Schweighoffer, Reka
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Organizational determinants of information transfer in palliative care teams: A structural equation modeling approach
Several organizational factors facilitate or hinder information transfer in palliative care teams. According to past research, organizational factors that reduce information transfer include the inconsistent use of shared electronic patient files, frequent changes of healthcare staff, a lack of opportunities for personal exchange, and a lack of evaluation of collaborative processes. Insufficient information sharing between professionals can negatively impact patient safety, whereas studies have shown that some organizational factors improve collaboration between professionals and thus contribute to improved patient outcomes. The main purpose of this study is thus to investigate whether, and if so how, organizational factors contribute to successful information exchange in palliative care teams in Switzerland, while also accounting for the different care contexts of primary and specialized palliative care. A nationwide survey was aimed at medical professionals working in palliative care. In total, 379 participants (mean age = 49.8 years, SD = 10.3) were included in this study. Two main outcome variables were examined: healthcare providers’ satisfaction with information transfer in their team and their overall satisfaction with communication in their team. Hypotheses were tested by employing structural equation modeling. Findings revealed that the strongest predictors for effective information transfer in palliative care teams were sufficient opportunities for face-to-face meetings and supervision alongside feedback tools to improve collaborative practices and the application of guidelines and standards for collaboration. Face-to-face meetings were an even greater contributor to information transfer in specialized settings, whereas sharing the same work-based values with colleagues was considered more important in primary settings. Results from this study contribute to the existing literature elucidating how information transfer is facilitated in the field of palliative care. If proposed measures are implemented, this could possibly improve patient outcomes in palliative care. Furthermore, the findings can be useful for healthcare organizations and associations to make more efficient resource allocation decisions with the aim to optimize information transfer within the workforce.
An investigation of the challenges to coordination at the interface of primary and specialized palliative care services in Switzerland: A qualitative interview study
Good coordination of healthcare services is vital for ensuring health cost efficiency and high-quality care for patients. It is especially important in the context of palliative care as services are often highly fragmented due to a combination of diverse professional groups, organizations, and approaches to care. However, the coordination of services in this field is often evaluated as insufficient. Little is known about the challenges to coordination in this sector in Switzerland. The present study addresses this gap in research by investigating the challenges to coordination at the interface of palliative care services in Switzerland. Interviews (n = 24) with 38 healthcare practitioners working in palliative care in four cantons (Basel-City, Lucerne, Ticino, and Vaud) form the basis for this investigation. The selected cantons not only represent French, Italian, and German language regions of Switzerland but also represent diverse rural, urban, and historical contexts. Expert interviews are analyzed using structural content analysis. Three clusters of challenges to coordination were identified in the data: (1) organizational challenges to coordination, which relate to explicit forms of coordination; (2) relational challenges to coordination; and (3) structural challenges to coordination, which relate to implicit forms of coordination. The study reveals a need for better financial support for coordination in palliative care and a stronger focus on interprofessional coordination in educating professionals in palliative care. Future research on how to further foster good team coordination practices between primary and specialized palliative services merits further investigation. Since these findings are indicative of areas for improvement for coordination at the interface of Swiss palliative care services, they are of particular interest for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers involved in the evolution of coordinative practice.
Voraussetzungen erfolgreicher Kooperation in der Palliative Care: Die Sicht der Fachpersonen
Collaborative Networks in Primary and Specialized Palliative Care in Switzerland - Perspectives of Doctors and Nurses
To date, information about collaborative networks of doctors and nurses in palliative care is still scarce, yet of great importance in revealing gaps in collaboration. This paper investigates the collaboration frequencies of medical doctors and nurses within, and across, different settings of palliative care. The study was based on a Swiss national survey on “Collaboration and cooperation in Palliative Care”. The subjects surveyed included service providers in the primary and specialized palliative care sectors, as well as support services (N=1111). Information about ties between providers was gathered by asking professionals to estimate the frequency of interaction with other professionals within the last year, on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Social network analysis was used to assess the interaction patterns of nurses and doctors (N= 728) in primary and specialized care settings. Visual representations indicated that, contrary to primary care settings, healthcare providers in specialized care settings reported of numerous interactions with other professions. In primary care, general practitioners reported the least frequent interactions with other professions. Of all providers investigated, specialized doctors in hospitals and hospices reported the densest collaborative networks. Gaps regarding collaboration in Swiss palliative care provision were revealed. Based on the results of the study, recommendations on how to improve service quality by strengthening the interaction patterns of general practitioners, as well as community-based palliative care, are provided.
Care Coordination in Palliative Home Care: Who Plays the Key Role?
Background: Clearly identified professionals who are appointed for care coordination are invaluable for ensuring efficient coordination of health care services. However, challenges to identifying roles in palliative care are well documented in literature. Notably, in order to meet high demands on palliative home care settings, many care practitioners perform tasks that surpass the responsibilities and regulations of their role, including care coordination. Without clearly defined roles, standards of care cannot be guaranteed. Yet, little is understood about who plays the key role in palliative home care. Aim: The present study aims to address the gap in the research by identifying who plays a key role in coordination in palliative home care. Methods: Interviews with general practitioners (GPs), nurses and relatives of palliative patients were carried out in Swiss cantons (Vaud, Ticino, Luzern and Basel) to identify key coordinators of care. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis and presented using grounded theory. Results: Findings indicated that there was considerable ambiguity of the key coordinator role. 1) Causal conditions of this phenomenon were; informality of professional roles and lack of communication between team members, 2) Consequences of this included; conflicting understandings of key coordinator role and family members feeling overburdened, 3) Strategies adopted by interviewees included; adapting or taking control of care coordination. These findings are highly indicative of areas for improvement for care coordination in palliative home care settings. Specifically, they underline a profound need for clear communication between palliative care service providers regarding which professionals assume a key coordative role, or who are delegated a coordinative role at any given time. Crucially, since the findings reveal that relatives are intimately involved in care coordination, the findings point to a lack of adequate financial and psycho-social support for relatives of palliative patients who are burdened with coordination tasks, without the appropriate recompense.
Posterpresentation: Challenges to Coordination between Primary Palliative Care and Specialized Palliative Care Services in Switzerland
Palliative Care in der Schweiz. Die Perspektive der Leistungserbringenden
In den vergangenen Jahren wurde die Palliativversorgung in der Schweiz erheblich gestärkt. Eine steigende Zahl chronischer Erkrankungen und Bemühungen um ein Mehr an Kosteneffizienz im Gesundheitswesen bildeten wichtige Ausgangspunkte für die Erarbeitung einer «Nationalen Strategie» zur Förderung einer qualitativ hochstehenden palliativmedizinischen Versorgung. Wie aber haben sich die Bemühungen der letzten Jahre ausgewirkt? Eine qualitativ hochstehende Patientenversorgung baut auf zahlreichen Faktoren auf, von denen einige in diesem Bericht in den Fokus gerückt werden. Anknüpfend an ein in der Versorgungsforschung bekanntes Konzept zur Bewertung von Gesundheitsdienstleistungen wird ein aktuelles Bild zum Stand der Palliativversorgung aus Sicht der Leistungserbringenden in der Schweiz gezeichnet.