Transitions for palliative care patients v1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Understanding the experiences of patients receiving palliative care support during transition from hospital to community care.

• IRAS ID

  222246

• Contact name

  Hannah Robinson

• Contact email

  hannah.robinson14@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  Researchregistry2972, www.researchregistry.com

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 2 months, 25 days

• Research summary

  This research aims to improve our understanding of the experiences of patients receiving on-going palliative care support, when they are discharged from hospital.

  Background
  Palliative care is provided for patients with terminal and life-threatening or life-limiting illness. It aims to treat or manage pain and other physical symptoms, and to meet patients’ practical, psychological, and spiritual needs.
  Patients with palliative care needs in the UK have reported negative experiences of hospital discharge: poor communication and poor care planning are common complaints around end of life care. However, there has been little in-depth exploration of the details of these concerns, particularly within the UK. In order for patients’ wishes to be fulfilled to spend more time at home we need a process that improves discharge planning.

  Benefits
  We aim to explore patients with palliative care needs’ experience of discharge from hospital, and identify issues of concern to patients relating to this transition of care. The findings from this research will inform service development to improve transition between hospital and community palliative care provision.

  Design
  The study will run from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). Participants will be recruited from patients known to the GSTT palliative care team and who have been discharged from hospital within the previous month. An experienced palliative care doctor will carry out in-depth face to face interviews with 5 to 15 participants. Details about the participant’s discharge and their illness will be gathered from their medical notes. Each participant will be interviewed once, for approximately 60 minutes. These interviews will be conducted in patients’ homes, or a location of their choice.

• REC name

  Social Care REC

• REC reference

  18/IEC08/0007

• Date of REC Opinion

  17 Apr 2018

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion