How outcome measures work in palliative care (Version 2)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How outcome measures work in palliative care - A study of the implementation of outcome measures in practice (Version 2)
IRAS ID
161947
Contact name
Fliss Murtagh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
Patients in receipt of palliative care may experience symptoms, such as pain, breathlessness, depression and anxiety, and may have unmet information and practical needs. In palliative care, 'outcome measures' refer to measures of pain, breathlessness and other such symptoms which are distressing to patients. They also include measures of anxiety, information needs, family distress and practical concerns.
These are the issues which patients and families themselves prioritise as important, but they are often given insufficient time and attention in far advanced illness.
We have valid and reliable outcome measures which are well tested with patients and families. Evidence has shown that processes improve when outcome measures are used routinely in clinical care. However, we don’t yet know whether outcome measures make a direct difference for patients and families, and no work has been done on their implementation into practice. For this reason it is important to examine how outcome measurement works in practice to improve outcomes.
Also, the main NHS research body (NIHR) has highlighted the need for implementation research, so that evidence (such as that on outcome measures) can be translated into practice and benefits for patients and families.
We therefore plan to implement and examine measures of complexity and outcomes within palliative care in our wider C-Change programme of work. This study is a small component of the wider programme and aims to understand better how to implement these measures into practice and how they might make a difference for patients and families. For this purpose, we will interview patients, families and staff. We will also observe staff in their day to day work when they are using outcome measures. The findings from this study will shed light on how outcome measures might best be implemented in palliative care to benefit patients and families.REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1669
Date of REC Opinion
23 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion