Association of Patient-Centered Elements of Care and Palliative Care Among Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer.
Liana Schweiger, Kelly C Vranas, Jon P Furuno and 3 others
PMID 36191296WHAT IT FOUND
Palliative care was linked to more pain and antidepressant prescriptions, advance care planning, and hospice, but less home health care.
Starting palliative care as an outpatient was linked to more pain medication and hospice.
Key findings
01Palliative care was associated with more symptom-management medications, including pain medications and antidepressants.
02Palliative care was associated with more advance care planning and hospice enrollment.
03Outpatient first palliative care was associated with more hospice enrollment and pain medication than inpatient first palliative care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used administrative records, so it could not measure quality of life, communication, or what was discussed at palliative care visits. It had low numbers of women, so results may not generalise to women with advanced lung cancer. It was limited to the Veterans Affairs system and advanced lung cancer, so other settings or cancers may differ. The researchers could not tell which clinician prescribed medications or whether oncologists provided primary palliative care. Home health care use was very low, so the lower use with palliative care may reflect underuse or other supports rather than a clear effect.
Declared interests
The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that palliative care caused more symptom management or hospice use. This was a retrospective cohort, and the researchers could not measure what happened during palliative care visits, who prescribed medications, or whether patients declined referral.