Analysis of palliative care needs in hospitalized patients.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of palliative care needs in patients in an acute care hospital and to analyze the profile of these patients. DESIGN: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study in an acute care hospital, in April 2018. The study population consisted of all patients over 18 years of age admitted to hospital wards and intensive care units. Variables were collected on a single day by six micro-teams using the NECPAL CCOMS-ICO© instrument. The descriptive analysis, on patient mortality and length of stay, was performed at a one-month follow-up. RESULTS: We assessed 153 patients, of whom 65 (42.5%) were female, with a mean age of 68.17±17.03 years. A total of 45 patients (29.4%) were found to be SQ+, of which 42 were NECPAL+ (27.5%), with a mean age of 76.64±12.70 years. According to the disease indicators, 33.35% had cancer, 28.6% had heart disease, and 19% had COPD, resulting in a ratio of 1:3 between patients with cancer and non-cancer disease. Half of the inpatients in need of palliative care were in the Internal Medicine Unit. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 28% of patients were identified as NECPAL+, most of them not identified as under palliative care in clinical records. Greater awareness and knowledge from healthcare professionals would facilitate the early identification of these patients and avoid overlooking palliative care needs.

Microenvironmental Landscape of Human Melanoma Brain Metastases in Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition.

Melanoma-derived brain metastases (MBM) represent an unmet clinical need because central nervous system progression is frequently an end stage of the disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) provide a clinical opportunity against MBM; however, the MBM tumor microenvironment (TME) has not been fully elucidated in the context of ICI. To dissect unique elements of the MBM TME and correlates of MBM response to ICI, we collected 32 fresh MBM and performed single-cell RNA sequencing of the MBM TME and T-cell receptor clonotyping on T cells from MBM and matched blood and extracranial lesions. We observed myeloid phenotypic heterogeneity in the MBM TME, most notably multiple distinct neutrophil states, including an IL8-expressing population that correlated with malignant cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In addition, we observed significant relationships between intracranial T-cell phenotypes and the distribution of T-cell clonotypes intracranially and peripherally. We found that the phenotype, clonotype, and overall number of MBM-infiltrating T cells were associated with response to ICI, suggesting that ICI-responsive MBMs interact with peripheral blood in a manner similar to extracranial lesions. These data identify unique features of the MBM TME that may represent potential targets to improve clinical outcomes for patients with MBM.

Phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent and residual high-grade meningiomas.

High-grade meningiomas are associated with neuro-cognitive morbidity and have limited treatments. High-grade meningiomas harbor an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression may contribute to their aggressive phenotype. Here, we present the results of a single-arm, open-label phase 2 trial (NCT03279692) evaluating the efficacy of pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, in a cohort of 25 evaluable patients with recurrent and progressive grade 2 and 3 meningiomas. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients alive and progression-free at 6 months (PFS-6). Secondary endpoints include progression-free and overall survival, best intracranial response, and toxicity. Our study has met its primary endpoint and achieved a PFS-6 rate of 0.48 (90% exact CI: 0.31-0.66) and a median PFS of 7.6 months (90% CI: 3.4-12.9 months). Twenty percent of patients have experienced one (or more) grade-3 or higher treatment-related adverse events. These results suggest that pembrolizumab exerts promising efficacy on a subset of these tumors. Further studies are needed to identify the biological facets within the meningioma TME that may drive response to immune-based therapies.

Genomic and transcriptomic correlates of immunotherapy response within the tumor microenvironment of leptomeningeal metastases.

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating complication of solid tumor malignancies, with dire prognosis and no effective systemic treatment options. Over the past decade, the incidence of LMD has steadily increased due to therapeutics that have extended the survival of cancer patients, highlighting the need for new interventions. To examine the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with LMD, we completed two phase II clinical trials. Here, we investigate the cellular and molecular features underpinning observed patient trajectories in these trials by applying single-cell RNA and cell-free DNA profiling to longitudinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) draws from enrolled patients. We recover immune and malignant cell types in the CSF, characterize cell behavior changes following ICI, and identify genomic features associated with relevant clinical phenomena. Overall, our study describes the liquid LMD tumor microenvironment prior to and following ICI treatment and demonstrates clinical utility of cell-free and single-cell genomic measurements for LMD research.

