Defining high-quality palliative care in oncology practice: An ASCO/AAHPM Guidance Statement.

108 Background: When integrated into routine oncology care, palliative care can improve symptom burden, quality of life, and patient and caregiver satisfaction. However, not all oncology practices have access to subspecialty palliative medicine for referral. This project endeavored to define what constitutes high-quality primary palliative care as delivered by medical oncology practices. Methods: An expert steering committee developed a list of 966 palliative care service items, divided into nine domains, each describing an aspect of palliative care delivery for patients with advanced cancer. Using a modified Delphi methodology, 31 multi-disciplinary panelists ranked each service item according to importance, feasibility and scope. Results: Panelists endorsed the highest proportion of palliative care service items in the domains of End-of-Life Care (81%); Communication and Shared Decision-Making (79%); and Care Planning (78%). Lowest proportions were in: Spiritual and Cultural Assessment and Management (3...