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Impact of Specialty and Nonspecialty Palliative Care on Quality of Dying With Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias
Po-Hsuan Lai, Ting-Chun Chang, Hao‐Su Zhan, C.C. Chao, Mei‐Chih Huang, Sriyani Padmalatha Konara Mudiyanselage, Shih‐Chun Lin. Medical Care, 2025-10-13
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Nineteen articles involving 142,772 participants were included. The evidence, comprising studies of adequate to strong quality, revealed that both specialty and nonspecialty PC did not differ in terms of comfort, symptom management, or satisfaction with care. However, both approaches significantly reduced the likelihood of intensive care unit admissions and in-hospital deaths. Specialty PC was associated with decreased emergency department visits (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28-1.00; I2=86%). Future research is needed to understand factors influencing PC interventions that can improve comfort, symptom management, and care satisfaction for these individuals and their families.
Key findings
- Nineteen articles involving 142,772 participants were included.
- The evidence, comprising studies of adequate to strong quality, revealed that both specialty and nonspecialty PC did not differ in terms of comfort, symptom management, or satisfaction with care.
- However, both approaches significantly reduced the likelihood of intensive care unit admissions and in-hospital deaths.
- Specialty PC was associated with decreased emergency department visits (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28-1.00; I2=86%).
- Future research is needed to understand factors influencing PC interventions that can improve comfort, symptom management, and care satisfaction for these individuals and their families.
Why it matters
This systematic review found that specialty and nonspecialty palliative care did not differ in comfort, symptom management, or satisfaction with care, but both reduced the likelihood of intensive care unit admissions and in-hospital deaths. It notes that future research is needed to understand what factors can improve comfort, symptom management, and care satisfaction for people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and their families.
Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Participants142,772
- Effect sizeOR 0.53
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Medical Care) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Medical Care: journal h-index 273 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 142,772 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Shih‐Chun Lin: h-index 10 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | National Cheng Kung University: institution h-index 481 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41081724) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lai, P.-H., Chang, T.-C., Zhan, H., Chao, C., Huang, M., Mudiyanselage, S. P. K., et al. (2025). Impact of Specialty and Nonspecialty Palliative Care on Quality of Dying With Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias. Medical Care. https://doi.org/10.1097/mlr.0000000000002199
Vancouver
Lai P.-H, Chang T.-C, Zhan H, Chao C, Huang M, Mudiyanselage SPK, et al. Impact of Specialty and Nonspecialty Palliative Care on Quality of Dying With Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias. Medical Care. 2025. doi:10.1097/mlr.0000000000002199. PMID: 41081724.
BibTeX
@article{lai2025-41081724,
author = {Lai, Po-Hsuan and Chang, Ting-Chun and Zhan, Hao‐Su and Chao, C.C. and Huang, Mei‐Chih and Mudiyanselage, Sriyani Padmalatha Konara and Lin, Shih‐Chun},
title = {{Impact of Specialty and Nonspecialty Palliative Care on Quality of Dying With Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias}},
journal = {Medical Care},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1097/mlr.0000000000002199},
pmid = {41081724},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/mlr.0000000000002199}
}
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