Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32278097›Full record

SynthesisJournal of pain and symptom management2020

The Role and Response of Palliative Care and Hospice Services in Epidemics and Pandemics: A Rapid Review to Inform Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Simon N Etkind, Anna E Bone, Natasha Lovell, Rachel L Cripps, Richard Harding, Irene J Higginson, Katherine E Sleeman

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 119 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
119citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

119 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Guideline
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  13. Impact of the implementation of an embedded palliative care model in the continuum of care for patients with metastatic breast cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Observational
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59 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Simon N EtkindKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Anna E BoneKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Natasha LovellKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Rachel L CrippsKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Richard HardingKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Irene J HigginsonKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Katherine E SleemanKing's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Katherine.Sleeman@kcl.ac.uk.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/V012908/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are escalating rapidly across the globe, with the mortality risk being especially high among those with existing illness and multimorbidity. This study aimed to synthesize evidence for the role and response of palliative care and hospice teams to viral epidemics/pandemics and inform the COVID-19 pandemic response. We conducted a rapid systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines in five databases. Of 3094 articles identified, 10 were included in this narrative synthesis. Included studies were from West Africa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S., and Italy. All had an observational design. Findings were synthesized using a previously proposed framework according to systems (policies, training and protocols, communication and coordination, and data), staff (deployment, skill mix, and resilience), space (community provision and use of technology), and stuff (medicines and equipment as well as personal protective equipment). We conclude that hospice and palliative services have an essential role in the response to COVID-19 by responding rapidly and flexibly; ensuring protocols for symptom management are available, and training nonspecialists in their use; being involved in triage; considering shifting resources into the community; considering redeploying volunteers to provide psychosocial and bereavement care; facilitating camaraderie among staff and adopting measures to deal with stress; using technology to communicate with patients and carers; and adopting standardized data collection systems to inform operational changes and improve care.

Indexed as

EpidemicsHospice CarePalliative CarePandemicsCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19HumansObservational Studies as TopicPneumonia, ViralcoronavirusCOVID-19end of lifehospicepalliative carepandemic

Identifiers

PMID32278097
PMCPMC7141635

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.