Factors Associated with Referral of Patients with Advanced Cancer Utilizing a Palliative Care Referral Protocol

Introduction: Numerous barriers hinder timely referral to palliative care (PC) leading to inadequate symptom management and diminished quality of life. Standardizing referral criteria is essential to improve access to PC, emphasizing the urgency of early referral for patient support. Brazilian experts created the Palliative Care Referral Protocol (PCRP), a tool to categorize oncology patients based on clinical urgency, prioritizing appointments within 90, 45, and 15 days according to the severity. Objective: Evaluate factors influencing referral patterns of advanced cancer patients using a palliative care referral protocol. Method: Retrospective cohort study conducted at Hospital de Câncer de Barretos (Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil). Data from electronic medical records of cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed using three instruments: Sociodemographic and Clinical Patient Characterization Questionnaire; Assessment Questionnaire of Referrals through PCRP according to clinical performance; Evaluation Questionnaire of Referrals without the PCRP. Statistical analyses utilized IBM-SPSS v.27.0, R v.4.3.2 software, and GGPLOT2 library, with significance of p < 0.05. Results: 1,492 patient records were identified, 323 were randomized (226 with PCRP and 97 without PCRP). PCRP-referred patients were predominantly females, with higher education, diagnosed with digestive cancer as primary tumor. Predictors for PC referral included exclusive PC treatment, higher KPS, and yellow performance group (ECOG). Referral according to the protocol were more detailed and justified. Conclusion: Targeted interventions and educational initiatives focused to healthcare providers are required to ensure timely access, emphasizing its key role in clinical practice. Longitudinal trials are needed to further validate the effectiveness of PCRP in clinical practice.