The development and evaluation of an inpatient palliative care admission triage tool

Abstract

Background: An increased demand for palliative care services has been demonstrated, in part due to an aging population and an enhanced role of palliative care in nonmalignant illness. In particular, there is a demand for inpatient palliative care unit beds, with several services now creating waiting lists for admission. The aim of this study was to explore the development, implementation, and outcomes following the introduction of an inpatient palliative care admission triage tool. Methods: The study consisted of two phases: (1) a developmental phase, in which a purposive-sampled group participated in a series of semistructured discussions to determine the clinical and administrative criteri..