EoLCASS: End of Life Care in Acute Stroke Setting

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A qualitative exploration of bereaved families’ experiences of end of life care for people in the acute stroke ward and who have had a severe stroke.

  • IRAS ID

    230952

  • Contact name

    Manju Krishnan

  • Contact email

    manju.krishnan@wales.nhs.uk

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    N/A, N/A

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 5 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    After a severe stroke, prognosis is often poor and consequently high quality end-of-life care is very important. Recognising that a person may be in the final phase of life is very difficult and end-of-life care conversations can be delayed. This means that peoples’ end-of-life care wishes and needs may not be identified until the very end of life. Yet at this point it may be too late address particular wishes and/or needs. The transition to end-of-life care could be eased through excellent, sensitive communication and advance care planning. At a time when life expectancy may be cut short this may improve patients’ and families’ experiences of care, enhance care quality, quality of life and family outcomes.

    This study aims to understand end-of-life care in severe stoke in the stroke ward setting from the standpoint of bereaved family members of people who died before and after the introduction of an advance care planning staff training intervention. We will use face-to-face interviews with up to 16 bereaved family members of people who died in the hospital stroke ward following a severe stroke. Interviews will take place either in participants’ own homes or in the University. We hope the findings will help us to better understand bereaved families’ experiences of end-of-life care and the effect, if any, of staff training to improve advance care planning. This is important as currently we know very little about end of life care in stroke wards and the extent to which this care is consistent with UK and Welsh Government policy and guidance. This study will enable a foundation for enhancing end-of-life care in severe stroke in acute hospital settings and use of advance care planning and the new All Wales Care Decisions for the Last Days of Life guidance.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 6

  • REC reference

    17/WA/0240

  • Date of REC Opinion

    22 Aug 2017

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion