• Kwok Ying Chan, Hon Wai Benjamin Cheng, Desmond Y H Yap, Terence Yip, Cho Wing Li, Mau Kwong Sham, Yim Chi Wong, and Wai Kee Vikki Lau.
• Palliative Medicine Unit, Grantham Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: cky842@yahoo.com.hk.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2015 Jan 1;49(1):144-9.

BackgroundEnd-stage renal failure patients often fail to attend scheduled renal palliative care clinic (RPCC) follow-up because of acute hospital admissions, causing negative impact on patients' well-being and health care burden.MeasuresThe rates of RPCC attendance, emergency department (ED) attendance, and acute hospital admission per patient from January 2013 to June 2013 were analyzed.InterventionPatients who had more than one ED visit within three months were invited to intensify their RPCC follow-up schedule for symptom assessment, medical advice, psychosocial-spiritual care, and social worker support in the subsequent three months.OutcomesNineteen patients were included. The rate of ED attendance (2.63 vs. 0.63, P < 0.007) and acute hospital admission (1.59 vs. 0.58, P < 0.009) was reduced significantly after intensified follow-up. Clinic attendance rates improved from 56% to 85%.Conclusions/Lessons LearnedOur pilot results suggested that intensifying RPCC follow-up minimized the utilization of acute medical services and improved outpatient attendance at RPCC.Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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