Table 1

Referral criteria currently used

Commonly cited
  • Severity of HF

  • Recurrent hospital admissions with decompensated HF

  • Inappropriateness of further hospital admission

  • When PC needs are not met by cardiology, including complex and persistent symptom control issues, psychosocial issues, EOL and ACP discussions

Less commonly cited
  • Exclusion of reversible causes

  • Criteria based on Gold Standards Framework21—particularly prognostic indicators

  • Generic (rather than disease specific) PC criteria

  • ACP, advance care planning; EOL, end-of-life; HF, heart failure; PC, palliative care.