Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34006159›Full record

ArticlePalliative medicine2021

Health and social care professionals' experiences of providing end of life care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

Jeffrey R Hanna, Elizabeth Rapa, Louise J Dalton, Rosemary Hughes, Louise M Quarmby, Tamsin McGlinchey, Warren J Donnellan, Kate M Bennett, Catriona R Mayland, Stephen R Mason

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 3 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

47 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jeffrey R HannaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8218-5939
Elizabeth RapaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8818-8148
Louise J DaltonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1923-5769
Rosemary HughesPalliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, North West Cancer Research Centre, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4390-8097
Louise M QuarmbySpecialist Surgery Psychology Team, Oxford Psychological Medicine Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8684-0745
Tamsin McGlincheyPalliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, North West Cancer Research Centre, Liverpool, UK.
Warren J DonnellanDepartment of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0224-9155
Kate M BennettDepartment of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3164-6894
Catriona R MaylandPalliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, North West Cancer Research Centre, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1440-9953
Stephen R MasonPalliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, North West Cancer Research Centre, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4020-6869

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealth and social care professionals' ability to address the needs of patients and their relatives at end of life is likely to have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

aimTo explore health and social care professionals' experiences of providing end of life care during the COVID-19 pandemic to help inform current/future clinical practice and policy.

designA qualitative interview study. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. SETTING/

participantsSixteen health and social care professionals working across a range of clinical settings in supporting dying patients during the first wave (March-June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

resultsParticipants reported emotional and practical challenges to providing end of life care during the pandemic, including increases in patient numbers, reduced staffing levels and relying on virtual platforms for sensitive, emotive conversations with relatives. Participants were central to promoting connections between patients and their families at end of life and creating opportunities for a final contact before the death. However, the provision of support varied as a consequence of the pressures of the pandemic. Results are discussed under two themes: (1) challenges and facilitators to providing end of life care, and (2) support needs of relatives when a family member was dying during the COVID-19 pandemic.

conclusionThere is a need for flexible visiting arrangements at end of life during a pandemic. A systems-level approach is necessary to promote the wellbeing of health and social care professionals providing end of life care during and after a pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19Terminal CareHealth PersonnelHumansPandemicsQualitative ResearchSARS-CoV-2Social SupportUnited KingdomCOVID-19End of lifeexperiencehealthcare professionalspalliative carepsychosocial wellbeingqualitative studysocial care professionalssupportive care

Identifiers

PMID34006159
PMCPMC8137863

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.