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Scarpetti G, Shadowen H, Williams GA, Winkelmann J, Kroneman M, Groenewegen PP, De Jong JD, Fronteira I, Augusto GF, Hsiung S, Slade S, Rojatz D, Kallayova D, Katreniakova Z, Nagyova I, Kylänen M, Vracko P, Jesurasa A, Wallace Z, Wallace C, Costongs C, Barnes AJ, van Ginneken E. A comparison of social prescribing approaches across twelve high-income countries. Health Policy 2024; 142:104992. [PMID: 38368661 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.104992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social prescribing connects patients with community resources to improve their health and well-being. It is gaining momentum globally due to its potential for addressing non-medical causes of illness while building on existing resources and enhancing overall health at a relatively low cost. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the need for policy interventions to address health-related social issues such as loneliness and isolation. AIM This paper presents evidence of the conceptualisation and implementation of social prescribing schemes in twelve countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, the Netherlands, the United States and Wales. METHODS Twelve countries were identified through the Health Systems and Policy Monitor (HSPM) network and the EuroHealthNet Partnership. Information was collected through a twelve open-ended question survey based on a conceptual model inspired by the WHO's Health System Framework. RESULTS We found that social prescribing can take different forms, and the scale of implementation also varies significantly. Robust evidence on impact is scarce and highly context-specific, with some indications of cost-effectiveness and positive impact on well-being. CONCLUSIONS This paper provides insights into social prescribing in various contexts and may guide countries interested in holistically tackling health-related social factors and strengthening community-based care. Policies can support a more seamless integration of social prescribing into existing care, improve collaboration among sectors and training programs for health and social care professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Scarpetti
- Technische Universität Berlin, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
| | | | - Gemma A Williams
- European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, World Health Organization
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, World Health Organization
| | - Madelon Kroneman
- Nivel (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter P Groenewegen
- Nivel (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Judith D De Jong
- Nivel (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, Netherlands and Maastricht University
| | - Inês Fronteira
- Global Health and Tropical, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Figueiredo Augusto
- Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sonia Hsiung
- Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, Canadian Red Cross
| | - Siân Slade
- Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Daniela Rojatz
- Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Kallayova
- Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Zuzana Katreniakova
- Department of Social and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, PJ Safarik University in Kosice and Slovak Public Health Association (SAVEZ), Kosice, Slovak Republic
| | - Iveta Nagyova
- Department of Social and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, PJ Safarik University in Kosice and Slovak Public Health Association (SAVEZ), Kosice, Slovak Republic
| | - Marika Kylänen
- Finnish Best Practice Portal for Health and Wellbeing Promotion, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pia Vracko
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Carolyn Wallace
- University of South Wales, Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR), UK
| | | | | | - Ewout van Ginneken
- Technische Universität Berlin, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
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Rossmann C, Krnel SR, Kylänen M, Lewtak K, Tortone C, Ragazzoni P, Grasso M, Maassen A, Costa L, van Dale D. Health promotion and disease prevention registries in the EU: a cross country comparison. Arch Public Health 2023; 81:85. [PMID: 37161420 PMCID: PMC10170815 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01097-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health promotion and disease prevention programme registries (HPPRs), also called 'best practice portals', serve as entry points and practical repositories that provide decision-makers with easy access to (evidence-based) practices. However, there is limited knowledge of differences or overlaps of howe current national HPPRs in Europe function, the context and circumstances in which these HPPRs were developed, and the mechanisms utilised by each HPPR for the assessment, classification and quality improvement of the included practices. This study prepared an overview of different approaches in several national HPPRs and the EU Best Practice Portal (EU BPP) as well as identified commonalities and differences among the core characteristics of the HPPRs. METHODS We conducted a descriptive comparison - that focused on six European countries with existing or recently developed/implemented national HPPR and the EU BPP -to create a comparative overview. We used coding mechanisms to identify commonalities and differences; we performed data management, collection and building consensus during EuroHealthNet Thematic Working Group meetings. RESULTS All HPPRs offer a broad range of health promotion and disease-prevention practices and serve to support practitioners, policymakers and researchers in selecting practices. Almost all HPPRs have an assessment process in place or planned, requiring the application of assessment criteria that differ among the HPPRs. While all HPPRs collect and share recommendable practices, others have implemented further measures to improve the quality of the submitted practices. Different dissemination tools and strategies are employed to promote the use of the HPPRs, including social media, newsletters and publications as well as capacity building workshops for practice owners or technical options to connect citizens/patients with local practices. CONCLUSIONS Collaboration between HPPRs (at national and EU level) is appreciated, especially regarding the use consistent terminology to avoid misinterpretation, facilitate cross-country comparison and enable discussions on the adaption of assessment criteria by national HPPRs. Greater efforts are needed to promote the actual implementation and transfer of practices at the national level to address public health challenges with proven and effective practices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marika Kylänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), PO Box 30, Helsinki, 00271, Finland
| | - Katarzyna Lewtak
- National Institute of Public Health NIH-NRI (NIPH NIH-NRI), Warsaw, 00-791, Poland
- Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-007, Poland
| | - Claudio Tortone
- DoRS - Health Promotion Regional Documentation Centre, Regione Piemonte ASL TO3, Grugliasco (Turin), I- 10095, Italy
| | - Paola Ragazzoni
- DoRS - Health Promotion Regional Documentation Centre, Regione Piemonte ASL TO3, Grugliasco (Turin), I- 10095, Italy
| | - Mara Grasso
- DoRS - Health Promotion Regional Documentation Centre, Regione Piemonte ASL TO3, Grugliasco (Turin), I- 10095, Italy
| | | | - Luciana Costa
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Lisbon, 1649-016, Portugal
- BioISI-Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Djoeke van Dale
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, Bilthoven, 3720, The Netherlands.
