Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

The optimal delivery of palliative care: a national comparison of the outcomes of consultation teams vs inpatient units.

Casarett D, Johnson M, Smith D, Richardson D. The optimal delivery of palliative care: a national comparison of the outcomes of consultation teams vs inpatient units. Archives of internal medicine. 2011 Apr 11; 171(7):649-55.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Growing attention to end-of-life care has led to intensive efforts to provide better palliative care. However, it is not known whether palliative care is best provided by consultative teams or in dedicated units. METHODS: This nationwide telephone survey was conducted in 77 Veterans Affairs medical centers that offer palliative care consultation services and dedicated palliative care units. One family member per patient who died at a participating Veterans Affairs medical center between July 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, was invited to participate. The telephone survey included 1 global rating item and 9 core items describing the patient's care in the last month of life. RESULTS: Interviews were completed with family members for 5901 of 9546 patients. Of these, 1873 received usual care, 1549 received a palliative care consultation, and 2479 received care in a palliative care unit. After nonresponse weighting and propensity score adjustment, families of patients who received a palliative care consultation were more likely than those who received usual care to report that the patient's care in the last month of life had been "excellent" (adjusted proportions: 51% vs 46%; odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.55; P = .04). However, families of patients who received care in a palliative care unit were even more likely to report excellent care (adjusted proportions: 63% vs 53%; OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.25-1.85; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Care received in palliative care units may offer more improvements in care than those achieved with palliative care consultations.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.