CONTEXT: Timely palliative care can alleviate distress after diagnosis of an incurable cancer. However, late referrals to palliative care continue, reflecting various provider and patient barriers. OBJECTIVES: To determine patient/caregiver-reported acceptability of a phone call offering a supportive and palliative care (SPC) consultation without requiring oncologist referral. METHODS: Two SPC nurses screened out-patient clinic lists at a tertiary cancer center weekly and called all eligible patients to offer an SPC consultation. Eligibility: >
18 years, newly diagnosed/suspected stage IV nonsmall cell lung cancer, and completed first oncologist visit. Patients/caregivers were surveyed about the acceptability of the phone call offering SPC consultation, using Sekhon's Framework of Acceptability domains. RESULTS: Among 113 patients screened, 81 patients/caregivers were contacted and offered an SPC consultation
72% accepted the consultation. Of 48 patients/caregivers surveyed, 94% rated overall acceptability of the call somewhat/completely acceptable
6% rated it neither acceptable nor unacceptable. Within specific acceptability domains, 95% were comfortable receiving the call
92% understood why they received the call
87% found the call valuable
70% found the call helpful
66% learned about SPC from the call
no one expressed concern that the SPC nurse had access to their contact/health information
97% thought the call required little physical/emotional effort and were confident in their ability to participate (i.e., to ask questions/make decisions). CONCLUSION: These unsolicited phone calls offering SPC consultation were highly acceptable to patients/caregivers, and most agreed to the consultation. Implementing routine calls offering SPC consultation may be a timely alternative to awaiting conventional oncologist referral.