Instituting Standardized Consultation Criteria to Increase Early Palliative Care for Acute Leukemia
In a study published in JCO Oncology Practice, authors Rachel E. Rubenstein, MD, et al. aimed to increase early palliative care utilization by older adults with new acute leukemia diagnoses. By instituting standardized criteria triggers, they found that the new consultation criteria led to earlier palliative care consultations (but not continued follow-up throughout a patient's disease course). Further research will help identify ways to fill the gap of continued, integrated palliative care over time.