Bedside palliative care and geriatric consultations: adherence rate in hospitalised patients

ObjectivesThis study examined the adherence rate of recommendations of a palliative consultation team (PCT) and a geriatric consultation team (GCT). Secondary aims were to investigate which factors and/or recommendation characteristics influence adherence rates.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was performed in the Maastricht University Medical Center+ in the Netherlands and included hospitalised patients who received a consultation by the PCT or the GCT. Baseline data on consultations were collected for the total population and for the GCT and PCT separately. The adherence rate of the recommendations was evaluated by checking evidence of implementation. The nature of recommendations given (solicited or unsolicited) was documented per domain (somatic, psychological/cognitive, social, spiritual, functional, and existential). The association with adherence was evaluated for solicited and unsolicited recommendations separately. Exploration of potentially associated factors was performed using OpenEpi.ResultsOverall, 507 consultations of individual patients were performed (n=131) by the GCT and (n=376) by the PCT. Most recommendations given were solicited (865/1201=72%). Over 80% of both solicited and unsolicited recommendations were implemented in the majority of domains. No potentially modifiable factors associated with the adherence of the advices were found.ConclusionsThe overall adherence rate of the GCT and PCT consultations was high. In addition, in certain domains, many recommendations were unsolicited. However, also the majority of these recommendations were implemented.