Impact of Palliative Care on Resource Utilization and Quality in the Care of Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia.

Few studies have been done assessing the impact of palliative care on patients suffering cardiac arrest and requiring therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare resource utilization and quality indicators among patients undergoing TH with and without palliative care consultation. Data were collected, over a two-year period, from the institutional international cardiac arrest registry database and electronic medical record review.

Delivering specialized palliative care in the community: a new role for nurse practitioners.

The rising population of older Americans with advanced illness challenges current care delivery models. We use the metaphor of advanced illness as a difficult journey and propose a specific role, that of the "OACIS NP [nurse practitioner]," who helps provide a place of refuge during this journey. "OACIS" is an acronym for Optimizing Advanced Complex Illness Support, a program to provide home-based palliative medical care.