(HealthDay News) — A nurse-led primary palliative care intervention can improve advance care planning (ACP) in patients with advanced cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Researchers assessed the impact of a nurse-led primary palliative care intervention on ACP uptake in 672 patients with advanced cancer. The patients were assigned to receive standard care (n=336) or monthly primary palliative care visits with trained nurses (n=336).
A total of 182 patients in the intervention arm and 196 in the standard care arm lacked an end-of-life conversation at baseline and completed the 3-month assessment. At 3 months, 45.1% of patients in the intervention arm and 14.8% of those in the standard care arm reported having an end-of-life conversation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.28; 95% CI, 3.10–8.97; P <.001).
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A total of 111 patients in the intervention arm and 105 in the standard care arm lacked an advanced directive at baseline and completed the 3-month assessment. At 3 months, 43.2% of patients in the intervention arm and 18.1% of those in the standard care arm had completed an advanced directive (aOR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.89–7.16; P <.001).
“Nurse-led primary palliative care increased ACP uptake among patients with advanced cancer,” the researchers wrote. “Training oncology nurses embedded within community cancer centers to provide primary palliative care may help improve ACP access.”
