Natalie C Ernecoff1, Lindsay F Bell2, Robert M Arnold2, Christopher M Shea3, Galen E Switzer4, Manisha Jhamb5, Jane O Schell2, Dio Kavalieratos6. 1. RAND Corporation (N.C.E.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh (N.C.E., L.F.B., R.M.A., J.O.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: nernecof@rand.org. 2. Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh (N.C.E., L.F.B., R.M.A., J.O.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 3. Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (C.M.S.), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. 4. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh (G.E.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh (G.E.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh (G.E.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (G.E.S.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 5. Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh (M.J.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 6. Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine (D.K.), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Guidelines recommend palliative care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who experience a high pain and symptom burden, and receive intensive treatments that often do not align with their values. A lack of scalable specialty palliative care services has prompted calls for attention to primary palliative care, delivered in primary care and nephrology settings. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to 1) describe expectations for care to meet the palliative care needs of people living with CKD, and limitations to meeting those expectations in the current model, and 2) identify potential interventions to meet patients' palliative care needs. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians from primary care, nephrology, and palliative care to assess 1) reasonable expectations for meeting palliative needs, 2) barriers to integrating primary palliative care, and 3) potential intervention points. RESULTS: Clinicians discussed their expectations for high-quality communication (e.g., discussing disease understanding, assessing goals of care) and better integration of palliative care services. Clinicians expressed barriers to delivering that care, including poor inter-clinician communication. To address barriers, clinicians outlined potential intervention points, such as building collaborative models of care, and structural triggers to identify patients who may be appropriate for palliative care. CONCLUSION: Interventions to address gaps in palliative care delivery for people living with CKD should incorporate systematic identification of patients with palliative care needs and structural mechanisms to meeting those needs via specialty and primary palliative care.
CONTEXT: Guidelines recommend palliative care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who experience a high pain and symptom burden, and receive intensive treatments that often do not align with their values. A lack of scalable specialty palliative care services has prompted calls for attention to primary palliative care, delivered in primary care and nephrology settings. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to 1) describe expectations for care to meet the palliative care needs of people living with CKD, and limitations to meeting those expectations in the current model, and 2) identify potential interventions to meet patients' palliative care needs. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians from primary care, nephrology, and palliative care to assess 1) reasonable expectations for meeting palliative needs, 2) barriers to integrating primary palliative care, and 3) potential intervention points. RESULTS: Clinicians discussed their expectations for high-quality communication (e.g., discussing disease understanding, assessing goals of care) and better integration of palliative care services. Clinicians expressed barriers to delivering that care, including poor inter-clinician communication. To address barriers, clinicians outlined potential intervention points, such as building collaborative models of care, and structural triggers to identify patients who may be appropriate for palliative care. CONCLUSION: Interventions to address gaps in palliative care delivery for people living with CKD should incorporate systematic identification of patients with palliative care needs and structural mechanisms to meeting those needs via specialty and primary palliative care.
Authors: Jennifer S Temel; Joseph A Greer; Alona Muzikansky; Emily R Gallagher; Sonal Admane; Vicki A Jackson; Constance M Dahlin; Craig D Blinderman; Juliet Jacobsen; William F Pirl; J Andrew Billings; Thomas J Lynch Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2010-08-19 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Kathleen E Bickel; Kristen McNiff; Mary K Buss; Arif Kamal; Dale Lupu; Amy P Abernethy; Michael S Broder; Charles L Shapiro; Anupama Kurup Acheson; Jennifer Malin; Tracey Evans; Monika K Krzyzanowska Journal: J Oncol Pract Date: 2016-08-16 Impact factor: 3.840