Background
The simplified Palliative Prognostic Index (sPPI) substitutes a single item from the Communication Capacity Scale (CCS) for the delirium item of the original PPI. This study aimed to examine the validity of the sPPI for patients with advanced cancer in a home-based hospice care setting.
Methods
This study included 75 patients with advanced cancer who received home-based hospice care. We used medical records maintained by professional hospice nurses who had visited the patients in their homes. Based on their sPPI score, patients were divided into three groups—A (<4), B (≥4 and <6), and C (≥6)—to compare survival. Further, we investigated the sPPI’s accuracy using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and sensitivity and specificity for 3- and 6-week survival. We used three sPPIs including different substitutions for the delirium item (two methods using the CCS and one using the Korean Nursing Delirium Screening Scale).
Results
The median survival was 60–61 days for group A, 27–30 days for group B, and 12–16 days for group C. The difference in survival was significant (P<0.05). The AUC was 0.814–0.867 for 3-week survival and 0.736–0.779 for 6-week survival. For 3- and 6-week survival, prognostic prediction showed sensitivities of 76.2%–90.9% and 76.3%–86.8%, and specificities of 64.2%–88.7% and 51.4%–70.3%, respectively.
Conclusion
The sPPI, which is measured by professional hospice nurses, has acceptable validity to predict survival for patients with advanced cancer in a home hospice setting in South Korea.

Citations

• Comparison of Simplified Palliative Prognostic Index and Palliative Performance Scale in Patients with Advanced Cancer in a Home Palliative Care Setting
  Yusuke Hiratsuka, Sang-Yeon Suh, Seok Joon Yoon
  Journal of Palliative Care.2024; 39(3): 194.     CrossRef
• Survival prediction in advanced cancer patients – a narrative review
  Shing Fung Lee, Charles B. Simone
  Current Opinion in Supportive & Palliative Care.2023; 17(2): 105.     CrossRef