Effects of a 24/7 Palliative Care Service Integration in a Metropolitan Area on Non-oncologic Patients
- Conditions
- Palliative MedicineHospice and Palliative Care NursingPalliative Care
- Interventions
- Other: 24/7 Telephonic Palliative Care Service availability
- Registration Number
- NCT05640076
- Lead Sponsor
- Azienda Usl di Bologna
- Brief Summary
This retrospective observational pre-post study aims to test the effects of introducing a remote telephonic consultation availability from the Palliative Care Service for a cohort of non-oncologic patients followed by the same service, their relatives, and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and family care physicians taking care of them.
The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are:
* Does the introduction of a remote telephonic consultation availability affect the rate of ED access of non-oncologic Palliative-care followed patients during their last 90 days of life?
* Does the introduction of a remote telephonic consultation availability have an effect on the rate of EMS requests for these patients during their last 90 days of life?
* Which are the main topics of the calls to the Palliative Care Service?
Due to the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic during the study period, a parallel cohort of oncologic patients under 24/7 palliative care by the same service during both the observation periods will be used as reference.
Participants will be followed up from the date of taking-over request to the Palliative Care Service to their death or the end of the period of observation if followup began during their last 90 days of life.
Otherwise, for those being already under home palliative care at the 90th day before their death, follow up will begin at that day.
Researchers will compare two time periods to see if the introduction of a remote telephonic consultation availability has an effect on the supra-mentioned aims.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 2831
- Patients followed by the Metropolitan Palliative Care Service of Bologna
- Residency in Bologna Metropolitan city
- Incomplete data
- Residency outside Bologna Metropolitan City
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description 2018-19 - Oncologic patients under home palliative care 24/7 Telephonic Palliative Care Service availability Oncologic patients took over from the Metropolitan Palliative Care Service and receiving home palliative care within their last 90 days of life between 1/1/2018 and 31/12/2019 2021-2022 - Oncologic patients under home palliative care 24/7 Telephonic Palliative Care Service availability Oncologic patients took over from the Metropolitan Palliative Care Service and receiving home palliative care within their last 90 days of life between 1/1/2021 and 31/12/2022 2021-2022 - Non-Oncologic patients under home palliative care 24/7 Telephonic Palliative Care Service availability Non-oncologic patients took over from the Metropolitan Palliative Care Service and receiving home palliative care within their last 90 days of life between 1/1/2021 and 31/12/2022
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Emergency Department Admission rate of patients followed by the Palliative Care Service 48 months
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method EMS calls rate from patients followed by the Palliative Care Service 48 months Main topics of the calls received from the Palliative Care Service after the full implementation of a 24/7 service 24 months Classification of the topics of the calls into 5 main classes: "Clinical questions", "Caregiver Support", "Definition of care pathway", "Palliative sedation", "Other communications".
The relative frequency of each main topic will be reported
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale
🇮🇹Bologna, Italy
IRCCS - Policlinico Universitario S.Orsola - Malpighi
🇮🇹Bologna, Italy