Team Perceptions of Standardized Palliative Care Referral Criteria Implementation
In a study published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, Rachael Heitner, MA, CHPCA, et al. explained that while standardized referral criteria help identify patients who would benefit from palliative care consultations, little is known about palliative care team members' perception of the criteria. After analyzing online survey data, the authors found that palliative care team members had mostly positive perceptions of these triggers within their hospitals. Identified benefits included earlier referrals and disadvantages were increases in patient volume and inappropriate referrals.