Patients suffering from heart failure often experience a burden of illness and palliative care needs that are comparable to those with cancer. Despite these significant needs, palliative care is frequently not offered to heart failure patients in a timely manner. A major obstacle in providing appropriate care is the challenge of effectively identifying those patients who would benefit most from palliative interventions. To address this, various palliative care needs-assessment and measurement tools have been developed and utilized. However, the question remains: which tool is the most suitable for heart failure populations?
A recent review sought to determine the most appropriate palliative care needs-assessment or measurement tools specifically for patients with heart failure. This comprehensive review analyzed studies that evaluated these tools within heart failure populations, focusing on their development, psychometric properties, and effectiveness in identifying patients’ palliative care needs. The research encompassed a thorough search of databases including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE Complete, and others, spanning from inception up to June 25, 2020.
The analysis included twenty-seven papers, representing nineteen distinct studies, predominantly quantitative and observational in nature. Six different tools were identified and meticulously compared based on their content, context of application, development process, psychometric characteristics, and their clinical utility in identifying patients with palliative care needs.
While the evidence base is still developing, the Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease – Heart Failure (NAT:PD-HF) emerged as the most promising palliative care needs-assessment tool for heart failure populations. This tool demonstrated comprehensive coverage of patient needs, strong psychometric properties, and evidence supporting its ability to identify patients appropriately. Nevertheless, the review emphasizes the ongoing need for further research. Specifically, more psychometric testing of these tools within heart failure patients is crucial, as is continued evaluation of their effectiveness in accurately identifying individuals who require palliative care.
