Validation of the palliative performance scale in the acute tertiary care hospital setting.

Background: Physicians are often asked to prognosticate patient survival. However, prediction of survival is difficult, particularly with critically ill and dying patients within the hospitals. The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) was designed to assess functional status and measure progressive decline in palliative care patients, yet it has not been validated within hospital health care settings. Objective: This study explores the application of the PPS for its predictive ability related to length of survival. Other variables examined were correlates of symptom distress in a tertiary academic setting. Methods: Patients were assigned a score on the PPS ranging from 0% to 100% at initial consultation. Standardized symptom assessments were carried out daily, and survival was determined by medical record review and search of the National Death Index. Results: Of 261 patients seen since January 2002, 157 had cancer and 104 had other diagnoses. PPS scores ranged from 10% to 80% with 92% of the scores between...