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Honinx E, Van den Block L, Piers R, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Payne S, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Deliens L, Smets T. Large differences in the organization of palliative care in nursing homes in six European countries: findings from the PACE cross-sectional study. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:131. [PMID: 34433457 PMCID: PMC8390206 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00827-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To be able to provide high-quality palliative care, there need to be a number of organizational structures available in the nursing homes. It is unclear to what extent such structures are actually present in nursing homes in Europe. We aim to examine structural indicators for quality of palliative care in nursing homes in Europe and to evaluate the differences in terms of availability of and access to palliative care, infrastructure for residents and families, multidisciplinary meetings and quality improvement initiatives. Methods A PACE cross-sectional study (2015) of nursing homes in Belgium, England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Nursing homes (N = 322) were selected in each country via proportional stratified random sampling. Nursing home administrators (N = 305) filled in structured questionnaires on nursing home characteristics. Organization of palliative care was measured using 13 of the previously defined IMPACT structural indicators for quality of palliative care covering four domains: availability of and access to palliative care, infrastructure for residents and families, multidisciplinary meetings and quality improvement initiatives. We calculated structural indicator scores for each country and computed differences in indicator scores between the six countries. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to compute the p-value of each difference. Results The availability of specialist palliative care teams in nursing homes was limited (6.1–48.7%). In Finland, Poland and Italy, specialist advice was also less often available (35.6–46.9%). Up to 49% of the nursing homes did not provide a dedicated contact person who maintained regular contact with the resident and relatives. The 24/7 availability of opioids for all nursing home residents was low in Poland (37.5%). Conclusions This study found a large heterogeneity between countries in the organization of palliative care in nursing homes, although a common challenge is ensuring sufficient structural access to specialist palliative care services. Policymakers and health and palliative care organizations can use these structural indicators to identify areas for improvement in the organization of palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Honinx
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - L Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R Piers
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorstraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Payne
- Faculty of Health And Medicine, Lancaster University, 46 Bardsea, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA14YX, UK
| | - K Szczerbińska
- Department of Sociology of Medicine, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, ul. Kopernika 7a, 31-034, Kraków, Poland
| | - G Gambassi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto Di Medicina Interna E Geriatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito, 1 - 00135, Rome, Italy
| | - M Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, P.O. Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - L Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
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Honinx E, Piers RD, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Payne S, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Deliens L, Van den Block L, Smets T. Hospitalisation in the last month of life and in-hospital death of nursing home residents: a cross-sectional analysis of six European countries. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e047086. [PMID: 34385245 PMCID: PMC8362714 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the rate and characteristics of hospitalisation in the last month of life and place of death among nursing home residents and to identify related care processes, facility factors and residents' characteristics. SETTING A cross-sectional study (2015) of deceased residents in 322 nursing homes in six European countries. PARTICIPANTS The nursing home manager (N=1634), physician (N=1132) and primary nurse (N=1384) completed questionnaires. OUTCOME MEASURES Hospitalisation and place of death were analysed using generalised linear and logistic mixed models. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine associated factors. RESULTS Twelve to 26% of residents were hospitalised in the last month of life, up to 19% died in-hospital (p<0.001). Belgian residents were more likely to be hospitalised than those in Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. For those dying in-hospital, the main reason for admission was acute change in health status. Residents with a better functional status were more likely to be hospitalised or to die in-hospital. The likelihood of hospitalisation and in-hospital death increased if no conversation on preferred care with a relative was held. Not having an advance directive regarding hospitalisations increased the likelihood of hospitalisation. CONCLUSIONS Although participating countries vary in hospitalisation and in-hospital death rates, between 12% (Italy) and 26% (Belgium) of nursing home residents were hospitalised in the last month of life. Close monitoring of acute changes in health status and adequate equipment seem critical to avoiding unnecessary hospitalisations. Strategies to increase discussion of preferences need to be developed. Our findings can be used by policy-makers at governmental and nursing home level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Honinx
- Huisartsgeneeskunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruth D Piers
- Geriatrics, University Hospital Ghent, Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
| | - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research/Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sheila Payne
- Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster, Lancashire, UK
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Sociology of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College Faculty of Medicine, Krakow, Poland
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Internal Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Roma, Lazio, Italy
| | - Marika Kylänen
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
| | - L Deliens
- Chronic Care, Universiteit Gent Faculteit Geneeskunde en Gezondheidswetenschappen, Gent, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Huisartsgeneeskunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Faculteit Geneeskunde en Farmacie, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Tinne Smets
- Huisartsgeneeskunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Faculteit Geneeskunde en Farmacie, Brussel, Belgium
