Development of a palliative paramedicine framework to standardise best practice: A Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Emergency Medical Services
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Growing global demand for palliative care necessitates generalist clinician involvement.
• Paramedics are positioned to provide community-based palliative support.
• Integrating palliative care into paramedicine requires multi-level interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a national palliative paramedicine framework.
• To standardize best practices in palliative paramedicine across Australia.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi study methodology was employed.
• Two rounds of questionnaire completion with free-text comments were conducted.
• Participants included paramedics, palliative care specialists, GPs, researchers, and carers.

Main Results:

• A 32-component framework was established through consensus.
• Seventeen original components achieved consensus, 6 were modified, and 9 new components were added.
• All modified and new components reached consensus in the second round.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive national framework for palliative paramedicine in Australia has been developed.
• The framework addresses macro-, meso-, and micro-level interventions.
• Future research should focus on implementation strategies and overcoming barriers.