ArticleBMC palliative care2019
"Small small interventions, big big roles"- a qualitative study of patient, care-giver and health-care worker experiences of a palliative care programme in Kerala, India.
Article in BMC palliative care, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of home-based palliative care implementation in low- and middle-income countries: A realist review.Palliative care and social practice · 2026Review
- Palliative care models in primary health care system of India: a scoping review.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- The bittersweet experiences of providers of Home-Based Palliative Care (HBPalC): a qualitative study on the provider perspectives of HBPalC in Kerala, India.International journal for equity in health · 2025Article
- Palliative care policy and practice in Kerala, India: Implications for Sustainable Development Goal 3-Health and well-being.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- Patients' and caregivers' experiences of familial and social support in resource-poor settings: A systematically constructed review and meta-synthesis.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Review
- Proposal for improving access to palliative care by enhancing primary care services in an upper middle-income country.Ecancermedicalscience · 2023Article
- Improving symptom assessment and management in the community through capacity building of primary palliative care: A study protocol of exploratory research.F1000Research · 2022Article
- Essential Elements of Home-based Palliative Care Model: A Rapid Review.Indian journal of palliative careReview
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHome-based palliative care is an essential resource for many communities. We conducted a qualitative study to explore perceptions of a home-based palliative care programme in Kerala, India, from the perspective of patients, their care-givers and the doctors, nurses and volunteers running the intervention.
methodsA descriptive qualitative study was carried out. One focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted with patients (n = 8) and two with male and female volunteers (n = 12); and interviews were conducted with doctors (n = 3), nurses (n = 3) and care-givers (n = 14). FGDs and interviews were conducted in Malayalam, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Transcripts were coded and analysed using manual content analysis.
resultsDoctors, nurses and volunteers have interdependent roles in providing palliative care to patients, including mentorship, training, patient care and advocating for patient needs. Volunteers also considered themselves to be mediators between families and the programme. Care-givers were mainly female and were caring for relatives. They have physically demanding, psychologically stressful and socially restrictive experiences of care-giving. They felt that the programme facilitated their role as care-givers by giving them training and support. Patients with long standing illnesses felt that the programme enabled them to become more independent and self-reliant. The local community supports the programme through economic contributions and offering practical assistance to patients.
conclusionThe salient features of this programme include the provision of regular holistic care through a team of doctors, nurses and patients. The programme was perceived to have improved the lives of patients and their care-givers. The involvement of volunteers from the local community was perceived as a strength of the programme, whilst simultaneously being a challenge.
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