Evaluating a palliative care program: methodology and limitations

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Healthcare Service Evaluation
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Palliative care services are crucial for managing complex patient needs.
• Evaluating service components and outcomes is essential for optimizing care delivery.
• Regional and tertiary care settings require tailored palliative care models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a palliative care service in a regional/tertiary facility.
• To evaluate patient/family satisfaction and symptom relief.
• To examine community resource utilization and nursing staff well-being.

Main Methods:

• Utilized symptom distress scale for quality of life.
• Employed adapted Kristjanson FAMCARE scale for patient/family satisfaction.
• Assessed community resource utilization via surveys.
• Measured nursing morale and stress using Maslach Burnout Inventory and Latack's Coping Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Overall symptom distress significantly decreased.
• Patients and families reported general satisfaction, with identified areas for improvement.
• Physicians noted benefits in psychosocial support, respite, and education.
• Nurses felt equipped with time, energy, resources, and support for quality care.

Conclusions:

• The palliative care service effectively reduced symptom distress and generally satisfied patients/families.
• The service positively impacts nursing staff morale and perceived ability to provide quality care.
• Recommendations for enhancing specific aspects of patient/family satisfaction are indicated.