What is it about?
A tool was developed and pilot-tested to screen patients admitted to a cardiology inpatient service with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 50% or less for potential triggers signifying palliative care needs in the telemetry or cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).
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Why is it important?
Nurses at any level of practice should be able to identify and initiate referrals. Nurses could be trained to use the screening tool as a checklist during rounds or at hospital admission. When patients are identified, providers could discuss with patients and families their wishes regarding advance care planning and disease progression.
Perspectives
A trigger-based screening tool was developed based on the evidence that patients with AHF would be well served by closer collaboration between the cardiology and palliative care teams. Telemetry patients were identified as more in need of palliative care consultation than CICU patients.
Carlos Alberto Camal Sanchez
University of Washington Health Sciences Library
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Quality Improvement Project to Identify Patients With Advanced Heart Failure for Potential Palliative Care Referral in Telemetry and Cardiac Intensive Care Units, Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, January 2017, Springer Publishing Company,
DOI: 10.1891/2380-9418.10.1.17.
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