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Association Between Palliative Care and Patient and Caregiver Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Kavalieratos D, Corbelli J, Zhang D, Dionne-Odom JN, Ernecoff NC, Hanmer J, Hoydich ZP, Ikejiani DZ, Klein-Fedyshin M, Zimmermann C, Morton SC, Arnold RM, Heller L, Schenker Y.

JAMA. 2016 Nov 22;316(20):2104-2114. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.16840.

A narrative meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCT) of palliative care interventions in adults with life-limiting illness was performed. 43 RCTs were included and involved 12,731 patients and 2479 caregivers (cancer and non-cancer). 23 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Palliative care interventions were associated with statistically and clinically significant improvements in physical symptoms and quality of life at 1 to 3 months. There was no association between palliative care and survival. There were improvements in patient and caregiver satisfaction with care, advance care planning and lower health care utilization with palliative care. When only the low risk of bias RCTs were meta-analysed, no statistically significant and clinically important associations remained.

 

Composed by Elaine Boland

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