Communication Within Hospice Interdisciplinary Teams: A Narrative Review

The role of specialty palliative care interdisciplinary team members in acute care decision support: a qualitative study protocol

BACKGROUND

Specialty palliative care interdisciplinary teams (IDT) can play an important role in supporting patients and family members during acute care decision-making. Despite guidelines and evidence emphasizing decision-making support as a key domain of specialty palliative care, little is known about how decision-making support is actually implemented by specialty palliative care IDTs. This study aims to (1) describe the structure and processes of inpatient decision-making support delivered by specialty palliative care IDT, and (2) examine the perspectives of IDT members on their role in this decision-support.

METHODS

A team of clinician and non-clinician researchers will conduct non-participant observation ethnography at a single medical center in northern New England. The ethnography will focus on the work of IDT members in supporting decision making, particularly elements of specialty palliative care that have limited descriptions in the literature (e.g. systems and processes of care). Observations of formal and informal interactions between IDT members and clinical encounters will be conducted at one site over four months. Participants include patients, care partners, non-specialty palliative care providers, and specialty palliative care IDT members. Additionally, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with IDT members across three geographically diverse specialty palliative care teams across the United States to explore providers' first-person perspective on their roles and function in decision-making support for hospitalized patients. Field notes and transcripts from observation and interviews will be uploaded to Dedoose software for management and thematic analysis following an inductive approach.

DISCUSSION

To our knowledge, this will be the first observational study of the roles of interdisciplinary specialty palliative care teams. Results from this research will support further investigation into implementation of decision-making support across different types of medical teams.

Providing home hospice care for LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers: Perceptions and opinions of hospice interdisciplinary care team providers

OBJECTIVES

Hospice patients and caregivers who are members of sexual and gender minority groups (i.e., LGBTQ+) have reported experiencing unmet needs at end of life (EOL). Negative experiences often stem from challenging interactions with healthcare providers due to ineffective or poor communication and providers' heteronormative assumptions and biases. Few studies, however, examine hospice care team (HCT) providers' knowledge, experience, and opinions related to EOL care for LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers despite this being identified as a gap in competency and education. We sought to examine HCT providers' perceptions regarding (1) awareness of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers; (2) knowledge of specific or unique needs; and (3) opinions on best care and communication practices.

METHODS

Six focus groups conducted with HCT providers (n = 48) currently delivering hospice care in three US states were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were content coded (κ = 0.77), aggregated by topical categories, and descriptively summarized.

RESULTS

Participants were mostly white and non-Hispanic (n = 43, 89.6%), cisgender female (n = 42, 87.5%), heterosexual (n = 35, 72.9%), and religious (n = 33, 68.8%); they averaged 49 years of age (range 26-72, SD = 11.66). Awareness of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers depended on patient or caregiver self-disclosure and contextual cues; orientation and gender identity data were not routinely collected. Many viewed being LGBTQ+ as private, irrelevant to care, and not a basis for people having specific or unique EOL needs because they saw EOL processes as universal, and believed that they treat everyone equally. Providers were more comfortable with patients of lesbian or gay orientation and reported less comfort and limited experience caring for transgender and gender-diverse patients or caregivers.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Many HCT members were unaware of specific issues impacting the EOL experiences of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers, or how these experiences may inform important care and communication needs at EOL.

A qualitative study exploring nursing students' perspectives on and attitudes towards hospice care in China

BACKGROUND

With the fast growth of the older population and the increasing rates of chronic illnesses, the demand for hospice care is increasing at a rapid pace. This is bringing great challenges to the healthcare system in China. Given that nursing students will be the main healthcare workforce in the future, and as such, have responsibilities to prepare for these challenges. Therefore, understanding nursing students' perspectives and attitudes towards hospice care in China is important to promote the development of hospice care services.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the perspectives and attitudes of Chinese nursing students towards hospice care.

METHOD

The descriptive phenomenology of a qualitative approach was used for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews from 11 nursing students in China between April and June 2021. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step approach.

FINDINGS

Three main themes were identified: (1) Lack of knowledge and skills; (2) lack of clinical experience; and (3) needs for service improvement. These findings indicated the problems of hospice care education and hospice care services in China.

