A quality improvement project to increase palliative care team
involvement in pediatric oncology patients
Abstract
Background: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) for oncology
patients improves quality of life and the likelihood of goal-concordant
care. However, barriers to involvement exist. Objectives: We
aimed to increase days between PPC consult and death for patients with
refractory cancer from a baseline median of 13.5 days to ≥30 days
between March 2019 and March 2020. Methods: Outcome measure was
days from PPC consult to death; process measure was days from diagnosis
to PPC consult. The project team surveyed oncologists to identify
barriers. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles included establishing target
diagnoses, offering education, standardizing documentation, and sending
reminders. Results: The 24-month baseline period included 30
patients that died and 25 newly diagnosed patients. The yearlong
intervention period included 6 patients that died and 16 newly diagnosed
patients. Interventions improved outcome and process measures. Targeted
patients receiving PPC ≥ 30 days prior to death increased from 43% to
100%; median days from consult to death increased from 13.5 to 159.5.
Targeted patients receiving PPC within 30 days of diagnosis increased
from 28% to 63%; median days from diagnosis to consult decreased from
221.5 to 14. Of those without PPC consult within 30 days after
diagnosis, 17% had template documentation of the rationale.
Conclusion: Interventions utilized met the global aim, outcome
and process measures. Use of QI methodology empowered providers to
involve PPC. Poor template use was a barrier to identifying further
drivers. Future directions for this project relate to expanding the
target list, creating long-term sustainability, formalizing standards,
and surveying patients and families.