Identification of people with chronic advanced diseases and need of palliative care in sociosanitary services: Elaboration of the NECPAL CCOMS-ICO© tool

Background and objective: Around 75% of the population in our country will die as a consequence of chronic advanced diseases. Advanced chronic care is one of the major challenges for public health systems. This study describes the development of a tool to identify patients with advanced chronic diseases and life limited prognosis that might require some type of palliative intervention in our health and social environment. Material and methods: Spanish translation of PIG/GSF, cultural and clinical adaptation, identification of indicators of severity and progression -general and specific-; study of content validity and pre-test. Results: The NECPAL CCOMS-ICO(C) tool proposes a quantitative-qualitative, multifactorial, indicative and not dichotomous evaluation combining subjective perception assessment (surprise question) with demand and perceived needs; parameters of severity and progression, geriatric syndromes, emotional aspects, comorbidity and use of resources; and indicators for selected pathologies. Conclusions: The NECPAL CCOMS-ICO(C) tool, feasible and easy to use, would identify patients with advanced chronic palliative needs of any cause, early and in all resources. (C) 2012 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.