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Miranda R, Smets T, Van Den Noortgate N, van der Steen JT, Deliens L, Payne S, Szczerbińska K, Pautex S, Van Humbeeck L, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Van den Block L. No difference in effects of 'PACE steps to success' palliative care program for nursing home residents with and without dementia: a pre-planned subgroup analysis of the seven-country PACE trial. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:39. [PMID: 33678179 PMCID: PMC7937240 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00734-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background ‘PACE Steps to Success’ is a multicomponent training program aiming to integrate generalist and non-disease-specific palliative care in nursing homes. This program did not improve residents’ comfort in the last week of life, but it appeared to improve quality of care and dying in their last month of life. Because this program included only three dementia-specific elements, its effects might differ depending on the presence or stage of dementia. We aimed to investigate whether the program effects differ between residents with advanced, non-advanced, and no dementia. Methods Pre-planned subgroup analysis of the PACE cluster-randomized controlled trial in 78 nursing homes in seven European countries. Participants included residents who died in the previous 4 months. The nursing home staff or general practitioner assessed the presence of dementia; severity was determined using two highly-discriminatory staff-reported instruments. Using after-death questionnaires, staff assessed comfort in the last week of life (Comfort Assessment in Dying–End-of-Life in Dementia-scale; primary outcome) and quality of care and dying in the last month of life (Quality of Dying in Long-Term Care scale; secondary outcome). Results At baseline, we included 177 residents with advanced dementia, 126 with non-advanced dementia and 156 without dementia. Post-intervention, respectively in the control and the intervention group, we included 136 and 104 residents with advanced dementia, 167 and 110 with non-advanced dementia and 157 and 137 without dementia. We found no subgroup differences on comfort in the last week of life, comparing advanced versus without dementia (baseline-adjusted mean sub-group difference 2.1; p-value = 0.177), non-advanced versus without dementia (2.7; p = 0.092), and advanced versus non-advanced dementia (− 0.6; p = 0.698); or on quality of care and dying in the last month of life, comparing advanced and without dementia (− 0.6; p = 0.741), non-advanced and without dementia (− 1.5; p = 0.428), and advanced and non-advanced dementia (0.9; p = 0.632). Conclusions The lack of subgroup difference suggests that while the program did not improve comfort in dying residents with or without dementia, it appeared to equally improve quality of care and dying in the last month of life for residents with dementia (regardless of the stage) and those without dementia. A generalist and non-disease-specific palliative care program, such as PACE Steps to Success, is a useful starting point for future palliative care improvement in nursing homes, but to effectively improve residents’ comfort, this program needs further development. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN14741671. Registered 8 July 2015 – Retrospectively registered. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00734-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium. .,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tinne Smets
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Jenny T van der Steen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC-VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Deliens
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sophie Pautex
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Brussels, Belgium
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Honinx E, Smets T, Piers R, Pasman HRW, Payne SA, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Pautex S, Deliens L, Van den Block L. Lack of Effect of a Multicomponent Palliative Care Program for Nursing Home Residents on Hospital Use in the Last Month of Life and on Place of Death: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicountry Cluster Randomized Control Trial. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 21:1973-1978.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Wichmann AB, Adang EMM, Vissers KCP, Szczerbińska K, Kylänen M, Payne S, Gambassi G, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Smets T, Van den Block L, Deliens L, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Engels Y. Decreased costs and retained QoL due to the 'PACE Steps to Success' intervention in LTCFs: cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Med 2020; 18:258. [PMID: 32957971 PMCID: PMC7507669 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01720-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in need of palliative care is growing in the Western world. Therefore, it is foreseen that significantly higher percentages of budgets will be spent on palliative care. However, cost-effectiveness analyses of palliative care interventions in these settings are lacking. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to assess the cost-effectiveness of the 'PACE Steps to Success' intervention. PACE (Palliative Care for Older People) is a 1-year palliative care programme aiming at integrating general palliative care into day-to-day routines in LTCFs, throughout seven EU countries. METHODS A cluster RCT was conducted. LTCFs were randomly assigned to intervention or usual care. LTCFs reported deaths of residents, about whom questionnaires were filled in retrospectively about resource use and quality of the last month of life. A health care perspective was adopted. Direct medical costs, QALYs based on the EQ-5D-5L and costs per quality increase measured with the QOD-LTC were outcome measures. RESULTS Although outcomes on the EQ-5D-5L remained the same, a significant increase on the QOD-LTC (3.19 points, p value 0.00) and significant cost-savings were achieved in the intervention group (€983.28, p value 0.020). The cost reduction mainly resulted from decreased hospitalization-related costs (€919.51, p value 0.018). CONCLUSIONS Costs decreased and QoL was retained due to the PACE Steps to Success intervention. Significant cost savings and improvement in quality of end of life (care) as measured with the QOD-LTC were achieved. A clinically relevant difference of almost 3 nights shorter hospitalizations in favour of the intervention group was found. This indicates that timely palliative care in the LTCF setting can prevent lengthy hospitalizations while retaining QoL. In line with earlier findings, we conclude that integrating general palliative care into daily routine in LTCFs can be cost-effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN14741671 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Wichmann
- IQ Health Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Eddy M M Adang
- Department for Health Evidencef, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kris C P Vissers
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sheila Payne
- Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, England
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Myrra J F J Vernooij-Dassen
- IQ Health Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Engels
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Miranda R, van der Steen JT, Smets T, Van den Noortgate N, Deliens L, Payne S, Kylänen M, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Van den Block L. Comfort and clinical events at the end of life of nursing home residents with and without dementia: The six-country epidemiological PACE study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 35:719-727. [PMID: 32128874 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the occurrence rates of clinical events and their associations with comfort in dying nursing home residents with and without dementia. METHODS Epidemiological after-death survey was performed in nationwide representative samples of 322 nursing homes in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and England. Nursing staff reported clinical events and assessed comfort. The nursing staff or physician assessed the presence of dementia; severity was determined using two highly discriminatory staff-reported instruments. RESULTS The sample comprised 401 residents with advanced dementia, 377 with other stages of dementia, and 419 without dementia (N = 1197). Across the three groups, pneumonia occurred in 24 to 27% of residents. Febrile episodes (unrelated to pneumonia) occurred in 39% of residents with advanced dementia, 34% in residents with other stages of dementia and 28% in residents without dementia (P = .03). Intake problems occurred in 74% of residents with advanced dementia, 55% in residents with other stages of dementia, and 48% in residents without dementia (P < .001). Overall, these three clinical events were inversely associated with comfort. Less comfort was observed in all resident groups who had pneumonia (advanced dementia, P = .04; other stages of dementia, P = .04; without dementia, P < .001). Among residents with intake problems, less comfort was observed only in those with other stages of dementia (P < .001) and without dementia (P = .003), while the presence and severity of dementia moderated this association (P = .03). Developing "other clinical events" was not associated with comfort. CONCLUSIONS Discomfort was observed in dying residents who developed major clinical events, especially pneumonia, which was not specific to advanced dementia. It is crucial to identify and address the clinical events potentially associated with discomfort in dying residents with and without dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Miranda
