Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS)
What is known
The POS is a validated scale developed in the UK which assesses quality of life outcomes for patients with advanced cancer. It addresses physical, psychological and spiritual domains which are relevant to palliative care. It consists of two nearly identical sets of ten measures – one to be completed by the patient, independently, and one by a staff member. [1-2]
Implications for practice
- Collecting assessments from both patients and staff allows the identification of differences between patients’ self-assessment and staff assessment of their needs. [2-3]
- Patients have found the POS a useful communication tool in relation to their needs. [4]
- The POS has been validated for use in both inpatient and outpatient palliative care settings, and has also been studied in the nursing home setting, including patients both with and without dementia. [5]
Finding out more
Kings College London, Measuring Outcomes, Palliative Outcome Scale (POS)
Related CareSearch pages
Audit
References
- Hearn J, Higginson IJ. Development and validation of a core outcome measure for palliative care: the palliative care outcome scale. Palliative Care Core Audit Project Advisory Group. Quality in Health Care, 1999 Dec;8(4):219-27.
- Stevens AM, Gwilliam B, A’Hern R, Broadley K, Hardy J. Experience in the use of the palliative care outcome scale. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2005 Dec;13(12):1027-34.
- Horton R. Differences in assessment of symptoms and quality of life between patients with advanced cancer and their specialist palliative care nurses in a home care setting. Palliative Medicine. 2002 Nov;16(6):488-94.
- Slater A, Freeman E. Patients' views of using an outcome measure in palliative day care: a focus group study. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 2004 Jul;10(7):343-51.
- Brandt HE, Deliens L, van der Steen JT, Ooms ME, Ribbe MW, van der Wal G. The last days of life of nursing home patients with and without dementia assessed with the palliative care outcome scale. Palliative Medicine. 2005 Jun;19(4):334-42.
This page was created on 22 May 2008 and is due for review in May 2010