Effect of a Symptom Surveillance and Collaborative Care Intervention on Palliative Care Utilization
A study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that routine symptom surveillance combined with an electronic health record–facilitated collaborative care intervention increased outpatient palliative care use among patients with metastatic cancer.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 16,000 patients in the Enhanced EHR-facilitated Cancer Symptom Control (E2C2) trial, which used electronic patient-reported outcomes to monitor symptoms such as pain, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disruption. The intervention also included automated education, clinician decision support, and support from symptom care managers.
Palliative care consultations increased by about 50% during the intervention period, suggesting systematic symptom screening may help identify supportive care needs and improve access to palliative care.