North Texas Research Forum 2026

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Division

North Texas

Hospital

Medical City Fort Worth

Specialty

Internal Medicine

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2026

Keywords

palliative care, supportive care, quality improvement, screening

Disciplines

Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Palliative Care | Quality Improvement

Abstract

Palliative Care (PC) is a specialized medical care that aims to optimize the quality of life and alleviate the suffering of patients with serious medical illness. Benefits of palliative care include improved symptom management, enhanced quality of life, reduced healthcare utilization, better care alignment, improved communication and support, and financial savings. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Medical City Fort Worth (MCFW) has a PC consult service. However, it is underutilized. According to data collected from January 2025 to December 2025, the percentage of PC consults for high risk units, such as oncology and ICU, by day 3 of admission varies by unit and fluctuates from month to month. We aim to perform a quality improvement project at MCFW to improve the use of PC services. Utilizing literature reviews, gathering feedback from the PC nurses, and analyzing statistical data from the PC team, we plan to develop learning resources that will enhance the understanding of the benefits of PC as a part of the care team for people with serious, chronic, or life-limiting illnesses. Our goals are to increase the amount of PC consults 3% by 12/31/2026 and increase PC screening by nurses 2% by 12/31/2026. Potential methods to improve PC consults include posting a PC visual aid in physician dictation rooms, peer-to-peer quarterly PC presentations to residents, and an easy access resident physician narrated PC PowerPoint. We will evaluate the quantity of PC consults that are placed in 2026 and determine if these methods are effective in accomplishing the goals. We will also evaluate additional areas of improvement that will continue to enhance utilization if our changes are not effective or sufficient.

Original Publisher

HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education

Improving the Utilization of Palliative Care Services at Medical City Fort Worth

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