Primary palliative care clinic pilot project demonstrates benefits of a nurse practitioner-directed clinic providing primary and palliative care

Purpose: The purpose of the Primary Palliative Care Pilot Project was to determine if patients with a life-limiting illness who receive their primary care and palliative care from a consistent provider via a nurse practitioner (NP)-founded and-directed Primary Palliative Care Clinic at a public hospital would have improved symptom management and decreased emergency department utilization over time.

Data sources: All patients followed in the Harborview Primary Palliative Care Clinic from January to March 2010.

Conclusions: The results of this project demonstrate that patients with a life-limiting illness who receive their primary care and palliative care in an NP-founded and -directed Primary Palliative Care Clinic have decreased utilization of the emergency department, and some experience improvement in symptom assessment scores.

Implications for practice: Palliative care providers and administrators should explore opportunities to expand outpatient palliative care clinics with an emphasis on primary care and continuity of care. NPs by experience and education are ideally suited to manage both primary and palliative care needs for people at the end of life.