A Systematic Review of the Use of the Palliative Care Outcome Scale and the Support Team Assessment Schedule in Palliative Care.
BACKGROUND
The Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS) and the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) are two outcome measures used in palliative care settings to assess palliative concerns, needs, and quality of care.


OBJECTIVE
This systematic review builds on the findings of a previous review to appraise the use of the POS and STAS since 2010, particularly the context and nature of their use.


METHODS
MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, and CINAHL were searched for studies published between February 2010 and June 2014. Relevant authors were contacted, and reference lists of included studies were searched. Studies reporting validation or the use of the POS or STAS were included, and data on sample population, how the outcome measure was being used, study design, study aim, and results of the study were extracted.


RESULTS
Forty-three studies were included (POS n = 35, STAS n = 8). There was an increase in the use of the POS and STAS in Europe and Africa with the publication of 13 new translations of the POS. Most studies focused on the use, rather than further validation, of the POS and STAS. There has been increasing use of these measures within non-cancer patient groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The POS and STAS are now used in a wide variety of settings and countries. These tools may be used in the future to compare palliative care needs and quality of care across diverse contexts and patient groups.
Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Emily S
ES
Collins
Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Jana
J
Witt
Klinik und Poliklinik für Palliativmedizin, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Claudia
C
Bausewein
Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Barbara A
BA
Daveson
Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Irene J
IJ
Higginson
Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: fliss.murtagh@kcl.ac.uk.
Fliss E M
FE
Murtagh
D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*
Outcome measure (health care); hospice care; palliative care; patient outcome assessment; terminal care