Nursing Commons^™

Impact Of An Aprn Directed Workflow Change On Outpatient Palliative Care Referral Acceptance Rates, Stefanie Rashti

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

Patients diagnosed with an advanced disease or serious illness often experience a variety of distressing symptoms that can negatively impact their functional status and quality of life. Outpatient palliative care is a medical specialty that often requires a referral from a primary care or specialty care provider who has identified a need for specialized pain and symptom management, psychosocial or caregiver distress, end-of-life care management, or goals of care discussions. Despite notable effectiveness in the provision of palliative care for patients with advanced disease and serious illness, barriers exist that prevent patients from accepting palliative care referrals even after …