TY - JOUR T1 - Modelling study of prognostic indicators for patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer identifies variables that predict short-term survival in palliative care JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 62 LP - 63 DO - 10.1136/ebmed.2011.100303 VL - 17 IS - 2 AU - David Casarett Y1 - 2012/04/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/17/2/62.abstract N2 - Commentary on: Gwilliam B, Keeley V, Todd C, et al. Development of prognosis in palliative care study (PiPS) predictor models to improve prognostication in advanced cancer: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2011;343:d4920.OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text A key function of palliative care is to provide accurate information about prognosis with a level of specificity that patients and their families want. However, a large evidence base indicates that healthcare providers are often not able to make an accurate prognostic assessment and that prognostic predictions tend to be overly optimistic.1 2 Even palliative care providers, whose predictions should be the most accurate, tend to overestimate survival.3 This optimism bias is not homogeneous. In fact, providers working in specialised settings such as the intensive care unit may be able to make more accurate predictions.4 5 Nevertheless, most healthcare … ER -