The Necessity of Palliative Care Interventions in Emergency Departments: A Literature Review.

Abstract

Palliative care, a beacon of relief and comfort, ensures the best quality of life for patients nearing death, a patient population that often presents to emergency departments, by providing interventions to promote comfort and support final wishes. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the outcomes of palliative care interventions for adult patients with chronic illnesses who have died in emergency departments. The literature review was conducted in CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, OVID, and APA Psych using the keywords "palliative," "emergency department," "adult," and "chronic disease." The search was limited to English language publications with no date limits and performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis statement standards. The search yielded 531 articles, with 226 duplicates excluded. After a review, only 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Common interventions included implementing screening tools, enhancing communication skills, providing end-of-life care education, and health record alerts for palliative care criteria. This review highlights how critical palliative care interventions are needed in emergency departments. The inevitability of seriously ill patients presenting to emergency departments underscores the urgency and importance of palliative care interventions, leading to increased comfort and decreasing distressing symptoms experienced by dying patients.