Contemporary Tools for Assessing Palliative Care Needs in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Role of Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale and Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool – A Narrative Litera
Nurgul Alekenova, Gulnura Kalbagayeva
A
BSTRACT
Background:
Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a high burden of physical, psychological, and social problems. However, palliative care needs in these populations are often recognized late because of the unpredictable course of disease and the lack of standardized assessment tools.
Objective:
To summarize contemporary evidence regarding the use of the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) and the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) for the assessment of palliative care needs in patients with CHF and COPD and their caregivers.
Methods:
A narrative literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases. English-language publications published between 2021 and 2026 were considered. Twenty studies focusing on palliative care needs assessment in CHF and COPD and on the use of IPOS and CSNAT were included.
Results:
The reviewed studies demonstrated that patients with CHF and COPD have substantial unmet palliative care needs, including dyspnea, fatigue, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and poor quality of life. IPOS was identified as the most useful tool for assessing multidimensional patient needs, whereas CSNAT was found to be effective in identifying caregiver burden and unmet support needs. The combined use of both instruments may provide a more comprehensive approach to palliative care assessment.
Conclusion:
The use of structured assessment tools may facilitate earlier recognition of palliative care needs in patients with CHF and COPD and improve support for caregivers. Combined implementation of IPOS and CSNAT appears to be the most promising approach for routine clinical practice.