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jenny T van der Steen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Expertise center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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Collingridge Moore D, Payne S, Keegan T, Deliens L, Smets T, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Kijowska V, Onwuteaka-Philipsen B, Van den Block L. Associations between Length of Stay in Long Term Care Facilities and End of Life Care. Analysis of the PACE Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17082742. [PMID: 32316148 PMCID: PMC7215712 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Long term care facilities (LTCFs) are increasingly a place of care at end of life in Europe. Longer residence in an LTCF prior to death has been associated with higher indicators of end of life care; however, the relationship has not been fully explored. The purpose of this analysis is to explore associations between length of stay and end of life care. The analysis used data collected in the Palliative Care for Older People in care and nursing homes in Europe (PACE) study, a cross-sectional mortality follow-back survey of LTCF residents who died within a retrospective 3-month period, conducted in Belgium, England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Primary outcomes were quality of care in the last month of life, comfort in the last week of life, contact with health services in the last month of life, presence of advance directives and consensus in care. Longer lengths of stay were associated with higher scores of quality of care in the last month of life and comfort in the last week of life. Longer stay residents were more likely to have advance directives in place and have a lasting power of attorney for personal welfare. Further research is needed to explore the underlying reasons for this trend, and how good quality end of life care can be provided to all LTCF residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Collingridge Moore
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(0)15-2459-4457
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK;
| | - Thomas Keegan
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK;
| | - Luc Deliens
- VUB-UGhent End of Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (L.D.); (T.S.); (L.V.d.B.)
| | - Tinne Smets
- VUB-UGhent End of Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (L.D.); (T.S.); (L.V.d.B.)
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Department of Geriatrics and Orthopaedic Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, (00)271 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Violetta Kijowska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- VUB-UGhent End of Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (L.D.); (T.S.); (L.V.d.B.)
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10
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Van den Block L, Honinx E, Pivodic L, Miranda R, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, van Hout H, Pasman HRW, Oosterveld-Vlug M, Ten Koppel M, Piers R, Van Den Noortgate N, Engels Y, Vernooij-Dassen M, Hockley J, Froggatt K, Payne S, Szczerbinska K, Kylänen M, Gambassi G, Pautex S, Bassal C, De Buysser S, Deliens L, Smets T. Evaluation of a Palliative Care Program for Nursing Homes in 7 Countries: The PACE Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med 2020; 180:233-242. [PMID: 31710345 PMCID: PMC6865772 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.5349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE High-quality evidence on how to improve palliative care in nursing homes is lacking. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of the Palliative Care for Older People (PACE) Steps to Success Program on resident and staff outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cluster-randomized clinical trial (2015-2017) in 78 nursing homes in 7 countries comparing PACE Steps to Success Program (intervention) with usual care (control). Randomization was stratified by country and median number of beds in each country in a 1:1 ratio. INTERVENTIONS The PACE Steps to Success Program is a multicomponent intervention to integrate basic nonspecialist palliative care in nursing homes. Using a train-the-trainer approach, an external trainer supports staff in nursing homes to introduce a palliative care approach over the course of 1 year following a 6-steps program. The steps are (1) advance care planning with residents and family, (2) assessment, care planning, and review of needs and problems, (3) coordination of care via monthly multidisciplinary review meetings, (4) delivery of high-quality care focusing on pain and depression, (5) care in the last days of life, and (6) care after death. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary resident outcome was comfort in the last week of life measured after death by staff using the End-of-Life in Dementia Scale Comfort Assessment While Dying (EOLD-CAD; range, 14-42). The primary staff outcome was knowledge of palliative care reported by staff using the Palliative Care Survey (PCS; range, 0-1). RESULTS Concerning deceased residents, we collected 551 of 610 questionnaires from staff at baseline and 984 of 1178 postintervention in 37 intervention and 36 control homes. Mean (SD) age at time of death ranged between 85.22 (9.13) and 85.91 (8.57) years, and between 60.6% (160/264) and 70.6% (190/269) of residents were women across the different groups. Residents' comfort in the last week of life did not differ between intervention and control groups (baseline-adjusted mean difference, -0.55; 95% CI, -1.71 to 0.61; P = .35). Concerning staff, we collected 2680 of 3638 questionnaires at baseline and 2437 of 3510 postintervention in 37 intervention and 38 control homes. Mean (SD) age of staff ranged between 42.3 (12.1) and 44.1 (11.7) years, and between 87.2% (1092/1253) and 89% (1224/1375) of staff were women across the different groups. Staff in the intervention group had statistically significantly better knowledge of palliative care than staff in the control group, but the clinical difference was minimal (baseline-adjusted mean difference, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02-0.05; P < .001). Data analyses began on April 20, 2018. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Residents' comfort in the last week of life did not improve after introducing the PACE Steps to Success Program. Improvements in staff knowledge of palliative care were clinically not important. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN Identifier: ISRCTN14741671.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieve Van den Block
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Honinx
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
| | - Lara Pivodic
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
| | - Rose Miranda