Phase II study of ipilimumab and nivolumab in leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a common complication from solid tumor malignancies with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. We present a single arm Phase II study of 18 patients with LMD receiving combined ipilimumab and nivolumab until progression or unacceptable toxicity (NCT02939300). The primary end point is overall survival at 3 months (OS3). Secondary end points include toxicity, cumulative time-to-progression at 3 months, and progression-free survival. A Simon two-stage design is used to compare a null hypothesis OS3 of 18% against an alternative of 44%. Median follow up based on patients still alive is 8.0 months (range: 0.5 to 15.9 months). The study has met its primary endpoint as 8 of 18 (OS3 0.44; 90% CI: 0.24 to 0.66) patients are alive at three months. One third of patients have experienced one (or more) grade-3 or higher adverse events. Two patients have discontinued protocol treatment due to unacceptable toxicity (hepatitis and colitis, respectively). The most frequent adverse events include fatigue (N = 7), nausea (N = 6), fever (N = 6), anorexia (N = 6) and rash (N = 6). Combined ipilimumab and nivolumab has an acceptable safety profile and demonstrates promising activity in LMD patients. Larger, multicenter clinical trials are needed to validate these results.

Detection of Leptomeningeal Disease Using Cell-Free DNA From Cerebrospinal Fluid.

Importance: Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating complication of cancer that is frequently underdiagnosed owing to the low sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytologic assessment, the current benchmark diagnostic method. Improving diagnostic sensitivity may lead to improved treatment decisions. Objective: To assess whether cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis of CSF may be used to diagnose LMD more accurately than cytologic analysis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This diagnostic study conducted in a neuro-oncology clinic at 2 large, tertiary medical centers assessed the use of genomic sequencing of CSF samples obtained from 30 patients with suspected or confirmed LMD from 2015 through 2018 to identify tumor-derived cfDNA. From the same CSF samples, cytologic analyses were conducted, and the results of the 2 tests were compared. This study consisted of 2 patient populations: 22 patients with cytologically confirmed LMD without parenchymal tumors abutting their CSF and 8 patients with parenchymal brain metastases with no evidence of LMD. Patients were considered positive for the presence of LMD if previous CSF cytologic analysis was positive for malignant cells. The analysis was conducted from 2015 to 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of cfDNA analysis, defined as the number of tests that resulted in correct diagnoses out of the total number of tests assayed. Hypotheses were formed before data collection. Results: In total, 30 patients (23 women [77%]; median age, 51 years [range, 28-81 years]), primarily presenting with metastatic solid malignant neoplasms, participated in this study. For 48 follow-up samples from patients previously diagnosed via cytologic analysis as having LMD with no parenchymal tumor abutting CSF, cfDNA findings were accurate in the assessment of LMD in 45 samples (94%; 95% CI, 83%-99%), whereas cytologic analysis was accurate in 36 samples (75%; 95% CI, 60%-86%), a significant difference (P = .02). Of 43 LMD-positive samples, CSF cfDNA analysis was sensitive to LMD in 40 samples (93%; 95% CI, 81%-99%), and cytologic analysis was sensitive to LMD in 31 samples (72%; 95% CI, 56%-85%), a significant difference (P = .02). For 3 patients with parenchymal brain metastases abutting the CSF and no suspicion of LMD, cytologic findings were negative for LMD in all 3 patients, whereas cfDNA findings were positive in all 3 patients. Conclusions and Relevance: This diagnostic study found improved sensitivity and accuracy of cfDNA CSF testing vs cytologic assessment for diagnosing LMD with the exception of parenchymal tumors abutting CSF, suggesting improved ability to diagnosis LMD. Consideration of incorporating CSF cfDNA analysis into clinical care is warranted.

Anti-EGFR VHH-armed death receptor ligand-engineered allogeneic stem cells have therapeutic efficacy in diverse brain metastatic breast cancers.

