Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients:

- English-speaking patients ages 50 years or older

- Qualifying serious, life-limiting conditions and who are scheduled for ED discharge,
observation status, or inpatient stay for two midnights or less will be eligible to
participate

- Qualifying conditions include: advanced cancer (defined as metastatic solid tumor) or
end-stage organ failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III and IV Heart
Failure, End Stage Renal Disease defined as GFR < 15 ml/min/m2; or Global Initiative
for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Stage III and higher or oxygen-dependent
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) defined as FEV1 < 50% or the mMRC dyspnea
scale)

- Patients who are placed in observation overnight will still be eligible to participate
the following morning.

- Patients must have health insurance, reside within the geographical area, and have a
working telephone.

Informal Caregivers:

- English-speaking informal caregivers ages 18 years and older who accompany an
eligible, enrolled patient will be eligible to participate. Informal caregivers must
possess a working telephone.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patient who are diagnosed with dementia, received hospice services in the last six
months, have received 2 or more palliative care visits in the last 6 months, and those
who reside in a skilled nursing or assisted living facility and chronic care hospital.