Early Experiences in Establishing a Palliative Care–Integrated Paracentesis Clinic
In an article published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, researchers from a large safety-net health care system aimed to characterize health care utilization among patients requiring paracentesis, and evaluate the feasibility and safety of an outpatient palliative care procedure clinic. With recurrent ascites frequently leading to hospital admissions, within the first year, the clinic completed forty-four outpatient paracenteses with no procedural complications, and high staff satisfaction. Though the clinic appears feasible and safe, researchers call for larger studies to evaluate its effect on health care utilization and patient-centered outcomes.