Comparing the Palliative Care Needs of Those With Cancer to Those With Common Non-Cancer Serious Illness

Abstract

Patients with COPD, ESRD, and HF were less functional and more likely to be hospitalized at time of referral to palliative care than cancer patients. These findings may be reflective of the slower and more varied trajectory of non-cancer serious illness. One aim of palliative care for those with non-cancer severe illness should be directed toward improving and assisting with functionality and decreasing frequency of hospital admissions. These interventions could take place in the palliative care office, but could also be integrated into hospital discharge plans.

Tracking patients with advanced kidney disease in the last 12 months of life

“…; Bostwick et al . ). Prevalence of pain, fatigue and breathlessness was high in our study although sexual and sleep problems were more troublesome.…”

“…During the last decade, studies have reported that symptom burden experienced by patients with advanced CKD is considerable (Murtagh et al 2007;Almutary et al 2013) and similar to or greater than other chronic diseases including cancer (Solano et al 2006;Bostwick et al 2017). Prevalence of pain, fatigue and breathlessness was high in our study although sexual and sleep problems were more troublesome.…”

“…Palliative care is increasingly provided earlier in the cancer trajectory to substantially reduce symptom burden and to have a seamless pathway to end of life care (Hui & Bruera ), but the concept has not been translated to those with terminal organ failure (Bostwick et al . ). In chronic kidney disease (CKD), Davison et al .…”

“…Palliative care is increasingly provided earlier in the cancer trajectory to substantially reduce symptom burden and to have a seamless pathway to end of life care (Hui & Bruera 2016), but the concept has not been translated to those with terminal organ failure (Bostwick et al 2017). In chronic kidney disease (CKD), Davison et al (2015) argues the case not only for improvements in the quality of care but also for the integration of palliative care principals into usual CKD care through reforms of health systems and policies.…”

Implementing an integrated pathway to care for the dying: is your organisation ready?

“…Palliative care has emerged as an important field in healthcare internationally. While specialist palliative care services have historically focused on the care of people diagnosed with cancer, the rise of chronic diseases has extended the need for palliative care to noncancer hospital settings (Bostwick et al 2017). For example, in Australia, cancer accounted for around 60% of separations for palliative care, with another 40% are attributed to nonneoplastic diseases including heart disease, chronic obstructive airway disease, and pneumonia (Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, 2015).…”