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
| | - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hein van Hout
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H Roeline W Pasman
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariska Oosterveld-Vlug
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maud Ten Koppel
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ruth Piers
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele Van Den Noortgate
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yvonne Engels
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jo Hockley
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Froggatt
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbinska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Sophie Pautex
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Bassal
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie De Buysser
- Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Tinne Smets
- VUB-UGhent End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
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11
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Honinx E, Smets T, Piers R, Deliens L, Payne S, Kylänen M, Barańska I, Pasman HRW, Gambassi G, Van den Block L. Agreement of Nursing Home Staff With Palliative Care Principles: A PACE Cross-sectional Study Among Nurses and Care Assistants in Five European Countries. J Pain Symptom Manage 2019; 58:824-834. [PMID: 31376522 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT To provide high-quality palliative care to nursing home residents, staff need to understand the basic principles of palliative care. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the extent of agreement with the basic principles of palliative care of nurses and care assistants working in nursing homes in five European countries and to identify correlates. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study in 214 homes in Belgium, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. Agreement with basic principles of palliative care was measured with the Rotterdam MOVE2PC. We calculated percentages and odds ratios of agreement and an overall score between 0 (no agreement) and 5 (total agreement). RESULTS Most staff in all countries agreed that palliative care involves more than pain treatment (58% Poland to 82% Belgium) and includes spiritual care (62% Italy to 76% Belgium) and care for family or relatives (56% Italy to 92% Belgium). Between 51% (the Netherlands) and 64% (Belgium) correctly disagreed that palliative care should start in the last week of life and 24% (Belgium) to 53% (Poland) agreed that palliative care and intensive life-prolonging treatment can be combined. The overall agreement score ranged between 1.82 (Italy) and 3.36 (England). Older staff (0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09-0.43, P = 0.003), nurses (0.59; 95% CI: 0.43-0.75, P < 0.001), and staff who had undertaken palliative care training scored higher (0.21; 95% CI: 0.08-0.34, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS The level of agreement of nursing home staff with basic principles of palliative care was only moderate and differed between countries. Efforts to improve the understanding of basic palliative care are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Honinx
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tinne Smets
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruth Piers
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sheila Payne
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilona Barańska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland; Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - H Roeline W Pasman
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Medisch Centrum, BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Largo F, Rome, Italy
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
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12
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Hockley J, Froggatt K, Van den Block L, Onwuteaka-Philipsen B, Kylänen M, Szczerbińska K, Gambassi G, Pautex S, Payne SA. A framework for cross-cultural development and implementation of complex interventions to improve palliative care in nursing homes: the PACE steps to success programme. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:745. [PMID: 31651314 PMCID: PMC6814133 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4587-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The PACE Steps to Success programme is a complex educational and development intervention to improve palliative care in nursing homes. Little research has investigated processes in the cross-cultural adaptation and implementation of interventions in palliative care across countries, taking account of differences in health and social care systems, legal and regulatory policies, and cultural norms. This paper describes a framework for the cross-cultural development and support necessary to implement such an intervention, taking the PACE Steps to Success programme as an exemplar. METHODS The PACE Steps to Success programme was implemented as part of the PACE cluster randomised control trial in seven European countries. A three stage approach was used, a) preparation of resources; b) training in the intervention using a train-the-trainers model; and c) cascading support throughout the implementation. All stages were underpinned by cross-cultural adaptation, including recognising legal and cultural norms, sensitivities and languages. This paper draws upon collated evidence from minutes of international meetings, evaluations of training delivered, interviews with those delivering the intervention in nursing homes and providing and/or receiving support. RESULTS Seventy eight nursing homes participated in the trial, with half randomized to receive the intervention, 3638 nurses/care assistants were identified at baseline. In each country, 1-3 trainers were selected (total n = 16) to deliver the intervention. A framework was used to guide the cross-cultural adaptation and implementation. Adaptation of three English training resources for different groups of staff consisted of simplification of content, identification of validated implementation tools, a review in 2 nursing homes in each country, and translation into local languages. The same training was provided to all country trainers who cascaded it into intervention nursing homes in local languages, and facilitated it via in-house PACE coordinators. Support was cascaded from country trainers to staff implementing the intervention. CONCLUSIONS There is little guidance on how to adapt complex interventions developed in one country and language to international contexts. This framework for cross-cultural adaptation and implementation of a complex educational and development intervention may be useful to others seeking to transfer quality improvement initiatives in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Hockley
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YG UK
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG UK
| | - Katherine Froggatt
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YG UK
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of- Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Universita’ Catholica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Sophie Pautex
- Division of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sheila Alison Payne
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YG UK
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13