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) shows brain metastatic (BM) capability and overexpresses EGFR and death-receptors 4/5 (DR4/5); however, the anatomical location of BM prohibits efficient drug-delivery to these targetable markers. In this study, we developed BLBC-BM mouse models featuring different patterns of BMs and explored the versatility of estem cell (SC)-mediated bi-functional EGFR and DR4/5-targeted treatment in these models. Most BLBC lines demonstrated a high sensitivity to EGFR and DR4/5 bi-targeting therapeutic protein, EVDRL [anti-EGFR VHH (EV) fused to DR ligand (DRL)]. Functional analyses using inhibitors and CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts revealed that the EV domain facilitated in augmenting DR4/5-DRL binding and enhancing DRL-induced apoptosis. EVDRL secreting stem cells alleviated tumor-burden and significantly increased survival in mouse models of residual-tumor after macrometastasis resection, perivascular niche micrometastasis, and leptomeningeal metastasis. This study reports mechanism based simultaneous targeting of EGFR and DR4/5 in BLBC and defines a new treatment paradigm for treatment of BM.

Inequality in mortality in pre-industrial southern Europe during an epidemic episode: socio-economic determinants (eighteenth - nineteenth centuries Spain).

The objective of this study is to gain more comprehensive knowledge about social inequality in mortality in pre-industrial periods. With this aim, we have reconstructed the life courses of the inhabitants of the town of Vera in south-east Spain for the period 1797-1812 in order to estimate the influence of socio-economic status on ordinary and extraordinary mortality, given that, during this period, the town suffered from several epidemic outbreaks of yellow fever. As a result of these outbreaks, around a quarter of the town's population died. The results obtained indicate social inequality in mortality at least from the end of the eighteenth century. Although the differences are higher in mortality caused by non-infectious diseases or ill-defined causes, the coefficients also show a certain social gradient in mortality derived from infectious diseases. However, with respect to this latter type of mortality, the place of residence - seems to have a greater influence on the chances of survival than socio-economic status.

¿Conocen los profesionales de cuidados intensivos el documento de voluntades anticipadas? Revisión crítica / Are palliative care proffesionals aware of the advanced care planning document? Critical review

JUSTIFICACIÓN: Las instrucciones previas o documento de voluntades anticipadas (IP/DVA) constituyen un conjunto de documentos en los que el paciente puede dejar constancia de cómo desea morir o ser tratado al final de su vida, con el fin de que su voluntad sea respetada. En 1998 surgió una nueva corriente, Advance Care Planning (Planificación Anticipada de las Decisiones). En ella, el DVA aparece como una herramienta, resultado final de un amplio proceso de comunicación que exige a los profesionales sanitarios una formación acorde para proporcionar una mejor atención sanitaria al final de la vida. A este respecto, son varios los estudios que muestran que una inadecuada formación en los cuidados al final de la vida, especialmente en las unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI), dificulta las habilidades y actitudes en la comunicación, los cuidados y el respeto del DVA con todas las medidas que contempla y, en definitiva, dificulta mantener la dignidad en el proceso de la muerte del paciente. OBJETIVO: Analizar la competencia (conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes) de médicos y enfermeras de las UCI de la Comunidad de Madrid sobre las IP o DVA. DISEÑO: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal. LUGAR Y PERÍODO: Nueve hospitales de la Comunidad de Madrid, entre octubre y diciembre de 2010. PARTICIPANTES: Se encuestó a una muestra de conveniencia cuyos criterios de inclusión fueron todos los médicos y enfermeras de las UCI de adultos de los nueve hospitales. INTERVENCIÓN: Cuestionario ad hoc estructurado, anónimo, autocumplimentado, con variables dicotómicas y escala de tipo Likert. RECOGIDA DE DATOS Y ANÁLISIS: Las variables estudiadas fueron: sociodemográficas, de conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes. Para la entrega de los cuestionarios se contactó con las supervisoras de las unidades y jefes de servicio, se hizo una charla informativa, se colgaron carteles informativos y se repartieron los cuestionarios a través de los investigadores y personas de enlace. Para la recogida de las encuestas se dispuso de urnas ubicadas en las unidades. La entrega de formularios se realizó mediante consentimiento informado previo y el estudio fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética e Investigación Clínica del Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid. as variables cualitativas se describieron mediante frecuencias absolutas y relativas porcentuales de sus categorías, y se buscaron asociaciones con la prueba de ji cuadrado o el test exacto de Fisher. En las variables objeto de análisis se calculó su intervalo de confianza para un error a del 5 %, a través del programa estadístico SPSS V. 18.0. RESULTADOS: Se entregaron 649 encuestas en total y se recogieron 331 al terminar el periodo de recepción (3 meses). La tasa de respuesta fue del 51 %. De las características sociodemográficas destaca que el 73,4 % (243) de los profesionales eran mujeres y el 67,2 % (222) con más de 31 años; del total, el 20,5 % (68) eran médicos y el 79,5 % (263) profesionales de enfermería. Los resultados obtenidos con relación a los conocimientos muestran que el 64,4 % de los encuestados afirma no conocer los diferentes documentos que existen para expresar últimas voluntades. Con relación a las medidas concretas que contemplan las IP, como son la limitación del esfuerzo terapéutico, los cuidados paliativos, la donación de órganos, el rechazo a la obstinación terapéutica y la asignación de un representante legal, tan solo el 9,7 % de los profesionales las conocían todas. El 82,8 % opinaba que el DVA es un instrumento útil para los profesionales en la toma de decisiones. El 50,2 % opinaba que los DVA no se respetan. El 85,3 % de los médicos respetaría el DVA de un paciente en caso de urgencia vital, frente al 66,2 % de las enfermeras (p = 0,007). Solo el 19,1 % de los médicos y el 2,3 % de las enfermeras conocían si los pacientes que llevaban a su cargo poseían un DVA (p < 0,001). CONCLUSIONES: Aunque los profesionales sanitarios muestran conocimientos escasos sobre las IP, presentan una actitud favorable hacia su utilidad. Sin embargo, la mayoría no conocen si los pacientes que están a su cargo poseen un DVA e incluso algunos profesionales, a pesar de conocerlo, en caso de urgencia vital no lo respetarían. Se hace necesaria una mayor formación sobre las IP

