Auditing palliative care in one general practice over eight years

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• General Practice
• Quality Assurance

Background:

• Palliative care delivery and outcomes in primary care settings are crucial for end-of-life patient well-being.
• Understanding the specifics of palliative care within a general practice is essential for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the delivery and outcomes of palliative care services within a single general practice.
• To assess the quality of care provided to patients with terminal malignant disease.

Main Methods:

• Prospective documentation of all deaths from malignant disease with a palliative phase of at least one week.
• Data collection included place of death, continuity of care, symptom relief assessment, and bereaved relative follow-up.
• Study conducted in a general practice of 8000 patients in North-West England over eight years.

Main Results:

• 118 deaths from terminal malignant disease were recorded over eight years.
• 75% of patients were under the care of the general practitioners (GPs) at the time of death.
• Detailed information on 64 patients indicated generally satisfactory palliative care.

Conclusions:

• A simple audit process can effectively maintain high standards of palliative care.
• General practitioners are encouraged to maintain patient registers for quality assurance in end-of-life care.
• This study highlights the role of primary care in delivering effective palliative services.