Identification of Elderly Patients in Need of Palliative Care by Family Physicians

Identification of Elderly Patients in Need of Palliative Care by Family Physicians - the Role of Palliative Care Training and the Use of a Standardized Tool (GerPal_ID). A Two-phase Protocol: Randomized Trial and Prevalence Study

In the last decades, the number of people living with chronic diseases had increased, mainly due to the aging of the population. Such chronic, progressive, life threatening and burdening diseases, play an important role in this new era of palliative care.

Despite the growing scientific and social interest in palliative care, there is still a delay in the identification of patients with palliative care needs. This leads to a late integration in a palliative care network and consequent deprivation of the major advantages of an early and progressive integration.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of palliative care training and the use of a structured tool, in the identification of the elderly population in need of palliative care by family physicians. And also to conduct a prevalence study to further the knowledge about how many elder people in primary care have the need of a palliative care approach.

The study consists of two phases:

1. Randomized trial with General Practitioners (GP) to determine the role of two different training programs and a structured tool in the identification of geriatric patients with palliative care needs.
2. Cross-sectional, analytical study of the prevalence and patterns of geriatric patients with Palliative Care (PC) needs, managed in primary care in Portugal's Center Healthcare Administrative Region.

Inclusion Criteria:

• GPs (fellows and specialists) from Center Healthcare Administrative Region

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous palliative care training.
• Refuse to participate