Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 62, 3, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.01.038
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Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The challenges of caring for people dying from COVID-19
T2 - a multinational, observational study (CovPall)
AU - Oluyase, Adejoke
AU - Hocaoglu, Mevhibe
AU - Cripps, Rachel
AU - Maddocks, Matthew
AU - Walshe, Catherine
AU - Fraser, Lorna
AU - Preston, Nancy
AU - Dunleavy, Lesley
AU - Bradshaw, Andy
AU - Murtagh, Fliss
AU - Bajwah, Sabrina
AU - Sleeman, Katherine
AU - Irene, Higginson
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 62, 3, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.01.038
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - ContextSystematic data on the care of people dying with COVID-19 are scarce.ObjectivesTo understand the response of and challenges faced by palliative care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify associated factors.MethodsWe surveyed palliative care and hospice services, contacted via relevant organisations. Multivariable logistic regression identified associations with challenges. Content analysis explored free text responses.Results458 services responded; 277 UK, 85 rest of Europe, 95 rest of the world; 81% cared for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, 77% had staff with suspected or confirmed COVID-19; 48% reported shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 40% staff shortages, 24% medicines shortages, 14% shortages of other equipment. Services provided direct care and education in symptom management and communication; 91% changed how they worked. Care often shifted to increased community and hospital care, with fewer admissions to inpatient palliative care units. Factors associated with increased odds of PPE shortages were: charity rather than public management (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.81-5.20), inpatient palliative care unit rather than other settings (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.46-3.75). Being outside the UK was associated with lower odds of staff shortages (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.76). Staff described increased workload, concerns for their colleagues who were ill, whilst expending time struggling to get essential equipment and medicines, perceiving they were not a front-line service.ConclusionPalliative care services were often overwhelmed, yet felt ignored in the COVID-19 response. Palliative care needs better integration with health care systems when planning and responding to future epidemics/pandemics.
AB - ContextSystematic data on the care of people dying with COVID-19 are scarce.ObjectivesTo understand the response of and challenges faced by palliative care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify associated factors.MethodsWe surveyed palliative care and hospice services, contacted via relevant organisations. Multivariable logistic regression identified associations with challenges. Content analysis explored free text responses.Results458 services responded; 277 UK, 85 rest of Europe, 95 rest of the world; 81% cared for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, 77% had staff with suspected or confirmed COVID-19; 48% reported shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 40% staff shortages, 24% medicines shortages, 14% shortages of other equipment. Services provided direct care and education in symptom management and communication; 91% changed how they worked. Care often shifted to increased community and hospital care, with fewer admissions to inpatient palliative care units. Factors associated with increased odds of PPE shortages were: charity rather than public management (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.81-5.20), inpatient palliative care unit rather than other settings (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.46-3.75). Being outside the UK was associated with lower odds of staff shortages (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.76). Staff described increased workload, concerns for their colleagues who were ill, whilst expending time struggling to get essential equipment and medicines, perceiving they were not a front-line service.ConclusionPalliative care services were often overwhelmed, yet felt ignored in the COVID-19 response. Palliative care needs better integration with health care systems when planning and responding to future epidemics/pandemics.
KW - palliative care
KW - COVID-19
KW - pandemics
KW - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
KW - end of life care
KW - hospices
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.01.138
DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.01.138
M3 - Journal article
VL - 62
SP - 460
EP - 4470
JO - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
JF - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
SN - 0885-3924
IS - 3
ER -