Training and supportive programs for palliative care volunteers in community settings

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Volunteer Training
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Palliative care provides specialized support for individuals with terminal illnesses and their families.
• Volunteers enhance palliative care services, offering practical, social, and emotional support, especially in community settings.
• Effective volunteer training and support are crucial for volunteer effectiveness and the quality of care delivered.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of various training and support strategies for palliative care volunteers.
• To assess effects on palliative care clients, their families, and the volunteers themselves.
• To determine the influence on overall service quality within palliative care.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, DARE).
• Inclusion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, controlled before-and-after (CBA), and interrupted time series (ITS) studies.
• Screening of 2614 citations and extensive grey literature search, including relevant organizational websites.

Main Results:

• No studies met the inclusion criteria for assessing the effects of training and support strategies for palliative care volunteers.
• The search identified 28 potentially relevant titles, but none were eligible for inclusion in the review.
• While no eligible studies were found, the excluded studies indicated the feasibility of conducting trials in this domain.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care volunteer involvement is expected to persist and grow.
• There is a significant lack of empirical evidence regarding optimal training and support methods for palliative care volunteers.
• Further research is essential to establish best practices for volunteer training and support to maintain high standards of care for palliative care patients and their families.