Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Inpatient Palliative Care: Prospective Evaluation With IPOS-POL.

Abstract

Effective palliative care requires a comprehensive assessment of symptoms to improve quality of life. This study evaluated the clinical utility of the Polish version of the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS-POL) in an inpatient setting. One hundred patients (68 oncological, 32 non-oncological) completed IPOS-POL at admission (T1) and after seven days (T2) between July 2022 and February 2023. While total IPOS scores remained stable (p = 0.3603), psychosocial distress increased significantly (p = 0.0217). Staff tended to underestimate drowsiness and psychosocial distress compared with patient self-reports. Female patients reported higher distress (p = 0.0374), and bedridden patients experienced more pain (p = 0.0146). Oncological patients reported greater pain (p = 0.0189), whereas non-oncological patients more frequently experienced breathlessness (p = 0.0297). These findings emphasize discrepancies in symptom perception between patients and staff and underline the importance of tailored interventions based on gender and functional status. Enhanced psychosocial support should be a priority in inpatient palliative care.