Table 1 The PalliSupport pilot study
The palliative care team consisted of two clinical nurse specialists, a specialized general practitioner (GP), an oncologist, and GP trainees during their hospital internship. Patients were discussed during weekly team meetings. During the pilot study, the transitional care pathway was introduced. Researchers with a background in healthcare provided gave presentations on the early identification of patients with palliative care needs to nurses and physicians at the participating departments. Interactive training on how to initiate end-of-life conversations (in Dutch: STEM-training a) was also offered to nurses and physicians. The goal was to increase knowledge on palliative care among non-specialists |
The pilot study was a mixed-method feasibility studyb. Patients were recruited between February 2018 and July 2018 from the department of pulmonology and gastroenterology in the OLVG teaching hospital in Amsterdam. Patients were screened for eligibility according to Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) criteria. cThese criteria were unplanned hospital admission in the past six months, functional status, and malnutrition. The SPICT cut-off score for inclusion depended on the age of the patient. Patients aged 65–79 years with a score ≥ 2 and patients aged ≥ 80 years with a score ≥ 1 were eligible for inclusion. During the pilot study, eight patients received care according to the care pathway |
Healthcare professionals were interviewed to evaluate the educational program and feasibility of the care pathwayc After the pilot study, the transitional palliative care team integrated parts of the care pathway into their daily practice. The care pathway was followed regardless of the hospital department/specialty from which the consultation was requested |