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A comparative study of the palliative care needs of heart failure and cancer patients
Author(s) -
O'Leary Norma,
Murphy Niamh F.,
O'Loughlin Christina,
Tiernan Eoin,
McDonald Kenneth
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1093/eurjhf/hfp007
Subject(s) - medicine , palliative care , multidisciplinary approach , quality of life (healthcare) , heart failure , needs assessment , cohort , retrospective cohort study , intensive care medicine , family medicine , nursing , social science , sociology
Aims Studies suggest that patients with advanced heart failure (HF) have unmet palliative care (PC) needs. However, many of these studies have been retrospective or based on patients receiving poorly coordinated ad hoc care. We aimed to demonstrate whether the PC needs of patients with advanced HF receiving specialist multidisciplinary coordinated care are similar to cancer patients deemed to have specialist PC needs; thereby justifying the extension of specialist PC services to HF patients. Methods and results This was a cross‐sectional comparative cohort study of 50 HF patients and 50 cancer patients, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Both patient cohorts were statistically indistinguishable in terms of symptom burden, emotional wellbeing, and quality‐of‐life scores. HF patients had good access to community and social support. HF patients particularly valued the close supervision, medication monitoring, ease of access to service, telephone support, and key worker provided at the HF unit. A small subset of patients had unmet PC needs. A palliative transition point is described. Conclusion HF patients should not be excluded from specialist PC services. However, the majority of their needs can be met at a HF unit. Recognition of the palliative transition point may be key to ensuring that end‐of‐life issues are addressed. The palliative transition point needs further evaluation.