Improving Care: End of Life Framework developed at Ballarat Health Service

National and international literature shows that EoL care in Australia was suboptimal. Baseline data from BHS showed large gaps in decision making and documentation including 23% of patients EoL decisions being made by MET team or ICU doctors.

To rectify the above issues, BHS’s EoL Framework was developed inclusively by interviews with bereaved families and care providers. The interventions included but aren’t limited to:
• Replaced Resuscitation plan with the Goals of medical care model (GoC)
• Introduction of SPICT** tool to guide inclusion criteria when determining who needs a GoC in place
• Palliative Care physician developed communication skills workshop and organisation has agreed to fund communications skills for all Registrars

Since BHS implemented it’s EoL solutions over 90% of patients that die have goals of care in place by 48 hours after admission. Additionally, with active support from the Board and Executives, a cultural change has been embedded in the wake of process change.
 
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