Developing and Evaluating a Care Pathway for Improving Palliative Care in Western Norway

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health Implementation

Background:

• Operationalizing palliative care across diverse services is challenging.
• A standardized approach is needed to improve consistency in palliative care delivery.
• Western Norway developed a web-based palliative care pathway (PCP) to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability and content of a newly developed palliative care pathway (PCP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs).
• To assess the impact of the PCP on HCPs' knowledge, skills, and application of palliative care principles.
• To gather feedback for optimizing the PCP's accessibility and functionality.

Main Methods:

• Development of an evidence-based, web-based palliative care pathway (PCP) framework.
• Distribution of an electronic questionnaire to HCPs to assess perceived usability and content.
• Monitoring of PCP webpage activity, complemented by an evaluation seminar and group interviews.

Main Results:

• HCPs reported increased palliative care knowledge and skills attributed to the PCP.
• The PCP was perceived as a valuable reference and educational tool.
• While accessible, HCPs requested enhanced features like a search option and improved webpage navigation.

Conclusions:

• The palliative care pathway (PCP) has the potential to foster a unified understanding of palliative care across settings.
• It can significantly contribute to enhancing patient-centered care delivery.
• Adequate time and user-focused improvements are crucial for successful HCP adoption and utilization of the PCP.