Table 2.
Improvements in Clinical Outcomes and Patient Care
| Survey Item | Mean | SD | “Improved a Great Deal” or “Moderately Improved” Responses (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palliative care | |||
| Early referral to palliative care services | 3.92 | 0.93 | 75.0 |
| Symptom management | 3.90 | 0.94 | 76.2 |
| Referral for supportive care | 3.74 | 0.92 | 73.9 |
| Referral for terminal and end-of-life care | 3.61 | 1.08 | 60.9 |
| Patient acceptance of palliative referral | 3.37 | 1.12 | 52.6 |
| Overall palliative care | 3.71 | ||
| Benefits for team members | |||
| Improvement in working relationships with team members | 3.61 | 1.20 | 65.2 |
| Sharing of coordination of care | 3.52 | 0.99 | 56.5 |
| Sharing of responsibility for patient's care | 3.45 | 0.91 | 50.0 |
| Practical support for team members | 3.26 | 0.86 | 39.1 |
| Improvement of efficiency with work as a result of team membership | 3.19 | 1.03 | 42.9 |
| Emotional support for team members | 2.95 | 1.00 | 36.4 |
| Reduced likelihood of burnout for team members | 2.78 | 0.95 | 21.7 |
| Overall benefits for team members | 3.23 | ||
| Psychosocial care | |||
| Appropriateness of palliative care referrals | 3.71 | 1.00 | 70.8 |
| Assessment of patient needs | 3.63 | 0.92 | 70.8 |
| Assessment of practical issues | 3.56 | 0.96 | 64.0 |
| Improved psychosocial outcomes for patients | 3.54 | 1.14 | 62.5 |
| Value of meeting actions and recommendations | 3.52 | 0.99 | 65.2 |
| Assessment of patient's emotional status | 3.50 | 1.02 | 58.3 |
| Provision of practical support (eg, financial guidance, home help) | 3.50 | 0.83 | 54.2 |
| Assessment of care issues | 3.32 | 0.85 | 48.0 |
| Overall psychosocial care | 3.53 | ||
| Medical management | |||
| Outcomes for patients medically | 4.11 | 0.68 | 83.3 |
| Management recommendations | 4.05 | 1.05 | 75.0 |
| Symptom management | 3.90 | 1.07 | 75.0 |
| Confirmation of diagnosis (ABC) | 3.88 | 0.86 | 70.6 |
| Assessment of response or progression | 3.68 | 0.89 | 68.4 |
| Assessment of extent of disease | 3.55 | 0.95 | 60.0 |
| Overall medical management | 3.86 | ||
| Care in the community | |||
| Communication with community care providers | 3.36 | 0.66 | 45.5 |
| Provision of community-based care | 3.32 | 0.84 | 54.5 |
| Provision of support for the family, including children | 3.10 | 1.22 | 38.1 |
| Management of bereavement | 2.80 | 0.95 | 25.0 |
| Involvement of the patients' GPs in their care | 2.70 | 1.03 | 15.0 |
| Overall care in the community | 3.06 |
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; ABC, advance breast cancer; GPs, general practitioners.