Extent to Which Patients Receive Support for Their Physical Symptoms (Pain, Fatigue, Shortness of Breath, and Constipation)
Identifying Attributes
Care Settings
Country
Publishing Organisation
Type of Quality Indicator
IOM Quality Dimension
Domain
Defining Attributes
Definition
Pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and constipation are symptoms that frequently occur in the palliative phase. The quality of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions influences the severity of a patient's physical symptoms.
Numerator
Denominator
Exclusions
Patients with moderate to (very) severe cognitive impairments, young children, and comatose and deeply sedated patients
Use of Risk Adjustment
Risk Adjustments
None
Stratifications
Collection and Reporting Attributes
Type of Data Collection
Data Collection Methods
Measured using items of the patient version of the the Consumer Quality Index Palliative Care - patient version. This tool asks patients and bereaved family members to describe actual experience alongside noting how important respondents feel such care aspects are (patient version with 56 items and family version with 64 items). No information available about frequency of collection. The patients were asked to complete the CQ-index PC based on their experiences with the care delivered in the previous week by the care institution from which they received the questionnaire. Limited information available about the frequency or timing of data collection for this measure.
Frequency of Data Collection
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
Reporting Methods
Reporting Frequency
Reporting Frequency in Days
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
Source and Reference Attributes
Evidence Source
Multiple sources: Virdun C, Luckett T, Lorenz KA, Phillips J. National quality indicators and policies from 15 countries leading in adult end-of-life care: a systematic environmental scan. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2018 Jun;8(2):145-154. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2017-001432; De Roo ML, Leemans K, Claessen SJ, Cohen J, Pasman HR, Deliens L, Francke AL; EURO IMPACT. Quality indicators for palliative care: update of a systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013 Oct;46(4):556-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.09.013; Claessen, S et al. (2011). A New Set of Quality Indicators for Palliative Care: Process and Results of the Development Trajectory. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 42(2), 169–82.