Survival Prediction Tools in End-of-Life Care
Survival prediction is a critical aspect of end-of-life care. Knowing the likely clinical course allows the medical team to create care plans and avoid the overuse of aggressive care. It also helps patients and their families in other ways, such as by allowing the families to fulfill the patients’ final wishes. The most widely recognized and commonly used tools for survival prediction in end-of-life care include the Palliative Performance Scale [These tools typically rely on clinical symptoms, signs, and functional levels to estimate prognosis. Some tools incorporate blood tests and clinician predictions to enhance the evaluation process (see 