Factors associated with palliative care referral among patients with advanced cancers: a retrospective analysis of a large Brazilian cohort

Abstract

Most patients received PC consultation before death, and the number of patients with late consultation increased throughout the study. Patients with late referrals could have received PC earlier. The current findings suggest the need to standardize the referral criteria to optimize access to PC.

Impact of Palliative Care on Quality of End-of-Life Care Among Brazilian Patients With Advanced Cancers

“…The calculation of the sample size and selection technique were previously described, 23 resulting in a minimum sample size of 1273 patients.…”

“…Developed by the same group of researchers, this is an exploratory secondary analysis of a study that investigated the profile of Brazilian patients who were referred and consulted in the PC team. 23 Briefly, the study was conducted at a single center (Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil). It has specialized services exclusively for patients with cancer, and a unit with multiprofessional services for outpatient, inpatient, or home care, specifically dedicated to PC or standard treatments in conjunction with PC.…”

“…It has specialized services exclusively for patients with cancer, and a unit with multiprofessional services for outpatient, inpatient, or home care, specifically dedicated to PC or standard treatments in conjunction with PC. 23 The eligible participants were patients who were seen at Barretos Cancer Hospital, aged 18 years and older, who died between 2010 and 2014, had an advanced cancer diagnosis, 23 had an incurable illness and no therapeutic likelihood of cure for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. 23,24 Patients who did not have minimum follow-up in the hospital within the last three months of life and did not continue follow-up were excluded from the study.…”

“…23,24 Patients who did not have minimum follow-up in the hospital within the last three months of life and did not continue follow-up were excluded from the study. 23…”

“…Study documentation included baseline sociodemographic data, clinical data related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, referral and consultation in PC, and date and place of death. 23 In addition, the presence or the absence of quality-of-care indicators at the EOL was collected. The quality-ofcare indicators included were frequency of emergency department visits, hospital admissions, ICU admissions in the last 30 days of life, including hospital death, chemotherapy, and target agent use within last 14 and 30 days of life.…”