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Application techniques (26%) was the most relevant category, cancer pain (24%) was the most frequently addressed symptom. About half of the enquiries (48%) dealt with off-label us, regarding an application mode outside the license.

The information needs on palliative care pharmacotherapy seem to be particularly high among physicians. The demand for information in the area of application technology is particularly apparent and demonstrates a therapeutic gap in terms of availability of suitable preparations as well as necessary information.

The information needs on palliative care pharmacotherapy seem to be particularly high among physicians. The demand for information in the area of application technology is particularly apparent and demonstrates a therapeutic gap in terms of availability of suitable preparations as well as necessary information.

The Collaborative Care Model improves care processes and outcomes but has never been tested for palliative care.

To develop and evaluate a model of collaborative oncology palliative care for Stage IV cancer.

We conducted a pre-post evaluation of Collaborative Oncology Palliative Care (CO-Pal), enrolling patients with Stage IV lung, breast or genitourinary cancers and acute illness hospitalization. CO-Pal has 4 components 1) oncologist communication skills training; 2) patient tracking; 3) palliative care needs assessment; and 4) care coordination stratified by high vs. low palliative care need. Health record reviews from hospital admission through 60 days provided data on outcomes - goals-of-care discussions (primary outcome), advance care planning, symptom treatment, specialty palliative care and hospice use, and hospital transfers.

We enrolled 256 patients (n = 114 pre and n = 142 post-intervention); 60-day mortality was 32%. Comparing patients pre vs post-intervention, CO-Pal did not increase overall goals-of-care discussions, but did increase advance care planning (48% vs 63%, P = 0.021) and hospice use (19% vs 31%, P = 0.034). CO-Pal did not impact symptom treatment, overall treatment plans, or 60-day hospital transfers. During the intervention phase, high-need vs low-need patients had more goals-of-care discussions (60% vs. 15%, P < 0.001) and more use of specialty palliative care (64% vs 22%, P < 0.001) and hospice (44% vs 16%, P < 0.001).

Collaborative oncology palliative care is efficient and feasible. While it did not increase overall goals-of-care discussions, it was effective to increase overall advance care planning and hospice use for patients with Stage IV cancer.

Collaborative oncology palliative care is efficient and feasible. While it did not increase overall goals-of-care discussions, it was effective to increase overall advance care planning and hospice use for patients with Stage IV cancer.

Cancer cachexia negatively affects quality of life (QoL) and increases symptom burden. A multimodal treatment approach may optimize cachexia outcomes, including QoL. We evaluated QoL and symptoms over time among patients attending a multidisciplinary clinical service for cancer cachexia.

Adults with cancer who attended the clinical service three times between 2017 and 2020 were included. Quality of life and symptoms were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL) and the Functional Assessment Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) questionnaires. Physical function was assessed using the 30s sit-to-stand test and handgrip strength.

Overall, 162 patients (age = 67.2 ± 12.0 years) were included. Mean six-month weight loss at baseline was 10.4% ± 9.4%. Mean body weight was stable between clinic visits (P = 0.904) and no change in sit-to-stand repetitions (P = 0.133) or handgrip strength (P = 0.734) occurrant improvements in QoL and symptoms were associated with attending a cancer cachexia clinical service. Our findings support using multidisciplinary, multimodal cancer cachexia treatment approaches to improve patient wellbeing.

First-generation Chinese American patients have low engagement in advance care planning (ACP). Among the causes may be clinician uncertainty about traditional cultural values.

Based on a survey identifying barriers to ACP among older ethnic Chinese American patients, we created a toolkit to support clinicians in culturally relevant ACP practices and conducted a pilot test to evaluate usability, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes.

The toolkit includes culturally relevant information and an ACP guideline with a prompt list of questions. Six clinicians (three physicians, two nurse practitioners, and one physician assistant) in two New York City-based practices piloted the toolkit through discussions with 66 patients.

Patients' age averaged 70.2 years (SD=12.4); 56.1% were women. Almost two-thirds had not finished high school and 53.0% spoke only Cantonese. More than three-quarters (78.8%) did not understand the purpose of ACP before the discussion. PS-1145 During the discussion, 58 patients (87.9%) completed a new proxy naming a health care agent, 21 (31.8%) requested a nonhospital DNR order, and two (3%) completed a living will. Topics discussed included treatment preferences (discussed with 80.3% of patients); health care values (77.3%); treatment decisions (72.7%); goals of care (68.2%), and hospice (1.5%). Five of the six clinicians expressed satisfaction ("very" or "somewhat") with the toolkit, four were "very" comfortable using it, and three stated that it helped them "a lot" with effective discussions.

An ACP toolkit may facilitate culturally relevant ACP discussions by increasing clinician competency and patient engagement. Further studies of this approach are needed.

An ACP toolkit may facilitate culturally relevant ACP discussions by increasing clinician competency and patient engagement. Further studies of this approach are needed.

No national data exist on hospice medication shortages, the frequency that opioid medications go missing, and drug disposal practices.

To provide national estimates for hospices on drug shortages; frequency of missing medications; and opioids left in the home post-death.

A national survey of 600 randomly selected hospices stratified by state and profit status (data collection 2018). Sample weights were applied to adjust for non-response. Respondents were hospice representatives knowledgeable about agency policies and practices. Participants reported their knowledge and perceptions about medication shortages, frequency that opioid medications go missing, and the proportion of hospice deaths in which opioids are left in the home. Findings were stratified by agency size.

371 hospices completed surveys (response rate = 62%), half (50%) of which were mid-sized (26-100 patients), and not-for-profit. Respondents had 7.5 years (SD = 7.7) of agency experience. 42% of hospices - and 61% of large hospices - reported medication shortages.