Palliative Care in Heart Failure: The PAL-HF Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
BACKGROUND: Advanced heart failure (HF) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Conventional therapy may not sufficiently reduce patient suffering and maximize quality of life. OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated whether an interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in addition to evidence-based HF care improves certain outcomes. METHODS: The authors randomized 150 patients with advanced HF between August 15, 2012, and June 25, 2015, to usual care (UC) (n = 75) or UC plus a palliative care intervention (UC + PAL) (n = 75) at a single center. Primary endpoints were 2 quality-of-life measurements, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) overall summary and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care scale (FACIT-Pal), assessed at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included assessments of depression and anxiety (measured via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), spiritual well-being (measured via the FACIT-Spiritual Well-Being scale [FACIT-Sp]), hospitalizations, and mortality. RESULTS: Patients randomized to UC + PAL versus UC alone had clinically significant incremental improvement in KCCQ and FACIT-Pal scores from randomization to 6 months (KCCQ difference = 9.49 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94 to 18.05, p = 0.030; FACIT-Pal difference = 11.77 points, 95% CI: 0.84 to 22.71, p = 0.035). Depression improved in UC + PAL patients (HADS-depression difference = -1.94 points; p = 0.020) versus UC-alone patients, with similar findings for anxiety (HADS-anxiety difference = -1.83 points; p = 0.048). Spiritual well-being was improved in UC + PAL versus UC-alone patients (FACIT-Sp difference = 3.98 points; p = 0.027). Randomization to UC + PAL did not affect rehospitalization or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: An interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in advanced HF patients showed consistently greater benefits in quality of life, anxiety, depression, and spiritual well-being compared with UC alone. (Palliative Care in Heart Failure [PAL-HF]; NCT01589601).
Full Text
Duke Authors
- Anstrom, Kevin J.
- Fiuzat, Mona
- Johnson, Kimberly Sherell
- Mark, Daniel Benjamin
- Mentz, Robert John
- O'Connor, Christopher Michael
- Patel, Chetan B.
- Rogers, Joseph G.
- Steinhauser, Karen E.
- Taylor Jr., Donald H.
Cited Authors
- Rogers, JG; Patel, CB; Mentz, RJ; Granger, BB; Steinhauser, KE; Fiuzat, M; Adams, PA; Speck, A; Johnson, KS; Krishnamoorthy, A; Yang, H; Anstrom, KJ; Dodson, GC; Taylor, DH; Kirchner, JL; Mark, DB; O'Connor, CM; Tulsky, JA
Published Date
- July 18, 2017
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 70 / 3
Start / End Page
- 331 - 341
PubMed ID
- 28705314
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC5664956
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1558-3597
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.05.030
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States