Using a Palliative Care Needs Assessment for Adult Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

BACKGROUND: There is a need for patients and clinicians to identify better timing for palliative care (PC) and the severity of unmet PC needs among patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). OBJECTIVES: This quality improvement project aimed to assess patient and clinician understanding of PC needs among adult patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. METHODS: Patients and clinicians completed surveys every seven days to evaluate patient needs across four domains. The surveys assessed experiences with PC, perspectives, and demographic information, and the analysis compared survey scores and demographic data among groups. FINDINGS: This project enrolled 16 patients and 9 clinicians during a 10-week period. Overall, the findings highlight a gap between patient-reported needs and clinician perceptions. Routine assessments may support timely, targeted interventions while enhancing patient experience, outcomes, and satisfaction.