A Comparison of Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure and Cancer Referred to Palliative Care

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, Albert Y Liu, MD, et al., found that hospitalized patients with heart failure were referred for palliative care later in their disease trajectory, than patients with cancer. Additionally, findings show that while fewer patients with heart failure received symptom management (than those with cancer), those with heart failure experienced similar rates of symptom improvement once referred to palliative care. The study suggests that practitioners caring for patients with heart failure should consider involving palliative care teams earlier on.