Improving Pharmacological Transition of Palliative Care Patients From Inpatient to Outpatient Care (EntMedPall)

University Hospital Muenster

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: COPD; Heart Failure; Cancer

Treatments: Other: Structured pharmaceutical discharge management

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06648733

2025-131-BO (Other Identifier)

2024-258-f-S

Details and patient eligibility

About

The transition of palliative care patients from inpatient to outpatient care is aimed to be improved through structured pharmaceutical discharge management by a trained pharmacist. This data will be compared with retrospective cases.

Full description

As part of a prospective observational study with a retrospective comparison group, a pharmacist should, on request, check the discharge medication planned by the primary care physicians before discharge and discuss it with the various colleagues providing (follow-up) care. In addition, the availability in the outpatient "medicine cabinet" and the possibility of prescribing by the responsible GPs (by telephone) should be checked in advance. In addition, longitudinal focus groups with relevant stakeholders are to be conducted to collect quantitative data as well as qualitative data on the views of those providing and receiving treatment.

There will be cooperation with the Specialized Outpatient Palliative Care Service Muenster to ensure sufficient case numbers and a low rate of missing values through partial use of the standard care data from the "Information System Palliative Care" (ISPC) program they use.

Enrollment: 200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

All individual indications for general and specialised palliative care as part of routine clinical practice (e.g.):

• advanced, malignant tumour disease
• advanced, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Patients with advanced disease and limited life expectancy (approx. 12 months) Further care in the SOPC Muenster (prospective data) Sufficient understanding of the German language to be able to understand the information and consent form

Exclusion criteria

Impossibility of understanding the information and declaration of consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 2 patient groups

Prospective patients

Experimental group

Description:

Current palliative care patients who are discharged from the University Hospital to outpatient palliative care.

Treatment:

Other: Structured pharmaceutical discharge management

Retrospective patients

No Intervention group

Description:

Former palliative care patients who were discharged from the university hospital to outpatient palliative care.