Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors Associated with Perception of the Quality of Physicians' End-of-life Communication in Long-Term Care Facilities
T2 - PACE Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Barańska, I.
AU - Kijowska, V.
AU - Engels, Y.
AU - Finne-Soveri, H.
AU - Froggatt, K.
AU - Gambassi, G.
AU - Hammar, T.
AU - Oosterveld-Vlug, M.
AU - Payne, S.
AU - Van Den Noortgate, N.
AU - Smets, T.
AU - Deliens, L.
AU - Van den Block, L.
AU - Szczerbińska, K.
AU - Adang, E.
AU - Andreasen, P.
AU - Collingridge Moore, D.
AU - van Hout, H.
AU - Ten Koppel, M.
AU - Mammarella, F.
AU - Mercuri, M.
AU - Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.D.
AU - Pivodic, L.
AU - Rossi, P.
AU - Sowerby, E.
AU - Stodolska, A.
AU - Wichmann, A.
AU - van der Steen, J.T.
AU - Vernooij-Dassen, M.
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - Objective: To examine factors associated with perceived quality of communication with physicians by relatives of dying residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Design: A cross-sectional retrospective study in a representative sample of LTCFs conducted in 2015. In each LTCF, deaths of residents during the 3 months before the researcher's visit were reported. Structured questionnaires were sent to the identified relatives of deceased residents. Settings and participants: A total of 736 relatives of deceased residents in 210 LTCFs (in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland). Methods: The Family Perception of Physician-Family Communication scale (FPPFC) was used to assess the quality of end-of-life (EOL) communication with physicians as perceived by relatives. We applied multilevel linear regression models to find factors associated with the FPPFC score. Results: The quality of EOL communication with physicians was perceived by relatives as higher when the relative spent more than 14 hours with the resident in the last week of the resident's life (b = 0.205; P = .044), and when the treating physician visited the resident at least 3 times in the last week of the resident's life (b = 0.286; P = .002) or provided the resident with palliative care (b = 0.223; P = .003). Relatives with higher emotional burden perceived the quality of EOL communication with physicians as lower (b = −0.060; P < .001). These results had been adjusted to countries and LTCF types with physicians employed on-site or off-site of the facility. Conclusion: The quality of EOL communication with physicians, as perceived by relatives of dying LTCF residents, is associated with the number of physician visits and amount of time spent by the relative with the resident in the last week of the resident's life, and relatives' emotional burden. Implications: LTCF managers should organize care for dying residents in a way that enables frequent interactions between physicians and relatives, and emotional support to relatives to improve their satisfaction with EOL communication.
AB - Objective: To examine factors associated with perceived quality of communication with physicians by relatives of dying residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Design: A cross-sectional retrospective study in a representative sample of LTCFs conducted in 2015. In each LTCF, deaths of residents during the 3 months before the researcher's visit were reported. Structured questionnaires were sent to the identified relatives of deceased residents. Settings and participants: A total of 736 relatives of deceased residents in 210 LTCFs (in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland). Methods: The Family Perception of Physician-Family Communication scale (FPPFC) was used to assess the quality of end-of-life (EOL) communication with physicians as perceived by relatives. We applied multilevel linear regression models to find factors associated with the FPPFC score. Results: The quality of EOL communication with physicians was perceived by relatives as higher when the relative spent more than 14 hours with the resident in the last week of the resident's life (b = 0.205; P = .044), and when the treating physician visited the resident at least 3 times in the last week of the resident's life (b = 0.286; P = .002) or provided the resident with palliative care (b = 0.223; P = .003). Relatives with higher emotional burden perceived the quality of EOL communication with physicians as lower (b = −0.060; P < .001). These results had been adjusted to countries and LTCF types with physicians employed on-site or off-site of the facility. Conclusion: The quality of EOL communication with physicians, as perceived by relatives of dying LTCF residents, is associated with the number of physician visits and amount of time spent by the relative with the resident in the last week of the resident's life, and relatives' emotional burden. Implications: LTCF managers should organize care for dying residents in a way that enables frequent interactions between physicians and relatives, and emotional support to relatives to improve their satisfaction with EOL communication.
KW - end-of-life care
KW - long-term care facility
KW - physician
KW - Quality of communication
KW - relative
KW - adult
KW - article
KW - Belgium
KW - controlled study
KW - cross-sectional study
KW - female
KW - Finland
KW - human
KW - Italy
KW - linear regression analysis
KW - long term care
KW - male
KW - manager
KW - Netherlands
KW - palliative therapy
KW - perception
KW - Poland
KW - resident
KW - retrospective study
KW - satisfaction
KW - structured questionnaire
KW - terminal care
U2 - 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.07.018
DO - 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.07.018
M3 - Journal article
VL - 21
SP - 439.e1-439.e8
JO - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
JF - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
SN - 1525-8610
IS - 3
ER -