Single-arm, open-label phase 2 trial of pembrolizumab in patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

An increasing fraction of patients with metastatic cancer develop leptomeningeal dissemination of disease (LMD), and survival is dismal1-3. We conducted a single-arm, phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with solid tumor malignancies and LMD (NCT02886585). Patients received 200 mg of pembrolizumab intravenously every 3 weeks until definitive progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was rate of overall survival at 3 months (OS3). Secondary objectives included toxicity, response rate and time to intracranial or extracranial disease progression. A Simon two-stage design was used to compare a null hypothesis OS3 of 18% against an alternative of 43%. Twenty patients-17 with breast cancer, two with lung cancer and one with ovarian cancer-were enrolled into the pre-specified evaluation group having received at least one dose of pembrolizumab. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 6.3 months (range, 2.2-12.5 months). The percentage of patients who experienced one (or more) grade 3 or higher adverse events at least possibly related to treatment was 40%, the most frequent being hyperglycemia (n = 6), nausea (n = 7) and vomiting (n = 7). The study met the primary endpoint, as 12 of 20 (OS3, 0.60; 90% confidence interval, 0.39-0.78) patients were alive at 3 months after enrollment. Pembrolizumab is safe and feasible and displays promising activity in patients with LMD. Further investigations are needed to identify which patients with LMD can benefit from pembrolizumab.

Impact Assessment of an Innovative Integrated Care Model for Older Complex Patients with Multimorbidity: The CareWell Project.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact in terms of use of health services, clinical outcomes, functional status, and patient's satisfaction of an integrated care program, the CareWell program, for complex patients with multimorbidity, supported by information and communication technology platforms in six European regions. DATA SOURCES: Primary data were used and the follow-up period ranged between 8 and 12 months. STUDY DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study, targeting chronic patients aged 65 or older, with 2 or more conditions - one of them necessarily being diabetes, congestive heart failure or congestive obstructive pulmonary disease. The intervention group received the integrated care program and the control group received usual care. Generalized mixed regression models were used. DATA COLLECTION: Data were obtained from individual interviews and electronic clinical records. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Overall, 856 patients were recruited (475 intervention and 381 control). In the intervention group, the number of visits to emergency rooms was significantly lower, and the number of visits to the general practitioners and primary care nurses was higher than in the control group. CONCLUSION: The CareWell program resulted in improvements in the use of health services, strengthening the role of PC as the cornerstone of care provision for complex patients with multimorbidity.

