Project Description/Purpose

The partnership supported nine partners across Canada to implement projects to optimize the quality, delivery and access to palliative care in Canada. 

The project focuses on developing and implementing approaches to routinely and systematically collect and use patient-reported outcomes with cancer patients (and/or non-cancer patients with palliative care needs) or on implementing processes for early identification and integration of patients into palliative care. Projects will include a focus on one or both areas.

While differences existing in the implementation across funded partners and jurisdictions, each is aiming to:

a) Identify and address the supportive and palliative care needs of patients earlier;

b) Improve the patient experience and optimize quality of life for patients with palliative care needs;

c) drive a system change in their jurisdiction to improve the management of cancer patients, especially those near the end of life.

The objective of the economic evaluation is to determine the difference in benefits and costs between these new approaches to managing patients with palliative care needs and current practice. This information will supplement the broader evaluation by providing information to better understand the extent to which the new models of care deliver 'value for money' relative to current practice. This information is important for making informed decisions that can impact the sustainability of the program and the system.

Study Timeline

2018-2022

Research Team

Murray Krahn, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Valeria Rac, MD, PhD

Yeva Sahakyan, MD, MPH, MSc

Aleksandra Stanimirovic, MPH, PhD

Karen E. Bremner,, BSc

Steven Carcone, MSc

Funding

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer