Nurse-Led Palliative Care Conversations Enhance HSCT and CAR-T Outcomes
An article in Oncology Nursing News highlighted research presented at the ONS Annual Congress 2026 examining the impact of nurse-led primary palliative care interventions for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and CAR-T therapy. The study found that structured conversations focused on patients’ health-related values improved clinicians’ understanding of patient priorities, strengthened patient-provider relationships, and supported more patient-centered goal-setting.
Among 32 oncology nurses and advanced practice providers who completed 78 health-related values discussions, most reported stronger connections with patients and improved communication around treatment goals and future care preferences. Researchers concluded that integrating primary palliative care skills into routine oncology care is feasible and may help improve patient-centered care across cancer treatment settings.