overall quality of life for the time before admission to the palliative care service and the time after admission. It includes four items.

The instrument is recommended within the OACC suite of measure [18].

On admission and subsequently after about 5–10 days AND ≥ 3 appointments, at least once in the further course and if changes occur.

Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI)

The shortened 6-item interview form recommended for palliative care [41] is opted. The questions inquire the amount in which the unpaid caregiver is negatively affected by his/her role on a 5-point Likert-type scale. For this study an additional global item is added to serve as anchor question for creating a classification able to interpret the total score.

The instrument is recommended within the OACC suite of measure [18].

On admission and subsequently at least once in the further course.

Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)

GAS reflects a process to create and to reassess individual scales for measuring the grade of care success goal-oriented [19]. This process should be applied in addition to standardized outcome measures and has potential to reveal and to prioritize patient-relevant needs or wishes. For each identified goal indicators on a 5-point matrix in grades from − 2 to + 2 are framed and continuously reassessed over the course of care. So far, experiences in the palliative care field are lacking.

Each appointment.