Hospital Palliative Care Team Involvement in Inpatients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Retrospective Study

Background: Data on the involvement of hospital palliative care teams (HPCT) in the management of patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) are limited. Objectives: To describe characteristics, symptom burden according to the German Hospice and Palliative Care Evaluation assessment tool, and course of inpatients with HM who were referred to a HPCT, and compare them with their counterparts with solid tumors (ST). Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting/Subjects: Inpatients with HM and ST who were referred to the HPCT of a comprehensive cancer center in Germany between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Results: The analysis included 2885 patients; 412 (14.3%) had HM and 2473 (85.7%) had ST. Patients with HM more often experienced depression (p = 0.003), tension (p < 0.001), and disorientation (p = 0.003); pain (p = 0.029), nausea (p = 0.003), weakness (p < 0.001), loss of appetite (p = 0.005), tiredness (p < 0.001), and need for assistance with activities of daily living (p < 0.001) were more common in patients with ST. Patients with HM were more often admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (p < 0.001), had longer ICU stays (p = 0.005), and had a higher death rate (p < 0.001) during their last stay in the hospital. The time between the first contact with the HPCT and death was shorter for patients with HM (p < 0.001). Patients with HM also had a shorter overall time of care by the HPCT (p < 0.001). Conclusions: As compared with their counterparts with ST, inpatients with HM were closer to death at referral to the HPCT, experienced a comparable overall symptom burden, and were admitted to the ICU more frequently after HPCT involvement.