Piloting a Patient Tool to Aid Palliative Care Referrals during Advanced Lung Cancer Treatment

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Palliative Care
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Patient misperceptions about palliative care create barriers to timely discussions and referrals during advanced lung cancer treatment.
• Addressing these misperceptions is crucial for improving patient care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the acceptability of a web-based patient-facing palliative care education and screening tool.
• The tool is designed for a multilevel intervention targeting patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Feedback was gathered from advanced lung cancer patients, oncology and palliative care clinicians, and a clinic administrator.
• A prototype patient-facing tool was tested for acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility with advanced lung cancer patients.

Main Results:

• The developed tool was rated highly for acceptability (4.48/5), appropriateness (4.37/5), and feasibility (4.43/5) by patients.
• Post-use, 75% of patients expressed interest in palliative care, and 80% felt more motivated to discuss it with their oncologist.
• 100% of patients with prior misperceptions about palliative care (e.g., confusing it with hospice) resolved these after using the tool.

Conclusions:

• The web-based palliative care education and screening tool is well-accepted by patients.
• The tool shows potential in correcting palliative care misperceptions and encouraging early discussions during cancer treatment.