Trial reportBMC palliative care2024
Effects of timely case conferencing between general practitioners and specialist palliative care services on symptom burden in patients with advanced chronic disease: results of the cluster-randomised controlled KOPAL trial.
Trial report in BMC palliative care, 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.
- Tears, Suffering and System Failure: What My Father's Pain Revealed About the Canadian Healthcare System.Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante · 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
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients with advanced chronic non-malignant conditions often experience significant symptom burden. Therefore, overcoming barriers to interprofessional collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and specialist palliative home care (SPHC) teams is essential to facilitate the timely integration of palliative care elements. The KOPAL trial aimed to examine the impact of case conferences between GPs and SPHC teams on symptom burden and pain in patients with advanced chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dementia.
methodsThe cluster-randomised controlled trial compared a structured palliative care nurse visit followed by an interprofessional case conference to usual care. Data were collected from GPs at baseline and 48 weeks, while standardised patient interviews were conducted at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks.
resultsWe analysed 172 patients from 49 German GP practices. Both groups showed marginal improvement in symptom burden; however, no statistically significant between-group difference was found ([Formula: see text]=-0.561, 95% CI: -3.201-2.079, p = .68). Patients with dementia experienced a significant pain reduction ([Formula: see text]=2.187, 95% CI: 0.563-3.812, p = .009). Conversely, the intervention did not have a significant effect on pain severity ([Formula: see text]=-0.711, 95% CI: -1.430 - 0.008, p=.053) or pain interference ([Formula: see text]=-0.036, 95% CI:-0.797 - 0.725, p=.926) in other patient groups.
conclusionsThe intervention showed promise in the timely introduction of palliative care elements to address pain management in patients with dementia. Further studies are needed to identify and effectively address symptom burden and pain in other patient groups.
trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register: https://www.drks.de/DRKS00017795 (Registration date: 9th January 2020).
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