Publisher Correction: Single-arm, open-label phase 2 trial of pembrolizumab in patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Evaluación cuantitativa de la atención recibida por los pacientes crónicos avanzados en un hospital comarcal / A quantitative assessment of the care received by advanced chronic patients in a regional hospital

OBJETIVO: Valorar la necesidad potencial de cuidados paliativos durante el último mes de vida de una muestra de pacientes fallecidos en un hospital comarcal de Mallorca, y cuantificar los procesos diagnósticos y terapéuticos que reciben durante su estancia hospitalaria, estimando también el coste económico. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo sobre 119 pacientes fallecidos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Un profesional experto en cuidados paliativos revisó la historia clínica cuantificando el uso de servicios y los procedimientos aplicados. Para la estimación de los costes se utilizaron los Grupos Relacionados con el Diagnóstico. RESULTADOS: El análisis de datos se realizó sobre 62 mujeres y 57 hombres, con una edad media de 78,15 ± 12,62 años. La prevalencia de pacientes fallecidos que cumplieron criterios de necesidad de atención paliativa fue del 88,81 %, con una identificación previa de pacientes paliativos del 6,7 %. El cáncer apareció como diagnóstico en 44 casos. La media de pruebas de imagen realizadas fue de 3,61 ± 2,70, analíticas de sangre de 7,46 ± 7,69 y tratamientos con antibióticos de 1,51 ± 1,60. El coste total medio de la atención prestada a la muestra fue de 5.662,44 €. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados evidencian la elevada prevalencia de pacientes con necesidad de atención paliativa entre el total de fallecidos y una baja identificación previa. Se observa una alta frecuentación de los servicios hospitalarios y una alta aplicación de procedimientos invasivos en el último mes de vida, con el elevado coste económico y potencial de sufrimiento que supone

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential need for palliative care during the last month of life in patients who passed away at a regional hospital in Mallorca, and to quantify the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures they underwent during their stay with an estimation of the costs incurred. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 119 deceased patients meeting the inclusion criteria. An expert in palliative care reviewed their medical records and quantified the services and procedures that were provided. Costs were estimated based on diagnosisrelated groups (DRGs). RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 62women and 57 men, with a mean age of 78.15 ± 12.62 years. The prevalence of deceased patients who met the criteria for palliative care need was 88.81 %, with prior identification of palliative patients at 6.7 %. Cancer was found to be the diagnosis in 44 cases. The mean number of imaging tests was 3.61 ± 2.70, that of blood tests was 7.46 ± 7.69, and that of antibiotic treatments was 1.51 ± 1.60. The average total cost of care was € 5,662.44. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal a high prevalence of patients with palliative care need among the total number of deceased subjects, and a low rate of prior identifications. Frequentation of hospital services was found to be high, as was the use of invasive procedures in the last month of life, which potentially entails high costs and patient suffering

Targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway with the pan-Akt inhibitor GDC-0068 in PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer brain metastases.

BACKGROUND: Activating mutations in the pathway of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) occur in 43-70% of breast cancer brain metastasis patients. To date, the treatment of these patients presents an ongoing challenge, mainly because of the lack of targeted agents that are able to sufficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier. GDC-0068 is a pan-Akt inhibitor that has shown to be effective in various preclinical tumor models as well as in clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy of GDC-0068 in a breast cancer brain metastases model. METHODS: In in vitro studies, antitumor activity of GDC-0068 was assessed in breast cancer cells of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA)-mutant and PIK3CA-wildtype breast cancer cell lines using cell viability and apoptosis assays, cell cycle analysis, and western blots. In vivo, the efficacy of GDC-0068 was analyzed in a PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer brain metastasis orthotopic xenograft mouse model and evaluated by repeated bioluminescent imaging and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: GDC-0068 decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, and inhibited phosphorylation of proline rich Akt substrate 40 kDa and p70 S6 kinase in a dose-dependent manner in PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer brain metastatic cell lines compared with PIK3CA-wildtype cell lines. In vivo, treatment with GDC-0068 notably inhibited the growth of PIK3CA-mutant tumors and resulted in a significant survival benefit compared with sham, whereas no effect was detected in a PIK3CA-wildtype model. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the Akt inhibitor GDC-0068 may be an encouraging targeted treatment strategy for breast cancer brain metastasis patients with activating mutations in the PI3K pathway. These data provide a rationale to further evaluate the efficacy of GDC-0068 in patients with brain metastases.

