Background: Oncology patients have tremendous symptom burden both physically and emotionally. Palliative care (PC) improves quality of life and prevents suffering. Advance care planning (ACP) empowers patients to articulate goals of their care. New guidelines call for palliative care to be provided and chemotherapy avoided the last 2 weeks of life. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends integrating palliative care within the oncology setting to achieve these outcomes. However, the best mode to provide this care remains unclear. A nurse practitioner/physician assistant (NP/PA)-based model from within the oncology clinic is a potential option.
Methods: A program evaluation was done to determine the effectiveness of the "My Choices, My Wishes" NP/PA-led program.
Results: From 2012 to 2018, the number of patients receiving PC/ACP visits increased from 2.6% to 19.4%. The percentage of patients receiving chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life decreased from 12.5% to 7.14%. The number of advance care directives completed increased from 17.5% to 37.5%.
Conclusion: This program was an effective way to provide PC/ACP for oncology patients. We still need to understand why patients pursue chemotherapy at the end of life. It is necessary to improve our communication techniques with patients and families in order to guarantee high-quality, high-value care.
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