Palliative MedicineNCT05883696
Palliative Care Needs Among Elderly People at Emergency Department
An observational study of Palliative Medicine and Palliative Care, run by Region Skane at 2 sites in Sweden.
Trial summary
Aim: To assess what proportion of all patients over the age of 75 who seek care at the emergency department have palliative care needs and whether these are documented in the patient's medical record. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 75 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Palliative Medicine, Palliative Care, Elderly Person
- What is being tested?
- Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG)
- How many people
- 204 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesSweden
- Study dates
- 31 May 2023to 31 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 75 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Older adult
Study population: Patients admitted to emergency department in HBG Sweden, aged 75 and above and classified as triage 2-4, without cognitive dysfunction.
Who may be able to join
- Classified as triage 2-4
Who cannot join
- Dementia or other cognitive dysfunction
- Not being able to communicate in Swedish.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Sweden2 sites
Emergancy Department
Helsingborg, Skåne County
Emergency department
Kristianstad
About this study
Aim: To assess what proportion of all patients over the age of 75 who seek care at the emergency department have palliative care needs and whether these are documented in the patient's medical record.
Data collection and analysis: Patients over 75 years of age who seek care in an emergency department and are classified as triage 2-4 during initial triage are assessed by a researcher. Patients with dementia or other cognitive dysfunction will be excluded. Two types of data collection are included 1) Swedish Palliative care guide (S-PCG) documents that the researcher fills in together with the patient, 2) data from the patient's medical record, this data is collected according to a special assessment template. Data from the medical record will be collected after the patient left the emergency department.
Read more
Data collection is ongoing until 300 patients have been included in the study. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Implications: The percentage of previously undetected/documented palliative care needs in emergency departments is relevant for prioritizing general palliative care within e.g. housing for the elderly and primary care S-PCG can be relevant to increase the level of knowledge at these care facilities. If it turns out that many patients have palliative care needs that are not met in the emergency department, health care structures need to ensure that these patients receive help at the right level of care. This would likely mean that the number of emergency visits and hospital admissions (with suffering and reduced quality of life as a result) can be reduced.
- Conditions
- Palliative Medicine, Palliative Care, Elderly Person
- Being tested
- Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG)
- Keywords
- Elderly, palliative care needs, Emergency department, Swedish Palliative Care Guide
- Medical subject headings
- Emergencies
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG)Other
S-PCG is a care guide that aim to inform best practice and to meet palliative care needs of patients and their families throughout all the time with palliative care needs. The S-PCG support palliative care for adult patients regardless of diagnosis, place of care and if it is early och late palliative care.
The S-PCG includes three parts
- Assessments of palliative care needs
- Initiating palliative care 2D. End of life care.
- After death. In this study only the first part of the S-PCG will be used.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive patient group | The research nurse will fill in the documents in Swedish Palliative care guide (S-PCG) together with the patient. Receives: Other: Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Palliative care needs
The proportion of patients that have palliative care needs that are identified with S-PCG.
Measured: The study will be ongoing fo up to at year. The S-PCG will be used at 1 time for each included patient.
Palliative care needs documented in medical records.
The proportion of patients with palliative care need identified with S-PCG as compared to the proportion of palliative care needs documented in the medical record.
Measured: The study will be ongoing fo up to at year. The S-PCG will be used at 1 time for each included patient
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Jun 2023
- Study start31 May 2023
- Primary completion30 Dec 2025
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Palliative MedicineStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Region SkaneThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 204 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Region Skane
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Maria Schelin, ass. prof., Principal investigator, Region Skane
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05883696
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-05905
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Mar 2023
- Last updated
- 15 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Palliative Care Needs Among Elderly People at Emergency Department
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05883696
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020-05905
- Conditions
- Palliative Medicine, Palliative Care, Elderly Person
- Keywords
- Elderly, palliative care needs, Emergency department, Swedish Palliative Care Guide
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 204 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Region SkaneUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Aim: To assess what proportion of all patients over the age of 75 who seek care at the emergency department have palliative care needs and whether these are documented in the patient's medical record.
Data collection and analysis: Patients over 75 years of age who seek care in an emergency department and are classified as triage 2-4 during initial triage are assessed by a researcher. Patients with dementia or other cognitive dysfunction will be excluded. Two types of data collection are included 1) Swedish Palliative care guide (S-PCG) documents that the researcher fills in together with the patient, 2) data from the patient's medical record, this data is collected according to a special assessment template. Data from the medical record will be collected after the patient left the emergency department.
Data collection is ongoing until 300 patients have been included in the study. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Implications: The percentage of previously undetected/documented palliative care needs in emergency departments is relevant for prioritizing general palliative care within e.g. housing for the elderly and primary care S-PCG can be relevant to increase the level of knowledge at these care facilities. If it turns out that many patients have palliative care needs that are not met in the emergency department, health care structures need to ensure that these patients receive help at the right level of care. This would likely mean that the number of emergency visits and hospital admissions (with suffering and reduced quality of life as a result) can be reduced.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive patient group | – | Other: Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG)The research nurse will fill in the documents in Swedish Palliative care guide (S-PCG) together with the patient. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 75 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
- Study population
- Patients admitted to emergency department in HBG Sweden, aged 75 and above and classified as triage 2-4, without cognitive dysfunction.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Classified as triage 2-4
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Dementia or other cognitive dysfunction
- Not being able to communicate in Swedish.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Palliative Care Guide (S-PCG)S-PCG is a care guide that aim to inform best practice and to meet palliative care needs of patients and their families throughout all the time with palliative care needs. The S-PCG support palliative care for adult patients regardless of diagnosis, place of care and if it is early och late palliative care. The S-PCG includes three parts 1. Assessments of palliative care needs 2. Initiating palliative care 2D. End of life care. 3. After death. In this study only the first part of the S-PCG will be used. | Other | Descriptive patient group |
Primary outcome
Palliative care needs
Time frame: The study will be ongoing fo up to at year. The S-PCG will be used at 1 time for each included patient.
The proportion of patients that have palliative care needs that are identified with S-PCG.
Palliative care needs documented in medical records.
Time frame: The study will be ongoing fo up to at year. The S-PCG will be used at 1 time for each included patient
The proportion of patients with palliative care need identified with S-PCG as compared to the proportion of palliative care needs documented in the medical record.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Maria Schelin, ass. prof. principal investigator
Region Skane
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Palliative Medicine and Palliative Care, run by Region Skane at 2 sites in Sweden.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Palliative care needs (time frame: The study will be ongoing fo up to at year. The S-PCG will be used at 1 time for each included patient.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 May 2026.