Outcomes for Hospitalized Patients with Comfort Measures Only Orders

The authors aimed to investigate the impact of specialty palliative consults (SPC) and documented goals of care conversations (GOCC) on in-hospital mortality and discharge outcomes for patients with comfort measures only (CMO) orders. Their findings revealed that SPC were linked to lower in-hospital mortality and higher rates of hospice discharge, while documented GOCC were associated with the opposite outcomes. The study suggests a need for further research to understand why SPC, rather than GOCC, yielded these results.