Say Salomon1, Hilary Frankel2, Elizabeth Chuang3, Serife Eti4, Peter Selwyn5. 1. Chen Medical, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA. 2. Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA. 3. Palliative Care Services, Department of Family and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA. Electronic address: echuang@montefiore.org. 4. Palliative Care Services, Department of Family and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA. 5. Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used to improve quality of life for end-stage heart failure patients. The Joint Commission now requires preimplantation palliative care assessment; however, many palliative care teams have little experience providing this service. OBJECTIVE: To describe the integration of palliative services at one Center of Excellence for Heart and Vascular Care. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of all patients receiving LVADs at a single urban academic medical center from January 2015 to September 2016. Palliative care needs and services provided are described. Two case presentations illustrate the collaboration between the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams. RESULTS: Fifty one patients were included. Of those, 28 received a palliative care consultation during this roll-out period. The rate of consultation rose from 35% to 71% as workflows improved with institutional commitment. Symptom assessment, psychosocial assessment, and advance care planning (ACP) were always performed (n = 28; 100%). More than half of the patients were evaluated for dyspnea (n = 20; 71%), fatigue (n = 18; 64%), and pain (n = 16; 57%). Consults centered around ACP, and very few patients (n = 7; 25%) required palliative care follow-up. Palliative consultation did not delay LVAD placement. CONCLUSION: Although palliative care consultants provided initial evaluation and management of multiple symptoms, there was not a large ongoing need. Integration of palliative services into the care of patients receiving LVADs can be incorporated into the workflow of the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams, resulting in improved ACP for all patients receiving LVADs and better care coordination for patients at the end of life.
CONTEXT: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used to improve quality of life for end-stage heart failurepatients. The Joint Commission now requires preimplantation palliative care assessment; however, many palliative care teams have little experience providing this service. OBJECTIVE: To describe the integration of palliative services at one Center of Excellence for Heart and Vascular Care. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of all patients receiving LVADs at a single urban academic medical center from January 2015 to September 2016. Palliative care needs and services provided are described. Two case presentations illustrate the collaboration between the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams. RESULTS: Fifty one patients were included. Of those, 28 received a palliative care consultation during this roll-out period. The rate of consultation rose from 35% to 71% as workflows improved with institutional commitment. Symptom assessment, psychosocial assessment, and advance care planning (ACP) were always performed (n = 28; 100%). More than half of the patients were evaluated for dyspnea (n = 20; 71%), fatigue (n = 18; 64%), and pain (n = 16; 57%). Consults centered around ACP, and very few patients (n = 7; 25%) required palliative care follow-up. Palliative consultation did not delay LVAD placement. CONCLUSION: Although palliative care consultants provided initial evaluation and management of multiple symptoms, there was not a large ongoing need. Integration of palliative services into the care of patients receiving LVADs can be incorporated into the workflow of the cardiothoracic and palliative care teams, resulting in improved ACP for all patients receiving LVADs and better care coordination for patients at the end of life.
Authors: Finn Gustafsson; Binyamin Ben Avraham; Ovidiu Chioncel; Tal Hasin; Avishai Grupper; Aviv Shaul; Sanemn Nalbantgil; Yoav Hammer; Wilfried Mullens; Laurens F Tops; Jeremy Elliston; Steven Tsui; Davor Milicic; Johann Altenberger; Miriam Abuhazira; Stephan Winnik; Jacob Lavee; Massimo Francesco Piepoli; Lorrena Hill; Righab Hamdan; Arjang Ruhparwar; Stefan Anker; Marisa Generosa Crespo-Leiro; Andrew J S Coats; Gerasimos Filippatos; Marco Metra; Giuseppe Rosano; Petar Seferovic; Frank Ruschitzka; Stamatis Adamopoulos; Yaron Barac; Nicolaas De Jonge; Maria Frigerio; Eva Goncalvesova; Israel Gotsman; Osnat Itzhaki Ben Zadok; Piotr Ponikowski; Luciano Potena; Arsen Ristic; Tiny Jaarsma; Tuvia Ben Gal Journal: ESC Heart Fail Date: 2021-09-28