3. Comprehensive assessment

Comprehensive assessment enables the evaluation of physical, environmental, social, cultural, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual needs. Comprehensive assessment can also determine the need for inclusion of an Aboriginal liaison officer or palliative care Aboriginal health worker, as required, or the use of the Health Care Interpreter Service.

Action

Processes are in place to ensure comprehensive, culturally appropriate and holistic assessment is undertaken for all people identified as having end of life and/or palliative care needs.

Evidence

Comprehensive assessment is important to facilitate identification of all End of life and palliative care needs for the person, their family and carers throughout their experience.

Considerations and resources

Holistic assessment should be multidisciplinary and occur through a combination of dedicated services or specified referral pathways to existing services, as appropriate. This may require virtual care access where resources are limited.

Assessment is to include use of a validated symptom assessment tool, distress screening tool, and a screening or assessment tool for identification of carer needs, availability and capability.

Examples of assessment tools include Resource Utilisation Groups-Activities of Daily Living (RUG-ADL), Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AMKPS), Symptom Assessment Scale (SAS) and Palliative Care Problem Severity Score (PCPSS).