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Ten Koppel M, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Van den Block L, Deliens L, Gambassi G, Heymans MW, Kylänen M, Oosterveld-Vlug MG, Pasman HRW, Payne S, Smets T, Szczerbińska K, Twisk JW, van der Steen JT, Mammarella F, Mercuri M, Pivodic L, Pac A, Rossi P, Segat I, Sowerby E, Stodolska A, van Hout H, Wichmann A, Adang E, Andreasen P, Finne-Soveri H, Collingridge Moore D, Froggatt K, Kijowska V, Van Den Noortgate N, Vernooij-Dassen M. Palliative care provision in long-term care facilities differs across Europe: Results of a cross-sectional study in six European countries (PACE). Palliat Med 2019; 33:1176-1188. [PMID: 31258004 DOI: 10.1177/0269216319861229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the need for palliative care in long-term care facilities is growing, it is unknown whether palliative care in this setting is sufficiently developed. AIM To describe and compare in six European countries palliative care provision in long-term care facilities and to assess associations between patient, facility and advance care planning factors and receipt and timing of palliative care. DESIGN Cross-sectional after-death survey regarding care provided to long-term care residents in Belgium, England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Generalized estimating equations were used for analyses. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Nurses or care assistants who are most involved in care for the resident. RESULTS We included 1298 residents in 300 facilities, of whom a majority received palliative care in most countries (England: 72.6%-Belgium: 77.9%), except in Poland (14.0%) and Italy (32.1%). Palliative care typically started within 2 weeks before death and was often provided by the treating physician (England: 75%-the Netherlands: 98.8%). A palliative care specialist was frequently involved in Belgium and Poland (57.1% and 86.7%). Residents with cancer, dementia or a contact person in their record more often received palliative care, and it started earlier for residents with whom the nurse had spoken about treatments or the preferred course of care at the end of life. CONCLUSION The late initiation of palliative care (especially when advance care planning is lacking) and palliative care for residents without cancer, dementia or closely involved relatives deserve attention in all countries. Diversity in palliative care organization might be related to different levels of its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Ten Koppel
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Martijn W Heymans
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mariska G Oosterveld-Vlug
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Roeline W Pasman
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Jos Wr Twisk
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jenny T van der Steen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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14
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Honinx E, van Dop N, Smets T, Deliens L, Van Den Noortgate N, Froggatt K, Gambassi G, Kylänen M, Onwuteaka-Philipsen B, Szczerbińska K, Van den Block L. Dying in long-term care facilities in Europe: the PACE epidemiological study of deceased residents in six countries. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1199. [PMID: 31470875 PMCID: PMC6717349 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7532-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background By 2030, 30% of the European population will be aged 60 or over and those aged 80 and above will be the fastest growing cohort. An increasing number of people will die at an advanced age with multiple chronic diseases. In Europe at present, between 12 and 38% of the oldest people die in a long-term care facility. The lack of nationally representative empirical data, either demographic or clinical, about people who die in long-term care facilities makes appropriate policy responses more difficult. Additionally, there is a lack of comparable cross-country data; the opportunity to compare and contrast data internationally would allow for a better understanding of both common issues and country-specific challenges and could help generate hypotheses about different options regarding policy, health care organization and provision. The objectives of this study are to describe the demographic, facility stay and clinical characteristics of residents dying in long-term care facilities and the differences between countries. Methods Epidemiological study (2015) in a proportionally stratified random sample of 322 facilities in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and England. The final sample included 1384 deceased residents. The sampled facilities received a letter introducing the project and asking for voluntary participation. Facility manager, nursing staff member and treating physician completed structured questionnaires for all deaths in the preceding 3 months. Results Of 1384 residents the average age at death ranged from 81 (Poland) to 87 (Belgium, England) (p < 0.001) and length of stay from 6 months (Poland, Italy) to 2 years (Belgium) (p < 0.05); 47% (the Netherlands) to 74% (Italy) had more than two morbidities and 60% (England) to 83% (Finland) dementia, with a significant difference between countries (p < 0.001). Italy and Poland had the highest percentages with poor functional and cognitive status 1 month before death (BANS-S score of 21.8 and 21.9 respectively). Clinical complications occurred often during the final month (51.9% England, 66.4% Finland and Poland). Conclusions The population dying in long-term care facilities is complex, displaying multiple diseases with cognitive and functional impairment and high levels of dementia. We recommend future policy should include integration of high-quality palliative and dementia care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Honinx
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Nanja van Dop
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tinne Smets
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nele Van Den Noortgate
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katherine Froggatt
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito, 1, 00135, Rome, Italy
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorstraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Department of Sociology of Medicine, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, ul. Kopernika 7a, 31-034, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Department of Family Medicine & Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
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Ten Koppel M, Pasman HRW, van der Steen JT, van Hout HPJ, Kylänen M, Van den Block L, Smets T, Deliens L, Gambassi G, Froggatt K, Szczerbińska K, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD. Consensus on treatment for residents in long-term care facilities: perspectives from relatives and care staff in the PACE cross-sectional study in 6 European countries. BMC Palliat Care 2019; 18:73. [PMID: 31464624 PMCID: PMC6714096 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-019-0459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In long-term care facilities often many care providers are involved, which could make it difficult to reach consensus in care. This may harm the relation between care providers and can complicate care. This study aimed to describe and compare in six European countries the degree of consensus among everyone involved in care decisions, from the perspective of relatives and care staff. Another aim was to assess which factors are associated with reporting that full consensus was reached, from the perspective of care staff and relatives. Methods In Belgium, England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland a random sample of representative long-term care facilities reported all deaths of residents in the previous three months (n = 1707). This study included residents about whom care staff (n = 1284) and relatives (n = 790) indicated in questionnaires the degree of consensus among all involved in the decision or care process. To account for clustering on facility level, Generalized Estimating Equations were conducted to analyse the degree of consensus across countries and factors associated with full consensus. Results Relatives indicated full consensus in more than half of the residents in all countries (NL 57.9% - EN 68%), except in Finland (40.7%). Care staff reported full consensus in 59.5% of residents in Finland to 86.1% of residents in England. Relatives more likely reported full consensus when: the resident was more comfortable or talked about treatment preferences, a care provider explained what palliative care is, family-physician communication was well perceived, their relation to the resident was other than child (compared to spouse/partner) or if they lived in Poland or Belgium (compared to Finland). Care staff more often indicated full consensus when they rated a higher comfort level of the resident, or if they lived in Italy, the Netherland, Poland or England (compared to Finland). Conclusions In most countries the frequency of full consensus among all involved in care decisions was relatively high. Across countries care staff indicated full consensus more often and no consensus less often than relatives. Advance care planning, comfort and good communication between relatives and care professionals could play a role in achieving full consensus. