The prognostic value of the 12-, 6-, 3- and 1-month 'Surprise Question' in cancer patients: A prospective cohort study in three hospitals.

Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the performance of the 'Surprise Question' (SQ) 'Would I be surprised if this patient died in the next 12 months?' in predicting survival of 12, 6, 3 and 1 month(s), respectively, in hospitalised patients with cancer.

Methods: In three hospitals, physicians were asked to answer SQs for 12/6/3/1 month(s) for inpatients with cancer. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.

The association between palliative care team consultation and hospital costs for patients with advanced cancer: An observational study in 12 Dutch hospitals.

Background: Early palliative care team consultation has been shown to reduce costs of hospital care. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between palliative care team (PCT) consultation and the content and costs of hospital care in patients with advanced cancer.

Material And Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted in 12 Dutch hospitals.