What is it?
- IPOS – Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale – is a measure of symptoms and concerns which matter to you as our patient and helps us to provide the best care
- The IPOS consists of 10 questions which can assess your symptoms and needs: physical, social, psychological and spiritual
- It is scored on a 0-4 scale
- IPOS may be completed by you or with a help from family or a member of staff.
Why use IPOS?
- IPOS is an additional measure to get a better understanding of your symptoms/concerns/feelings which can then be repeated and compared over time
- It can be used to monitor the effectiveness of our services and care as well as improving our assessments
- IPOS allows you to list your main concerns and to add other symptoms you are experiencing
- It may also help you to identify symptoms or concerns that you may not have thought to mention and seek support for.
The Evidence
- The IPOS is a patient reported outcome measure: the best way to measure outcomes is to ask the patients themselves
- Since first launched, IPOS has been tested and improved by researchers around the world and patients views have helped develop IPOS
- Research has shown that IPOS captures what is important to you, the patient.
Using IPOS at St Margaret’s
- We look at the completed IPOS at our multidisciplinary meetings; where the whole team meets to identify how we can best support the individual patient
- If the IPOS is then repeated, we can compare before and after scores and see what interventions are working and what are not, then adjust personal treatment plans accordingly
- We can see how well we are managing particular symptoms or complaints and consider whether any improvements are needed
- Please contact a member of staff if you have further questions.