A Spanish study linked multidisciplinary ALS care with more cognitive assessments and recorded advance directives
Original source
Impact of care by a multidisciplinary team on the assessment of cognitive aspects and decision-making at the end of life in a Spanish population with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Study type
- Observational study
- Studied in
- Human
A retrospective study of 193 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at one Spanish referral hospital found that multidisciplinary care was associated with more frequent cognitive assessment and recording of advance directives. The study found no difference in most advanced interventions, although invasive ventilation was used only among patients receiving multidisciplinary care.
Why this matters
For people with ALS, multidisciplinary care may support assessment of cognitive changes and documentation of preferences for end-of-life care. This was an observational study, so it does not prove that the care model caused these differences or that it improves outcomes for all patients.
Limitations and context
The study was retrospective and observational, covered one hospital in Spain, and compared care before and after implementation of the multidisciplinary model. It included 47 patients treated by uncoordinated specialists and 146 treated under the multidisciplinary model between 2000 and 2022. The findings show an association, not proof of cause and effect, and may not apply to other settings.