Health Care Personnel's Perspectives on Quality of Palliative Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Cross-Sectional Study

Marie Dahlen Granrud; Vigdis Abrahamsen Grøndahl; Ann Karin Helgesen; Carina Bååth; Cecilia Olsson; Maria Tillfors; Christina Melin-Johansson; Jane Österlind; Maria Larsson; Reidun Hov; Tuva Sandsdalen

doi:10.2147/JMDH.S419442

Health Care Personnel's Perspectives on Quality of Palliative Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Cross-Sectional Study

J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023 Sep 27:16:2893-2903. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S419442. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social Sciences and Guidance, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway.
² Department of Nursing, Health and Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organization, Østfold University College, Halden, Norway.
³ Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Bachelor Education in Nursing, Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Department of Social and Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Health Care Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁸ Centre of Development of Institutional and Home Care Services, Innland (Hedmark), Hamar Municipality, Norway.
⁹ Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway.

Abstract

Purpose: The provision of high-quality palliative care is challenging, especially during a pandemic like COVID-19. The latter entailed major consequences for health care systems and health care personnel (HCP) in both specialist and community health care services, in Norway and worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore how the HCP perceived the quality of palliative care in nursing homes, medical care units, and intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study had a cross-sectional design. A total of 290 HCP from Norway participated in the study (RR = 25.8%) between October and December 2021. The questionnaire comprised items concerning respondents' demographics and quality of care, the latter measured by the short form of the Quality from the Patient's Perspective-Palliative Care instrument, adapted for HCP. The STROBE checklist was used.

Results: This study shows that the HCP scored subjective importance as higher in all dimensions, items and single items than their perception of the actual care received. This could indicate a need for improvement in all areas. Information about medication, opportunity to participate in decisions about medical and nursing care and continuity regarding receiving help from the same physician and nurse are examples of areas for improvement.

Conclusion: Study results indicate that HCP from nursing homes, medical care units, and intensive care units perceived that quality of palliative care provided was not in line with what they perceived to be important for the patient. This indicate that it was challenging to provide high-quality palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; health care personnel perspective; palliative care; quality of care.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Norwegian Regional Foundation (grant no. 321741) and AFA Försäkring (grant no. DNR 200393). The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study, nor in the data collection, analysis, or interpretation.