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12904-019-0459-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ten Koppel
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - H R W Pasman
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J T van der Steen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - H P J van Hout
- Department of General Practice & Elderly Care Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie, 166, Helsinki, Finland
| | - L Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan, 103, Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan, 103, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan, 103, Brussels, Belgium
| | - G Gambassi
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - K Froggatt
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YG, UK
| | - K Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, ul. Kopernika 7a, Krakow, Poland
| | - B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Wichmann AB, Adang EMM, Vissers KCP, Szczerbińska K, Kylänen M, Payne S, Gambassi G, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Smets T, Van den Block L, Deliens L, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Engels Y. Correction: Technical-efficiency analysis of end-of-life care in long-term care facilities within Europe: A cross-sectional study of deceased residents in 6 EU countries (PACE). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208199. [PMID: 30462742 PMCID: PMC6249009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Smets T, Pivodic L, Piers R, Pasman HRW, Engels Y, Szczerbińska K, Kylänen M, Gambassi G, Payne S, Deliens L, Van den Block L. The palliative care knowledge of nursing home staff: The EU FP7 PACE cross-sectional survey in 322 nursing homes in six European countries. Palliat Med 2018; 32:1487-1497. [PMID: 29972343 PMCID: PMC6158686 DOI: 10.1177/0269216318785295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The provision of high-quality palliative care in nursing homes (NHs) is a major challenge and places demands on the knowledge and skills of the staff. AIM This study assesses the palliative care knowledge of staff in NHs in Europe. DESIGN Cross-sectional study using structured survey Setting/participants: Nurses and care assistants working in 322 representative samples of NHs in Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Finland, Poland and Italy. Palliative care knowledge is measured with the Palliative Care Survey. Scores on the scales range between 0 and 1; higher scores indicate more knowledge. RESULTS A total of 3392 NH-staff were given a questionnaire, and 2275 responded (67%). Knowledge of basic palliative care issues ranged between 0.20 in Poland (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19; 0.24) and 0.61 in Belgium (95% CI 0.59; 0.63), knowledge of physical aspects that can contribute to pain ranged between 0.81 in Poland (95% CI 0.79; 0.84) and 0.91 in the Netherlands (95% CI 0.89; 0.93), and knowledge of psychological reasons that can contribute to pain ranged between 0.56 in England (95% CI 0.50; 0.62) and 0.87 in Finland (95% CI 0.83; 0.90). Factors associated with knowledge were country, professional role and having undertaken formal training in palliative care. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of nurses and care assistants concerning basic palliative care issues appears to be suboptimal in all participating countries, although there is substantial heterogeneity. Education of nursing staff needs to be improved across, but each country may require its own strategy to address the unique and specific knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinne Smets
- 1 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,2 Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lara Pivodic
- 1 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruth Piers
- 3 Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - H Roeline W Pasman
- 4 EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Engels
- 5 Radboud University Medical Center, IQ Healthcare, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- 6 Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marika Kylänen
- 7 National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sheila Payne
- 9 International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Luc Deliens
- 1 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,9 International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- 1 Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
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Wichmann AB, Adang EMM, Vissers KCP, Szczerbińska K, Kylänen M, Payne S, Gambassi G, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Smets T, Van den Block L, Deliens L, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Engels Y. Technical-efficiency analysis of end-of-life care in long-term care facilities within Europe: A cross-sectional study of deceased residents in 6 EU countries (PACE). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204120. [PMID: 30252888 PMCID: PMC6155520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An ageing population in the EU leads to a higher need of long-term institutional care at the end of life. At the same time, healthcare costs rise while resources remain limited. Consequently, an urgency to extend our knowledge on factors affecting efficiency of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) arises. This study aims to investigate and explain variation in technical efficiency of end-of-life care within and between LTCFs of six EU countries: Belgium (Flanders), England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. In this study, technical efficiency reflects the LTCFs’ ability to obtain maximal quality of life (QoL) and quality of dying (QoD) for residents from a given set of resource inputs (personnel and capacity). Methods Cross-sectional data were collected by means of questionnaires on deceased residents identified by LTCFs over a three-month period. An output-oriented data-envelopment analysis (DEA) was performed, producing efficiency scores, incorporating personnel and capacity as input and QoL and QoD as output. Scenario analysis was conducted. Regression analysis was performed on explanatory (country, LTCF type, ownership, availability of palliative care and opioids) and case mix (disease severity) variables. Results 133 LTCFs of only one type (onsite nurses and offsite GPs) were considered in order to reduce heterogeneity. Variation in LTCF efficiency was found across as well as within countries. This variation was not explained by country, ownership, availability of palliative care or opioids. However, in the ‘hands-on care at the bedside’ scenario, i.e. only taking into account nursing and care assistants as input, Poland (p = 0.00) and Finland (p = 0.04) seemed to be most efficient. Conclusions Efficiency of LTCFs differed extensively across as well as within countries, indicating room for considerable efficiency improvement. Our findings should be interpreted cautiously, as comprehensive comparative EU-wide research is challenging as it is influenced by many factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Wichmann