CONCLUSION

The nursing students in this study lacked theoretical knowledge and the practical skills of hospice care. This suggests that medical educational institutions and the government should take action to increase hospice care training for nursing students, in order to increase the capacity and availability of hospice care services. It also informs policy-makers, health professionals, and health educators about the further need for the development of hospice care services in China.

Receipt of Hospice Aide Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries Receiving Home Hospice Care

CONTEXT

Hospice aides provide essential direct care to hospice patients, yet there is minimal research examining hospice aide visits.

OBJECTIVES

describe the prevalence and frequency of hospice aide visits, and 2) evaluate patient, community, and hospice characteristics associated with these visits.

METHODS

Longitudinal cohort study of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) participants who died between 2010-2018 and received routine hospice care in the 6 months prior to death (n = 674). We characterized prevalence and frequency of hospice aide visits over time and used generalized linear modelling to identify factors associated with visits.

RESULTS

64% of hospice enrollees received hospice aide visits and average visit frequency (1.3 per week) remained stable throughout enrollment. The only patient characteristic associated with receipt of hospice aide visits was primary hospice diagnosis (respiratory diagnosis vs. dementia: OR 0.372, P = 0.040). Those living in community-based residential housing and those cared for by hospices with aides employed as staff were more likely to receive any hospice aide visits (OR 2.331, P = 0.047 and OR 4.612, P = 0.002, respectively.) CONCLUSION: Hospice aide visits are a common component of hospice care, but visit frequency does not increase as death approaches. Receipt of hospice aide visits was primarily associated with community and hospice agency (rather than patient) characteristics. Future work is needed to ensure that hospice aides are integrated in the hospice interdisciplinary team and that access to hospice aide visits is meaningfully driven by patient and family needs, rather than the practice norms and business models of individual hospice agencies.

Hospice social workers' perception of being valued by the interdisciplinary team and the association with job satisfaction

Being valued and respected by colleagues is an important contributor to job satisfaction in hospice and other health care settings. The purpose of this study was to examine how the perception of feeling valued by different members of the interdisciplinary team and interdependence of team members are related to hospice social workers' job satisfaction. The study aims were to examine: (1) the degree to which hospice social workers feel valued by other members of the interdisciplinary team; and 2) whether this is associated with job satisfaction. A nonprobability sample of 203 hospice social workers completed an online survey assessing job satisfaction, perception of feeling valued by each of the professionals on the interdisciplinary hospice team, interdependence of team members, and professional and personal characteristics. The final regression model for intrinsic job satisfaction included feeling valued by doctors and by other social workers, and interdisciplinary interdependence. The final model for extrinsic job satisfaction did not include any of the perception of feeling valued by others on the interdisciplinary team, although interdependence and the number of social workers at the hospice were significant in this model. Reasons for the difference in these models and the practice and policy implications are discussed.

Informal Caregivers' Perceptions of Needs From Hospice Providers: An Integrative Review

INTRODUCTION

In the United States, informal caregivers (ICs) provide care to over 70% of patients at the end of life. Approximately 500 000 ICs contribute to the end-of-life care for patients in the United Kingdom. Hospice care is expanding worldwide to meet the needs of these ICs. Because ICs play an instrumental role in the provision of hospice services, and their perspective of their needs of formal services requires further clarity, the purpose of this review is to synthesize research that elucidates perceptions of ICs regarding their experiences with hospice providers.

METHODS

Twelve research studies regarding perceptions of informal hospice caregivers were obtained by searching CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE databases.

RESULTS

Four primary themes emerged that describe what ICs perceive as beneficial contributions of hospice providers in aiding their caregiving: providing easy access to desired care, building up the caregiver, forming a relationship, and utilizing culturally relevant interpersonal skills.

CONCLUSION

Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that the IC is acknowledged as an expert part of the team. Clearly explaining available services, creating better ways to ease the IC's transition from caregiving to bereavement, and recruiting minority hospice providers are other important efforts that could improve the caregiving experience. The needs of ICs are complex, but by listening to their perspective, we can begin to clarify the best ways to aid them in their difficult job.

