Evaluation of the Hospital2Home Palliative Care Service for Patients With Advanced Progressive Lung Disease

The investigators hypothesise that H2H will result in improved symptom control and quality of life and may be more cost-effective than standard best practice.

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a lung condition characterised by progressive scarring - known as fibrosis. This is especially seen in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There around 2,000 new patients diagnosed in the UK every year with a similar number of deaths.

Fibrotic-ILD causes breathing to slowly deteriorate and as there is no cure, an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Patients suffer from many symptoms including shortness of breath, cough, low mood and fatigue which are currently being poorly managed. In addition, these patients suffer a poor health related quality of life whilst dying from their disease.

In the later stages of their disease, these patients often end up in hospital (see appendix 1a) when there is no proven or effective treatment. Many die there despite wishing to be looked after and die at home. These patients rarely receive palliative care which may help to improve their symptoms, quality of life, address end of life planning needs and prevent hospital admission. The Hospital2Home case conference conducted in the patient's home (or place of their choice) aims to address this. At the case conference involving the patient, their carers, a specialist nurse, and all the community health professionals, a care plan specific to the patient will be developed. Each health professional will be aware of their responsibility and duties. The investigators will look at whether this results in better symptom control and better quality of life for the patient and their carer. The investigators will also examine whether this prevents emergency hospital admission and allows patients to die in their preferred place. The investigators will compare patients who receive the service immediately with those who receive it after a delay.


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

Patients i)Clinical diagnosis of PIF-ILD and a 30% survival at 1 year according to the validated prognostic tool developed by Professor Wells.(Appendix 5)

ii) Aged 18 years or over

iii) Any patient who does not meet any of the exclusion criteria

Carers i) The informal caregivers of patients specified above, who can be significant others, relatives, friends or neighbours

ii) Aged 18 years or over

iii) Any carer who does not meet the exclusion criteria

Health professional Primary health professional in contact with patient able to give consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients/informal caregiver i) Any patient/ informal caregiver unable to give informed consent

ii) Any patient/informal caregiver less than 18 years of age

iii) Participants who are unable to understand/speak English

iv) Participants who are remaining as an inpatient in the hospital or being transferred to another inpatient facility (eg hospice unit, for terminal care)

v) Participants whose prognosis is less than 1 week or judged too unwell by the research team to take part in serial interviews