How to Enable Participation until the End of Life? A Survey of German Occupational Therapists Working in Palliative Care

BACKGROUND

In palliative care, the needs of people with life-limiting illnesses must be addressed with the support of a multidisciplinary team. Occupational therapy is a profession that focuses on activity and participation. In Germany, there are no surveys to date that demonstrate the work of occupational therapists in palliative care and which problems can occur in this field.

AIM

The aim of this study is to describe the work and problems of occupational therapists in German palliative care.

DESIGN

The survey consists of 17 questions and could be conducted anonymously. Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis of the free text responses were used to analyze data.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Respondents were German occupational therapists who are members of the "German Association of Occupational Therapy".

RESULTS

A total of 281 valid responses were evaluated, of which 120 respondents work in the context of palliative care. Most of them provide needs-based therapies (74%), train relatives (69%), or help patients with positioning (69%) or relaxation therapy (66%). Four themes were developed in the free text responses that describe problems in the utilization of occupational therapy in palliative care.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation shows that occupational therapy in palliative care offers a variety of possible applications and approaches. The findings urgently need to be implemented in daily practice to improve the status of occupational therapists. This requires appropriate billing modalities and clear guidelines. There is still a significant need for research and training in this area.

[Physical therapy and occupational therapy in German palliative care: Where do we stand?]

INTRODUCTION

Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) as supportive forms of treatment in palliative care, together with other treatment measures, can create participation for seriously ill patients in the form of a life that is as autonomous as possible until the end of life. However, specially trained staff are needed for the care of palliative patients in order to do justice to the clients' special life situation. In Germany, no corresponding survey on the subject has so far been conducted. So it is unclear to what extent PT and OT are offered in palliative care structures in this country, which tasks are assigned to the respective professional groups, and what the level of knowledge is that caregivers have about treatment options.

AIM

Compilation of an overview of the provision, need and use of PT and OT in the various areas of palliative care in Germany. If there is a lack of provision, the reasons for this will be identified.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional survey, a self-designed 9-item questionnaire was sent out to a total of 260 hospices, 323 palliative care units and 304 specialized outpatient palliative care services (SOPC) listed on the homepage of the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP). The respondents' answers were analysed using a purely descriptive approach.

RESULTS

The response rate was 439 (49.5%). A total of 434 questionnaires (49%) were included in the analysis. A heterogeneous distribution of PT and OT offers between outpatient, inpatient, and hospice palliative care can be seen, with the outpatient area showing a significantly fewer offerings. 29% of the SOPC teams can offer neither PT nor OT. This is mostly due to a shortage of skilled workers or a lack of funding opportunities. The different areas of responsibility of physiotherapists and occupational therapists are known to the majority of respondents (hospice 87%, palliative care unit 83%, SOPC 81%) and are also reflected in the distribution of tasks between the two professional groups. Especially palliative care units and SOPC teams state that they would like to offer more PT and OT (palliative care units 42% more PT and 58% more OT; SOPC 65% more PT and 50% more OT).

DISCUSSION

This cross-sectional survey is the first of its kind to provide an overview of the PT and OT offerings in the different sectors of German palliative care. In a comparison of the two forms of therapy, occupational therapists are used less frequently than physiotherapists. An international comparison of the study situation also shows that the use of OT in palliative care, in particular, has not yet been implemented satisfactorily. Outside Germany, the main reasons for this are a shortage of specialists and a lack of knowledge about the tasks of OT.

CONCLUSION

PT and OT are frequently used treatment options in all areas of German palliative care. In order to better classify structural problems in care, further differentiated surveys should be conducted. Furthermore, a better knowledge base should be created through research and information activities of both professional groups in palliative care.