Effects of a 24/7 Palliative Care Service Integration in a Metropolitan Area on Non-oncologic Patients

Completed

• Conditions: Palliative Medicine; Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; Palliative Care

• 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

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-11-28
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-11-28
• Study First Posted: 2022-12-07
• Study Start: 2023-04-01
• Status Verified: 2023-06
• Primary Completion: 2023-06-01
• Study Completion: 2023-06-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-07-12
• Last Update Posted: 2023-07-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2831

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients followed by the Metropolitan Palliative Care Service of Bologna
• Residency in Bologna Metropolitan city

Exclusion Criteria

• Incomplete data
• Residency outside Bologna Metropolitan City

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

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