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddy M M Adang
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department for Health Evidence, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kris C P Vissers
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sheila Payne
- Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, England
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- VUmc, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tinne Smets
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Myrra J F J Vernooij-Dassen
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Engels
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Smets T, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BBD, Miranda R, Pivodic L, Tanghe M, van Hout H, Pasman RHRW, Oosterveld-Vlug M, Piers R, Van Den Noortgate N, Wichmann AB, Engels Y, Vernooij-Dassen M, Hockley J, Froggatt K, Payne S, Szczerbińska K, Kylänen M, Leppäaho S, Barańska I, Gambassi G, Pautex S, Bassal C, Deliens L, Van den Block L. Integrating palliative care in long-term care facilities across Europe (PACE): protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial of the 'PACE Steps to Success' intervention in seven countries. BMC Palliat Care 2018. [PMID: 29530091 PMCID: PMC5848517 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-018-0297-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several studies have highlighted the need for improvement in palliative care delivered to older people long-term care facilities. However, the available evidence on how to improve palliative care in these settings is weak, especially in Europe. We describe the protocol of the PACE trial aimed to 1) evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the ‘PACE Steps to Success’ palliative care intervention for older people in long-term care facilities, and 2) assess the implementation process and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation in different countries. Methods We will conduct a multi-facility cluster randomised controlled trial in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and England. In total, 72 facilities will be randomized to receive the ‘Pace Steps to Success intervention’ or to ‘care as usual’. Primary outcome at resident level: quality of dying (CAD-EOLD); and at staff level: staff knowledge of palliative care (Palliative Care Survey). Secondary outcomes: resident’s quality of end-of-life care, staff self-efficacy, self-perceived educational needs, and opinions on palliative care. Economic outcomes: direct costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Measurements are performed at baseline and after the intervention. For the resident-level outcomes, facilities report all deaths of residents in and outside the facilities over a previous four-month period and structured questionnaires are sent to (1) the administrator, (2) staff member most involved in care (3) treating general practitioner, and (4) a relative. For the staff-level outcomes, all staff who are working in the facilities are asked to complete a structured questionnaire. A process evaluation will run alongside the effectiveness evaluation in the intervention group using the RE-AIM framework. Discussion The lack of high quality trials in palliative care has been recognized throughout the field of palliative care research. This cross-national cluster RCT designed to evaluate the impact of the palliative care intervention for long-term care facilities ‘PACE Steps to Success’ in seven countries, will provide important evidence concerning the effectiveness as well as the preconditions for optimal implementation of palliative care in nursing homes, and this within different health care systems. Trial registration The study is registered at www.isrctn.com – ISRCTN14741671 (FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1 603111) Registration date: July 30, 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinne Smets
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Bregje B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rose Miranda
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lara Pivodic
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc Tanghe
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hein van Hout
- Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Roeline H R W Pasman
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariska Oosterveld-Vlug
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ruth Piers
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Anne B Wichmann
- IQ healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Engels
- IQ healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jo Hockley
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Katherine Froggatt
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marika Kylänen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Suvi Leppäaho
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilona Barańska
- Unit for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, ul. Michałowskiego 12, 31-126, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Sophie Pautex
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Bassal
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Luc Deliens
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
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Kangas H, Vuori J, Luoto S, Kylänen M. The retest method for improving coding in qualitative research. Physiotherapy 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2015.03.3574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Vuori J, Kylänen M, Tritter J. Transfer of patients from health care centres to special care services: analysis of travel distances in Nordic countries. Int J Circumpolar Health 2010; 69:512-8. [PMID: 21167091 DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v69i5.17694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This paper highlights the importance of analysing patient transportation in Nordic circumpolar areas. The research questions we asked are as follows: How many Finnish patients have been transferred to special care intra-country and inter-country in 2009? Does it make any difference to health care policymakers if patients are transferred inter-country? STUDY DESIGN We analysed the differences in distances from health care centres to special care services within Finland, Sweden and Norway and considered the health care policy implications. METHODS An analysis of the time required to drive between service providers using the "Google distance meter" (http://maps.google.com/); conducting interviews with key Finnish stakeholders; and undertaking a quantitative analyses of referral data from the Lapland Hospital District. RESULTS Finnish patients are generally not transferred for health care services across national borders even if the distances are shorter. CONCLUSION Finnish patients have limited access to health care services in circumpolar areas across the Nordic countries for 2 reasons. First, health professionals in Norway and Sweden do not speak Finnish, which presents a language problem. Second, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland does not cover the expenditures of travel or the costs of medicine. In addition, it seems that in circumpolar areas the density of Finnish service providers is greater than Swedish ones, causing many Swedish citizens to transfer to Finnish health care providers every year. However, future research is needed to determine the precise reasons for this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jari Vuori
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Department of Social and Health Management, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
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