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Palliative care specialists’ perceptions concerning referral of haematology patients to their services: findings from a qualitative study

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Palliative Care, February 2018
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  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (81st percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (54th percentile)

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Title
Palliative care specialists’ perceptions concerning referral of haematology patients to their services: findings from a qualitative study
Published in
BMC Palliative Care, February 2018
DOI 10.1186/s12904-018-0289-1
Pubmed ID
Authors

Dorothy McCaughan, Eve Roman, Alexandra G. Smith, Anne C. Garry, Miriam J. Johnson, Russell D. Patmore, Martin R. Howard, Debra A. Howell

Abstract

Haematological malignancies (leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma) are complex cancers that are relatively common, affect all ages and have divergent outcomes. Although the symptom burden of these diseases is comparable to other cancers, patients do not access specialist palliative care (SPC) services as often as those with other cancers. To determine the reasons for this, we asked SPC practitioners about their perspectives regarding the barriers and facilitators influencing haematology patient referrals. We conducted a qualitative study, set within the United Kingdom's (UK's) Haematological Malignancy Research Network (HMRN: www.hmrn.org ), a population-based cohort in the North of England. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 SPC doctors and nurses working in hospital, community and hospice settings between 2012 and 2014. Interviews were digitally audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed for thematic content using the 'Framework' method. Study participants identified a range of barriers and facilitators influencing the referral of patients with haematological malignancies to SPC services. Barriers included: the characteristics and pathways of haematological malignancies; the close patient/haematology team relationship; lack of role clarity; late end of life discussions and SPC referrals; policy issues; and organisational issues. The main facilitators identified were: establishment of inter-disciplinary working patterns (co-working) and enhanced understanding of roles; timely discussions with patients and early SPC referral; access to information platforms able to support information sharing; and use of indicators to 'flag' patients' needs for SPC. Collaboration between haematology and SPC was perceived as beneficial and desirable, and was said to be increasing over time. This is the first UK study to explore SPC practitioners' perceptions concerning haematology patient referrals. Numerous factors were found to influence the likelihood of referral, some of which related to the organisation and delivery of SPC services, so were amenable to change, and others relating to the complex and unique characteristics and pathways of haematological cancers. Further research is needed to assess the extent to which palliative care is provided by haematology doctors and nurses and other generalists and ways in which clinical uncertainty could be used as a trigger, rather than a barrier, to referral.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 15 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 142 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 142 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 28 20%
Student > Ph. D. Student 12 8%
Other 10 7%
Student > Doctoral Student 9 6%
Researcher 8 6%
Other 28 20%
Unknown 47 33%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 36 25%
Nursing and Health Professions 32 23%
Psychology 9 6%
Social Sciences 4 3%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 1%
Other 6 4%
Unknown 53 37%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 11. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 26 June 2018.
All research outputs
#2,897,520
of 23,577,654 outputs
Outputs from BMC Palliative Care
#336
of 1,294 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#61,167
of 332,465 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Palliative Care
#20
of 44 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,577,654 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 87th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,294 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 9.5. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 74% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 332,465 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 81% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 44 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 54% of its contemporaries.