Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33655535›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2021

Referral criteria to specialist palliative care for patients with dementia: A systematic review.

Li Mo, Yimin Geng, Yuchieh Kathryn Chang, Jennifer Philip, Anna Collins, David Hui

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Family Caregivers' Perspectives on Challenges and Support Needs in Hospital-Based Palliative Care for Persons Living With Dementia.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Li MoDepartment of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0629-4217
Yimin GengResearch Medical Library, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Yuchieh Kathryn ChangDepartment of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Jennifer PhilipDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia.
Anna CollinsDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia.
David HuiDepartment of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.

Funding

Efficacy and Safety of Rapid-Onset Opioids for Exertional Dyspnea in Cancer PatientsR01CA231471 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI HUI, DAVID · 2020 to 2024
$1.9M
Strategies for Persistent Agitated Delirium in Palliative CareR01CA225701 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI HUI, DAVID · 2019 to 2022
$1.9M
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Dexamethasone for Dyspnea in Cancer PatientsR01CA214960 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI HUI, DAVID · 2017 to 2020
$1.6M
Palliative Therapies for Refractory Delirium in Advanced CancerR21NR016736 · NINR · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI HUI, DAVID · 2017 to 2018
$455k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA214960NCI NIH HHS R01CA214960-01A1NCI NIH HHS R01 CA225701NCI NIH HHS R01CA225701-01A1NCI NIH HHS R01 CA231471NCI NIH HHS R01CA231471-01A1NINR NIH HHS 1R21NR016736-01NINR NIH HHS R21 NR016736
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with dementia often have significant symptom burden and a progressive course of functional deterioration. Specialist palliative care referral may be helpful, but it is unclear who and when patients should be referred. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine referral criteria for palliative care among patients with dementia.

methodsWe searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and CINAHL databases for articles from inception to December 3, 2019, related to specialist palliative care referral for dementia. Two investigators independently reviewed the citations for inclusion, extracted the referral criteria, and categorized them thematically.

resultsOf the 1788 citations, 59 articles were included in the final sample. We identified 13 categories of referral criteria, including 6 disease-based and 7 needs-based criteria. The most commonly discussed criterion was "dementia stage" (n = 43, 73%), followed by "new diagnosis of dementia" (n = 17, 29%), "medical complications of dementia" (n = 12, 20%), "prognosis" (n = 11, 19%), and "physical symptoms" (n = 11, 19%). Under dementia stage, 37/44 (84%) articles recommended a palliative care referral for advanced dementia. Pneumonia (n = 6, 10%), fall/fracture (n = 4, 7%), and decubitus ulcers (n = 4, 7%) were most commonly discussed complications to trigger a referral. Under prognosis, the time frame for referral varied from <2 years of life expectancy to <6 months. 3 (5%) of articles recommended "surprise question" as a potential trigger.

conclusionsThis systematic review highlighted the lack of consensus regarding referral criteria for palliative care in patients with dementia and the need to identify timely triggers to standardize referral.

Indexed as

Palliative CareSeverity of Illness IndexDementiaHumansPrognosisReferral and Consultationdementiapalliative carereferral and consultationselection criteriasystematic review

Identifiers

PMID33655535
PMCPMC8211371

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.