Cordons Sanitaires and the Rationalisation Process in Southern Europe (Nineteenth-Century Majorca).

Never before the nineteenth century had Europeans, especially in the south, adopted cordons sanitaires in such great numbers or at such a fast rate. This article aims to analyse the process of the rationalisation and militarisation of the cordons sanitaires imposed in the fight against epidemics during the nineteenth century on the Mediterranean island of Majorca (Spain). These cordons should be understood as a declaration of war by the authorities on emerging epidemics. Epidemics could generate sudden and intolerably high rises in mortality that the new liberal citizenship found unacceptable. Toleration of this type of measure was the result of a general consensus, with hardly any opposition, which not only obtained the support of scientists (especially in the field of medicine) but also of most of the local and provincial political elite, and even of the population at large.

¿La planificación de decisiones anticipadas mejora la calidad de vida de pacientes con enfermedad de la motoneurona? / Does advance care planning improve the quality of life of patients with motor neuron disease?

Fundamentos: La enfermedad de la motoneurona (EMN) es una enfermedad grave, caracterizada por una progresiva pérdida de la función motora, asociada a un deterioro cognitivo, y en ocasiones, acompañada de demencia frontotemploral. Aunque existen tecnologías que sostienen la vida de estos pacientes (por ejemplo, ventilación no invasiva y nutrición enteral), estas pueden comprometer su calidad de vida. Iniciar de manera oportuna la planificación de decisiones anticipadas (PDA) permite a los pacientes participar y elegir futuros cuidados; sin embargo, este enfoque esta poco explorado en pacientes con la EMN. Objetivo: Investigar las perspectivas de los cuidadores en la aceptación e impacto de la PDA, registrado en formato de carta, para pacientes con la EMN y sus cuidadores. Diseño: Estudio transversal cualitativo. Los datos fueron analizados desde un enfoque de síntesis narrativa. Participantes y emplazamiento: Se mantuvieron entrevistas estructuradas con personas que habían sido cuidadoras de pacientes con EMN. Diez de los cuales habían creado una directiva avanzada específica de la enfermedad, una «letter of future care» (LFC) los 8 restantes no. Resultados: Emergieron un total de 4 temas principales: preparación para la muerte, empoderamiento, relaciones y aclarar decisiones y elecciones. Algunos sintieron que la LFC era o podría ser beneficiosa, proporcionando autonomía y respeto para los pacientes, facilitar la toma de decisiones difíciles y mejor la comunicación dentro de las familias. Sin embargo, la «preparación» de los individuos para aceptar la invasión de la muerte podría influir en su realización. El momento oportuno para comenzar la planificación avanzada de los cuidados puede depender de las características personales y de las del caso clínico. Conclusión: La planificación de los cuidados avanzados puede ayudar a los pacientes a lograr un sentido de control y «la mente en paz» y facilitar importantes debates familiares. Sin embargo, la elección del momento oportuno y el estilo de su introducción necesitan ser enfocados con sensibilidad. Herramientas y estrategias que incrementen la eficacia de la PDA parar la EMN deberían ser evaluadas e implementadas (AU)

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Evaluación de necesidades paliativas en el paciente con enfermedad renal crónica en hemodiálisis / Palliative needs assessment in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis

