Bridging the gap and developing a home-based palliative care model for cancer patients

Area of Science:

• Health Policy and Systems Research
• Palliative Care
• Oncology

Background:

• Early integration of palliative care in home health services is crucial for cancer patients.
• Palliative care improves quality of life and reduces healthcare costs for cancer patients.
• A structured home-based model is needed for Iranian cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive home-based palliative care model for adult cancer patients in Iran.
• To address barriers and enhance the delivery of palliative care at home.
• To provide a framework for improving patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Health policy and systems research following WHO guidelines.
• Four phases: integrative review, qualitative study (interviews, focus groups), result integration, and Delphi rounds for validation.
• Utilized 37 individual interviews and 1 focus group (8 participants), followed by 4 Delphi rounds with 118 integrated indicators.

Main Results:

• Identified barriers and developed 22 categories within eight pillars from qualitative data.
• Integrated findings into a conceptual model with 118 indicators.
• Validated a final conceptual model for home-based palliative care in cancer patients, featuring 92 indicators across eight pillars.

Conclusions:

• The developed model serves as a guide for similar societies to design practical home-based palliative care programs.
• The model can inform innovative strategies for cancer patient care at home.
• Future research should investigate the model's application in predicting patient outcomes.