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Palliative Medicine, Vol. 22, No. 2, 145-151 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0269216307087164

research-article

The effect of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the dying: a multi-centre study

Laetitia Veerbeek

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam

Lia van Zuylen

Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam

Siebe J Swart

Nursing Home Laurens Antonius Ysselmonde, Rotterdam

Paul J van der Maas

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam

Elsbeth de Vogel-Voogt

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam

Carin CD van der Rijt

Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam

Agnes van der Heide

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam

We studied the effect of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) on the documentation of care, symptom burden and communication in three health care settings. Between November 2003 and February 2005 (baseline period), the care was provided as usual. Between February 2005 and February 2006 (intervention period), the LCP was used for all patients for whom the dying phase had started. After death of the patient, a nurse and a relative filled in a questionnaire. In the baseline period, 219 nurses and 130 relatives filled in a questionnaire for 220 deceased patients. In the intervention period, 253 nurses and 139 relatives filled in a questionnaire for 255 deceased patients. The LCP was used for 197 of them. In the intervention period, the documentation of care was significantly more comprehensive compared with the baseline period, whereas the average total symptom burden was significantly lower in the intervention period. LCP use contributes to the quality of documentation and symptom control.

Key Words: communication • end-of- life care • last three days • LCP • symptoms • multi-centre study


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