Observational studyBMJ open2024
Palliative care needs and utilisation of specialist services for people diagnosed with motor neuron disease: a national population-based study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Diverging trends in motor neuron disease burden in China: an ageing-driven increase despite declining age-standardised rates - a GBD 2021 analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThere is a growing emphasis on the importance of the availability of specialist palliative care for people with motor neuron disease (MND). However, the palliative care needs of this population and the utilisation of different specialist services remain poorly defined.
objectivesTo (1) describe clinical characteristics, symptom burden and functional levels of patients dying with MND on their admission to palliative care services; (2) determine factors associated with receiving inpatient or community palliative care services.
designAn observational study based on point-of-care assessment data from the Australian Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration.
participantsA total of 1308 patients who received palliative care principally because of MND between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2020. MEASURES: Five validated clinical instruments were used to assess each individual's function, distress from symptoms, symptom severity and urgency and acuity of their condition.
resultsMost patients with MND had no or mild symptom distress, but experienced a high degree of functional impairment. Patients who required 'two assistants for full care' relative to those who were 'independent' (OR=11.53, 95% CI: 4.87 to 27.26) and those in 'unstable' relative to 'stable' palliative care phases (OR=16.74, 95% CI: 7.73 to 36.24) were more likely to use inpatient versus community-based palliative care. Associations between the use of different palliative care services and levels of symptom distress were not observed in this study.
conclusionsPatients with MND were more likely to need assistance for decreased function and activities of daily living, rather than symptom management. This population could have potentially been cared for in the palliative phase in a community setting if greater access to supportive services were available in this context.
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Registered trials
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