What is the evidence base for early palliative care integrated with acute oncology services in terms of oncology patient reported experience and outcomes, quality of life, and cost effectiveness? A rapid review

Mann, Mala, Evans, Lowri, Williams, Lucy and Byrne, Anthony 2021. What is the evidence base for early palliative care integrated with acute oncology services in terms of oncology patient reported experience and outcomes, quality of life, and cost effectiveness? A rapid review. [Working Paper]. Cardiff: Cardiff University.

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Abstract

Many acute hospital settings include both ‘Acute Oncology Services’ (AOS) and Specialist Palliative Care (SPCT) liaison teams that contribute to the management of complex cancer patients. Acute oncology services tend to provide advice on management of cancer related issues including oncological emergencies, streamlined access to site specific oncology teams or the patient’s own oncologist, and specialist oncology services like emergency radiotherapy (National Chemo-therapy Advisory Group 2009). The role of the SPCT is broad and includes advice on management of symptoms, emotional support for patients and their families, complementary therapies, assistance with discharge planning for last days of life and for complex commu-nication. Within these roles there is sometimes crossover requiring the teams to work together closely alerting each other to patients who may benefit from the other’s specialism. There is reported evidence that meeting a specialist palliative care team early in the patient’s oncological journey can improve several outcomes including symptom severity, quality of life (Zimmermann et al. 2014) and mood (Temel et al. 2010) compared to standard oncological care (Zimmermann et al. 2014, Greer et al. 2013). The aim of this rapid review was to look at models where acute oncology and specialist palliative care teams worked together when a patient was admitted acutely to hospital to see if this combined approach improved patient outcomes. In the review itself, given the recent emergence of AOS, we didn’t find evidence for specific integration of AOS and SPCT models. There was evidence for the impact of palliative care intervention for oncology patients when admitted to acute sector.

Item Type:	Monograph (Working Paper)
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Medicine Academic & Student Support Service Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre (MCPCRC)
Additional Information:	Report uploaded to WCRC PaCERS website: https://walescancerresearchcentre.org/pacers/
Publisher:	Cardiff University
Funders:	Health and Care Research Wales through the Wales Cancer Research Centre
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 February 2023
Last Modified:	13 Feb 2023 12:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/156153

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