The OPTIMISM project will refine Dutch palliative care by enhancing the quality of life of patients and informal caregivers. OPTIMISM will deliver a symptom monitoring system and goal architecture that will allow scalability to the diverse types of health care providers in the Netherlands. Additionally, a research data hub with a tailored implementation of symptom monitoring in daily clinical oncology practice will be established.
Patients in advanced stages of cancer often face complex care needs due to the prevalence of various symptoms throughout the disease. At the end of life, patients typically experience an average of six concurrent symptoms, four of which are clinically relevant. Among the most reported symptoms are pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, dyspnea, anxiety, and depressed mood. Even at low intensity, these symptoms can significantly impact patients' quality of life and functional abilities, leading to increased reliance on community support, emergency care, and hospital admissions.
It is crucial to recognize that patients with the same medical conditions may have different care preferences based on their context, values, and priorities. Therefore, effective palliative care should prioritize individualized symptom management. The goal of symptom management is to prevent or address physical and psychological symptoms and treatment of side effects, as well as social and spiritual concerns associated with the illness.
Implementing symptom monitoring is a valuable solution to address the challenges of inadequate symptom management in palliative care. Symptom monitoring involves a systematic approach where patients actively report their perceived symptom severity, enabling HCPs to promptly manage symptoms effectively. This approach offers numerous benefits to patients and their caregivers, such as reduced symptom burden, decreased anxiety, and fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations, leading to an enhanced quality of life.
Goals of the project:
In this project, researchers from the UMCG collaborate with experts in the field from the University Medical Center Utrecht, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Leiden University Medical Center, Academic Hospital Maastricht, IKNL, Amsterdam UMC and Radboud University Medical Center. The project group consists of experts from diverse fields: oncology, palliative care, and clinical informatics. This project is funded by the Dutch Cancer Research Fund (KWF).
