None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
With the ageing of the population, the number of people entering the last stages of life will increase rapidly in the coming few years. Most people will die of progressive, non-malignant disease and most will never be reviewed by a specialist palliative care team, in spite of the intensity of many peoples' needs being equivalent to those dying of cancer. This study aims to improve the care of people dying of non-malignant disease, by conducting a case conference between the patient's GP, their specialist heart failure or lung health nurse, and a palliative care specialist. The purpose is to conduct a comprehensive case review, and develop a clear care plan with clear allocation of tasks. We will compare service utilisation after the conference with that of the previous 12 months, patient outcomes, carer outcomes, and a health economic analysis. This project is a pilot and will lead to a formal randomised controlled trial.
Interventions
Single case conference of 30-40 minutes between General practitioner, palliative care physician and specialist nurse to develop a care plan for persons with life limiting heart or lung disease. Case conference provides a comprehensive review of the case from a palliative care perspective, including symptom control, psychosocial issues for patient and carer, advance care planning and service delivery, with an emphasis on care coordination between specialist and community based care.
Sponsors
University of Queensland
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 105 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
persons identified by heart failure or lung health as being at risk of dying within 12 months
Exclusion criteria
high risk of death with three months severe cognitive impairment resident of a Residential Aged Care Facility
Outcome results
None listed