Referral Criteria for Outpatient Palliative Cancer Care: A Systematic Review

open access  (pdf)
 University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas   
Published online before print May 16, 2016

INTRODUCTION

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing call for greater integration of palliative care and oncology,with multiple organizations, such as the Institute of Medicine, the American

Society of Clinical Oncology, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, promoting early palliative care referral for cancer patients.Because most oncology patients are seen in the ambulatory setting, outpatient palliative care is particularly appropriate to facilitate early access [4]. Outpatient

palliative care clinics are increasingly available, with 59% of National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers and 22% of non-NCI-designated cancer centers reporting their

presence [5]……