Mary Joanne Verhoef

Chapter 8 204 and information needs of patients with other illness trajectories can be provided. This study design can also be used to study symptom burden and information needs in patients in care settings other than the hospital, such as in general practice and in nursing homes. The research suggestions described above concern the LGP, but also apply to palliative care question prompt lists in general. To support future research on question prompt lists in palliative care, McDarby et al. recently composed a research agenda concerning the use of question prompt lists in outpatient palliative care.95 The authors state that more knowledge and insights are needed on five questions: • which patient populations with palliative care needs will use and benefit from using a question prompt list? • what is the right timing of providing a question prompt list and how could a question prompt list be provided best in the context of outpatient palliative care consultations? • which patient and family outcomes are addressed by using a question prompt list in outpatient palliative care, and how are these outcomes addressed? • which characteristics of a question prompt list on palliative care contribute to the best benefits to patients and families in outpatient palliative care? • what are the potential benefits of using a question prompt list for palliative care clinicians and healthcare organisations? It is possible that the answers to each research question differ for the variety of question prompt lists, care settings and patient populations. It is important to study which situations demand certain kinds of question prompt lists. Additionally, it seems plausible that the same research questions hold for the use of question prompt lists inpatient palliative care, and that the answers may differ from outpatient palliative care. 8.4.2 Intention to produce good results and avoid (future) problems 1. Quality indicators for palliative care in patients with a haematological malignancy In paragraph 8.3.3.1 is suggested that commonly used indicators for the quality of end-oflife care may not reflect how haematologists think what quality of end-of-life care entails for their patients. To develop a list of quality indicators for end-of-life care in patients with a haematological malignancy, a study with a Delphi technique can be useful. In such a study, haematologists with an interest for palliative care or a specialisation in palliative care can be asked to make a list of priorities regarding quality end-of-life care. Such a list of indicators of quality end-of-life care in haematology can subsequently be used in an evaluation study to find opportunities for improvement of proactive palliative care. A commonly used method for the evaluation of end-of-life care is a mortality follow-back design. The follow-back period can be three months for evaluating the terminal phase

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