Arif H. Kamal

Discipline: Physician

Funding awarded to: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Which Palliative Care Quality Measures Improve Patient-Centered Outcomes?

To explore the relationship between adherence to quality measures in palliative care and patient-centered outcomes, including patient-reported changes in health status and health services utilization. The project has two aims: 1) Describe variability in clinician adherence to a set of palliative care quality measures; and 2) Determine the relationship between adherence to palliative care quality measures and patient-reported outcomes, including satisfaction with care, quality of life, and symptom relief. Identifying a set of quality measures that are associated with improved outcomes requires patient-centered approaches. This research would simultaneously compare outcomes associated with adherence to several quality measures. Results of such analyses would prove which quality measures are the most impactful, thus producing a smaller list. Such a prioritized list could then be considered for inclusion as best practices in the field.

I am extraordinarily privileged to be considered a colleague in the discipline of palliative care. I came to this field because of personal loss, and will be a lifelong palliative care clinician and researcher because I am continuously inspired by the opportunities to improve the ways we care for those who face the challenges of serious illness. Palliative care is maturing and growing. I believe now is the time to transition our message to others from “here we are” to “this is how we promote high-quality care”. This requires careful study and development of leaders in quality palliative care. I am committed to taking the steps needed to model the excellence of those mentors around me, build my research skills and expertise, and learn from fellow scholars in the Cambia Sojourn Scholars Leadership Program. Ensuring quality palliative care is my lifelong passion.