Advanced cancer patients' self-assessed physical and emotional problems on admission and discharge from hospital general wards – a questionnaire study
(2012) European Journal of Cancer Care
Most cancer patients receiving
life-prolonging or palliative treatment are offered non-specialist
palliative services. There is a lack of knowledge about their problem
profile. The aim of this article is to describe the incidence of
patient-reported physical and emotional problems on admission and
discharge from general hospital wards and health staff's reported
intervention.
A prospective study was undertaken over 12 months, where advanced cancer patients completed a patient questionnaire, EORTC QLQ C15-PAL, on admission (n= 97) and discharge (n= 46). The incidences of the problems were dichotomised in intensity categories. The average number of ‘clinically relevant problems’ on admission was 5 (SD 2) and on discharge 4 (SD 2).
A Wilcoxon signed rank test showed significant change in mean score for six out of nine problem areas, but the majority of the patients did not move to the lower intensity category. The highest concurrence was between patient-reported problems and reported intervention for physical function, pain, constipation and loss of appetite. Palliative cancer patients' self-reported problem profile on admission and discharge from hospital has not previously been described and the results indicate a need to focus on improvements to palliative services and for a special service for pain and constipation that could prevent some admissions.
A prospective study was undertaken over 12 months, where advanced cancer patients completed a patient questionnaire, EORTC QLQ C15-PAL, on admission (n= 97) and discharge (n= 46). The incidences of the problems were dichotomised in intensity categories. The average number of ‘clinically relevant problems’ on admission was 5 (SD 2) and on discharge 4 (SD 2).
A Wilcoxon signed rank test showed significant change in mean score for six out of nine problem areas, but the majority of the patients did not move to the lower intensity category. The highest concurrence was between patient-reported problems and reported intervention for physical function, pain, constipation and loss of appetite. Palliative cancer patients' self-reported problem profile on admission and discharge from hospital has not previously been described and the results indicate a need to focus on improvements to palliative services and for a special service for pain and constipation that could prevent some admissions.
