Accuracy and usefulness of the Palliative Prognostic Index in a community setting.

Purpose: In a community setting characterised by scarce inpatient palliative care resources, a precise prognosis could help determine which patients should be prioritised for end-of-life admission.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) and to determine whether it is a helpful tool for nurses to administer as part of the admission protocol in the palliative care service of a community hospital.

Results: The PPI was a moderately accurate prognostic tool when assessing the frequency of 14-day overstay; 81% of patients died within 14 days of their expected prognosis.

Providing in-home palliative care within a generalist caseload: a chance for nurses to reflect on life and death.

At a time when the need for in-home palliative care is on the rise, the aim of this interpretive phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of homecare nurses providing palliative care within a generalist caseload. Eight such nurses from one district of Quebec were interviewed. Data analysis was carried out according to the phenomenological method developed by Giorgi.