A Point Prevalence Study of Need and Provision of Palliative Care in Adult and Medical Surgical Inpatients.
Alannah L Cooper, Dipna Martin-Robins, Natalie Panizza and 2 others
PMID 40207675WHAT IT FOUND
Across 865 adult public hospital inpatients, 38% had palliative care indicators, and 70% of those had no evidence of receiving any palliative care.
Key findings
0138% of adult inpatients had potential palliative care need based on proactive indicators.
0270% of patients with indicators had no evidence of receiving any form of palliative care or awaiting specialist palliative care.
03Medical patients were more likely than surgical patients to have indicators for palliative care (45%, n=267 vs 23%, n=64).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study covered only four Western Australian public hospitals, so it may not apply to other hospitals or countries. Data came from medical records, and variable recording quality could under- or over-estimate palliative care need. The study did not identify which patients had complex needs requiring specialist input and which could be managed with a generalist approach. It did not measure patient outcomes, so it cannot show whether palliative care improved quality of life or symptom control. It was a point prevalence audit on selected days, so it may not show palliative care need over time.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that palliative care improves outcomes. The study counted patients who had indicators and whether records showed palliative care, but it did not compare patients who received palliative care with patients who did not.