Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32507025›Full record

SynthesisPalliative medicine2020

Identification of patients with potential palliative care needs: A systematic review of screening tools in primary care.

Yousuf ElMokhallalati, Stephen H Bradley, Emma Chapman, Lucy Ziegler, Fliss Em Murtagh, Miriam J Johnson, Michael I Bennett

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Palliative medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
59citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

59 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 114 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Palliative Care Involvement in Hospitalized Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yousuf ElMokhallalatiAcademic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0047-1374
Stephen H BradleyAcademic Unit of Primary Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Emma ChapmanAcademic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2859-2020
Lucy ZieglerAcademic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Fliss Em MurtaghWolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
Miriam J JohnsonWolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6204-9158
Michael I BennettAcademic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
University of Leeds · GBUniversity of Hull · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite increasing evidence of the benefits of early access to palliative care, many patients do not receive palliative care in a timely manner. A systematic approach in primary care can facilitate earlier identification of patients with potential palliative care needs and prompt further assessment.

aimTo identify existing screening tools for identification of patients with advanced progressive diseases who are likely to have palliative care needs in primary healthcare and evaluate their accuracy.

designSystematic review (PROSPERO registration number CRD42019111568). DATA SOURCES: Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL were searched from inception to March 2019.

resultsFrom 4,127 unique articles screened, 25 reported the use or development of 10 screening tools. Most tools use prediction of death and/or deterioration as a proxy for the identification of people with potential palliative care needs. The tools are based on a wide range of general and disease-specific indicators. The accuracy of five tools was assessed in eight studies; these tools differed significantly in their ability to identify patients with potential palliative care needs with sensitivity ranging from 3% to 94% and specificity ranging from 26% to 99%.

conclusionThe ability of current screening tools to identify patients with advanced progressive diseases who are likely to have palliative care needs in primary care is limited. Further research is needed to identify standardised screening processes that are based not only on predicting mortality and deterioration but also on anticipating the palliative care needs and predicting the rate and course of functional decline. This would prompt a comprehensive assessment to identify and meet their needs on time.

Indexed as

Hospice and Palliative Care NursingPalliative CareDelivery of Health CareHumansPrimary Health Careadvance care planningmass screeningPalliative careprimary health caresymptom assessmentsystematic reviewterminal careterminally ill

Identifiers

PMID32507025
PMCPMC7388141
OpenAlexW3031913436

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.