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Patients in palliative care who are near the end of their lives need to know how much time they have left. Decisions about end-of-life care and preparation can be made more effectively if an accurate prognosis can be provided. The PPS scale can do this effectively, though not many people know what it is. The meaning of PPS in the medical field is Palliative Performance Scale.
A PPS score allows healthcare providers to refer a patient to hospice care as soon as possible. Better allocation of palliative care services, such as end-of-life treatment, is made possible by a clear prognosis for hospice organizations. It is critical to have reliable methods for determining a patient’s survival.
Among cancer patients receiving palliative care, the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing functional capacity and foretelling survival.
Where does the PPS Score Chart come from?
PPS is a variation of the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), which was originally developed for cancer patients and later adapted to be more universally applicable.
The PPS scores are based on five functional domains: ambulation, activity level and evidence of disease, self-care, oral intake, and the level of consciousness. Each of the five domains is broken down into 11 levels, with 0 percent indicating death and 100 percent indicating full ambulation and health, with 10 percent points in between.
How to read PPS for hospice patients
Assessment of PPS can be done by physicians and registered nurses as well as other healthcare professionals in a variety of healthcare settings because it is simple to use. And because it is simple to use, we wanted to show you how it works so that when you get a PPS scale from the hospice, you know what you’re looking at and can decipher it.
| Rating | Ambulation | Self-Care | Intake | LOC | Activity | Disease |
| 100 | Full | Full | Normal | Full | Normal | None |
| 90 | Full | Full | Normal | Full | Normal | Some |
| 80 | Full | Full | Normal or reduced | Full | Normal with effort | Some |
| 70 | Reduced | Full | Normal or reduced | Full | Unable to do normal work | Some |
| 60 | Reduced | Occasional Assistance | Normal or reduced | Full or confusion | Unable to do hobby/housework | Significant disease |
| 50 | Mainly Idle | Considerable Assistance | Normal or reduced | Full or confusion | Unable to do any work | Extensive disease |
| 40 | Mainly in bed | Complete Assistance | Normal or reduced | Full, drowsy, or confusion | Unable to do any work | Extensive disease |
| 30 | Bed confined | Total Care | Reduced | Full, drowsy, or confusion | Unable to do any work | Extensive disease |
| 20 | Bed confined | Total Care | Minimum sips | Full, drowsy, or confusion | Unable to do any work | Extensive disease |
| 10 | Bed confined | Total Care | Monthly care only | Drowsy or coma | Unable to do any work | Extensive disease |
There is no entry for a score of 0 because at that point, the patient has passed on.
Conclusion
Not only did you learn what PPS stands for in healthcare, but also how to read a hospice PPS score for a loved one. You are now in a better position to know what is going on and to take measures accordingly.
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