Introducción: Los cuidados paliativos aportan una atención necesaria que promueve una respuesta integral y coordinada del sistema sanitario respetando la autonomía y valores de los pacientes en situación de final de vida. Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de necesidad de cuidados paliativos en la unidad de hemodiálisis de nuestro centro mediante el instrumento validado NECPAL CCOMSS-ICO e identificar la situación de complejidad en pacientes con necesidades paliativas usando la herramienta de IDC-Pal. Material y Método: Estudio observacional transversal. Tres enfermeras con formación en cuidados paliativos y en el uso de los cuestionarios NECPAL CCOMS-ICO y el IDC-Pal evaluaron de forma independiente a todos los pacientes de la unidad de crónicos de hemodiálisis. Las evaluaciones fueron realizadas entre los días 6 y 10 de marzo. Las discrepancias se resolvieron consensuando el resultado final entre las tres profesionales. Resultados: Se analizaron a 50 pacientes, con una edad media de 68.24. El perfil de paciente más frecuente fue aquel con un tiempo de permanencia en hemodiálisis de 48,8 meses de media. La enfermedad renal primaria y comorbilidad más prevalente fueron la nefropatía diabética (26%) y la hipertensión arterial (56%) respectivamente. Se identificaron 20 pacientes con necesidad de atención paliativa (40%). Respecto a la evaluación del IDC-Pal, se obtuvieron 19 pacientes en situación de complejidad y 1 en situación de no complejidad. Conclusiones: Las necesidades paliativas complejas sugieren la necesidad de realizar evaluaciones periódicas en las unidades de hemodiálisis, así como un enfoque asistencial multidisciplinar para dar respuesta a las necesidades identificadas (AU)

Introduction: The palliative care provides a necessary attention that promotes a comprehensive response and coordination of the health system respecting the autonomy and values of patients in the end-of-life situation. Aim: To determine the prevalence of the need for palliative care in the hemodialysis unit of our center using the validated instrument NECPAL CCOMSS-ICO and to identify the complexity situation in patients with palliative needs using IDC-Pal. Material and Method: Cross-sectional observational study. Three nurses trained in palliative care and in the use of the NECPAL CCOMS-ICO and IDC-Pal questionnaires independently assessed all patients in the chronic hemodialysis unit. The evaluations were carried out between the 6th and 10th of March. The discrepancies were resolved agreeing the final result among the three professionals. Results: 50 patients were analysed, with a mean age of 68.24. The most frequent patient profile was with a permanence time in hemodialysis of 48.8 months of means. The most prevalent renal disease and comorbidity were diabetic nephropathy (26%) and hypertension (56%), respectively. 20 patients with palliative care (40%) were identified. Regarding the evaluation of the IDC-Pal, 19 patients were obtained in a situation of complexity and 1 in situation of non-complexity. Conclusions: Complex palliative needs suggest the need for periodic evaluations in hemodialysis units, as well as a multidisciplinary care approach to respond to identified needs (AU)

Key aspects related to implementation of risk stratification in health care systems-the ASSEHS study.

BACKGROUND: The lack of proven efficacy of new healthcare interventions represents a problem for health systems globally. It is partly related to suboptimal implementation processes, leading to poor adoption of new interventions. Activation of Stratification Strategies and Results of the interventions on frail patients of Healthcare Services (ASSEHS) EU project (N° 2013 12 04) aims to study current existing health Risk Stratification (RS) strategies and tools on frail elderly patients. This paper aims at identifying variables that make the implementation of population RS tools feasible in different healthcare services. METHODS: Two different methods have been used to identify the key elements in stratification implementation; i) a Scoping Review, in order to search and gather scientific evidence and ii) Semi-structured interviews with six key experts that had been actively involved in the design and/or implementation of RS strategies. It aims to focus the implementation construct on real-life contextual understandings, multi-level perspectives, and cultural influences. RESULTS: A Feasibility Framework has been drawn. Two dimensions impact the feasibility of RS: (i) Planning, deployment and change management and (ii) Care intervention. The former comprises communication, training and mutual learning, multidisciplinarity of the team, clinicians' engagement, operational plan and ICT display and functionalities. The latter includes case finding and selection of the target population, pathway definition and quality improvement process. CONCLUSIONS: The Feasibility Framework provides a list of key elements that should be considered for an effective implementation of population risk stratification interventions. It helps to identify, plan and consider relevant elements to ensure a proper RS implementation.