The scenario of scientific publication on palliative care in oncology over the last 5 years: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To identify the profile of studies published on palliative care in oncology and to analyze their levels of evidence.

METHOD

A scoping review. Inclusion criteria published in the last 5 years, in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Exclusion criteria incomplete articles, paid for, or those without results.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 42,650 publications, where 341 remained after four selection steps. The largest number of publications was in 2015, with 32.55% of the total; 83% were classified as Recommendation Grade B, and 52% with Level of Evidence 2B. Uniprofessional production was more frequent with 67.74% of the publications; physicians were the authors in 93.26%, and nurses in 25.22% of the total articles.

CONCLUSION

There are several articles on the subject, however they have low scientific evidence. Most of the production is uniprofessional, and nurses are the main authors of multiprofessional publications. A brief overview of the scientific publication on palliative care in oncology was performed, from which we can recommend integration among professionals for producing multiprofessional studies with better quality of scientific evidence to direct and improve healthcare.

Communicating Effectively in Pediatric Cancer Care: Translating Evidence into Practice

Effective communication is essential to the practice of pediatric oncology. Clear and empathic delivery of diagnostic and prognostic information positively impacts the ways in which patients and families cope. Honest, compassionate discussions regarding goals of care and hopes for patients approaching end of life can provide healing when other therapies have failed. Effective communication and the positive relationships it fosters also can provide comfort to families grieving the loss of a child. A robust body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of optimal communication for patients, families, and healthcare providers. This review aims to identify key communication skills that healthcare providers can employ throughout the illness journey to provide information, encourage shared decision-making, promote therapeutic alliance, and empathically address end-of-life concerns. By reviewing the relevant evidence and providing practical tips for skill development, we strive to help healthcare providers understand the value of effective communication and master these critical skills.

WE'RE THE EYES AND THE EARS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A VOICE: PERSPECTIVES OF HOSPICE AIDES

Hospice aides are integral to the delivery of home hospice care and play an essential role in the effective communication and collaboration of the hospice interdisciplinary team. Despite their critical role, little is known about hospice aides' perceptions of their role in providing hospice services. This qualitative study explores hospice aides' perspectives of their work, their relationships with patients, families and interdisciplinary team members, and their contributions to end-of-life care. Two focus groups of hospice aides (N = 13), and 16 hours of observation of in-home caregiving were conducted. Focus group data were inductively and iteratively coded, and three themes were identified: 1) "We're the eyes and ears", 2) "We're kept out of the loop", and 3) "We have no voice." Aides described themselves as front-line providers based on the close relationships they formed with patients and family members, yet felt under-recognized by members of the hospice team. Observational field notes were reexamined with themes to confirm convergence of qualitative and observational data. Better understanding of their role could enhance integration of aides into patient- and family-centered team interactions, leading to both improved patient and family outcomes and retention and support of this critical component of the hospice workforce.

Update in Hospice and Palliative Care

The objective of this update, presented at the 2017 Annual Assembly of the American Association of Palliative and Hospice Medicine (AAHPM) and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), is to identify, summarize, and critique a sampling of research from the prior year that has the potential for marked impact on hospice and palliative clinical practice. Eight reports of original research published between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 were identified through a systematic PubMed search using the terms "hospice" and "palliative care," a hand search of 22 leading healthcare journals, and discussion with experts in the field. Candidate articles were ranked based on the study's methodological quality, appeal to a breadth of palliative care clinicians across different settings, and potential clinical practice impact. We summarize the eight articles with the highest ratings and give recommendations for clinical practice.

Hospice Admission Assessment

Hospice admission assessment is a pivotal encounter for patient/family and hospice representative. For patient/family, the admission is the threshold by which a particular level of care can commence and, symbolically, a certain marker in health status trajectory is reached. For hospice representative, the admission episode is an occasion to inaugurate an ambience that can serve to frame future hospice care experiences for the patient/family. Through a narrative lens, hospice admission assessment can be seen as experiential time and space, where patient’s and family’s stories are mindfully and deliberately witnessed and explored. Through the practice of narrative mining, the hospice representative can better understand others’ offered stories of reality, which will better inform the plan of palliation and hospice care.