Office hours are an efficient way to address palliative care needs of patients with hematologic malignancies when demand exceeds capacity, according to a recent retrospective study.

Under the model, a palliative care nurse practitioner or pharmacist was available to inpatient hematologic oncology providers at an academic medical center. They offered advice on pain, non-pain symptoms, and psychosocial distress. Investigators evaluated outcomes 6 months after the process was initiated. Among the results:

• Palliative care office hours lasted an average of 16 minutes/day.
• An average of 11 patients were discussed/week.
• Pain, nausea, and anxiety were the addressed most frequently.
• 15% of ~300 patients discussed during office hours eventually required a full palliative care consult.
• Overall, palliative care consults decreased from 20% to 10% of admissions, whereas consults involving goals for care increased.

The authors noted that the process enables primary care teams to manage basic palliative care issues independently over time.