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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 1/2018

01-01-2018 | Original Article

Predictive model of complexity in early palliative care: a cohort of advanced cancer patients (PALCOM study)

Authors: Albert Tuca, Mónica Gómez-Martínez, Aleix Prat

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Proposal

Model of early palliative care (PC) integrated in oncology is based on shared care from the diagnosis to the end of life and is mainly focused on patients with greater complexity. However, there is no definition or tools to evaluate PC complexity. The objectives of the study were to identify the factors influencing level determination of complexity, propose predictive models, and build a complexity scale of PC.

Patients and method

We performed a prospective, observational, multicenter study in a cohort of advanced cancer patients with an estimated prognosis ≤ 6 months. An ad hoc structured evaluation including socio-demographic and clinical data, symptom burden, functional and cognitive status, psychosocial problems, and existential-ethic dilemmas was recorded systematically. According to this multidimensional evaluation, investigator classified patients as high, medium, or low palliative complexity, associated to need of basic or specialized PC. Logistic regression was used to identify the variables influencing determination of level of PC complexity and explore predictive models.

Results

We included 324 patients; 41% were classified as having high PC complexity and 42.9% as medium, both levels being associated with specialized PC. Variables influencing determination of PC complexity were as follows: high symptom burden (OR 3.19 95%CI: 1.72–6.17), difficult pain (OR 2.81 95%CI:1.64–4.9), functional status (OR 0.99 95%CI:0.98–0.9), and social-ethical existential risk factors (OR 3.11 95%CI:1.73–5.77). Logistic analysis of variables allowed construct a complexity model and structured scales (PALCOM 1 and 2) with high predictive value (AUC ROC 76%).

Conclusion

This study provides a new model and tools to assess complexity in palliative care, which may be very useful to manage referral to specialized PC services, and agree intensity of their intervention in a model of early-shared care integrated in oncology.
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Metadata
Title
Predictive model of complexity in early palliative care: a cohort of advanced cancer patients (PALCOM study)
Authors
Albert Tuca
Mónica Gómez-Martínez
Aleix Prat
Publication date
01-01-2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3840-3

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