RES30 No Patient Left Behind: Universal Screening for Palliative Care Needs in an Integrated Health System

Mary P. Hicks, Elizabeth Distefano; Saint John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a “palliative care screening tool” (PCST) by identifying: (1) percentage of patients who had any palliative care needs, (2) palliative care team (PCT) referrals resulting from the PCST, (3) common criteria leading to PCT referral, (4) common palliative care needs for patients not referred to the team, and (5) burden reported by users of the tool. Background: As part of a larger project to increase attention to palliative care needs, including needs for spiritual care, throughout a hospital system, we developed and implemented a PCST that identified patients for PCT consultation and patients with less urgent palliative care needs. Methods: The PCST was pilot tested in the medical intensive care unit (MICU), 2 medical/surgical units,...

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