Person with cancer—date of referral to palliative care services, DDMMYYYY

Guide for use:

Record the date on which a person with cancer was referred to palliative care services.

Referral to palliative care will generally come from a person with cancer's primary treatment clinician or GP.

If the patient is receiving palliative care but no referral date can be identified, record the date of the first account of receipt of palliative care as the date of referral.

Referral to palliative care services is referral to palliative care administered by palliative care specialists such as a palliative care team or palliative physician. Palliative care may be administered in a community setting, for example, the patient's home or a nursing home, in the palliative care unit of an acute hospital, or a hospice.

The date of referral must be:

• greater than or equal to the date of diagnosis;
• greater than the date of birth; and
• less than or equal to the date of death.

Comments:
This information is used to evaluate the quality of care for patients with cancer, and may have implications for access to, and the provision of, cancer services.