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A qualitative study of caring in hospice wards in Shanghai
Author(s) -
Chen Shu Hui,
Lai Xiao Bin,
Chen Li Qun,
Xia Hai Ou,
Chen Chun Yan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12797
Subject(s) - nursing , hospice care , palliative care , life expectancy , medicine , qualitative research , end of life care , service (business) , spiritual care , family medicine , service provider , alternative medicine , population , social science , environmental health , economy , pathology , sociology , spirituality , economics
Despite the large number of people with cancer who need hospice care, utilization rates at community hospice service in Shanghai are low. This study aimed to review the care provided in these hospice wards and examine the difficulties in delivering service. Fourteen hospice care providers were interviewed, and the data analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (i) characteristics of hospice patients, mostly cancer patients at the end‐of‐life stage (within 3‐months of life expectancy) who were admitted without awareness of their condition; (ii) components of care, from physicians and nurses who focused mainly on physical problems as psycho‐spiritual care stagnated at a superficial level; and (iii) difficulties in care, including a lack of patients as well as inadequacies in service, along with suggestions for the future. Efforts at improvement should be made in both the health care system and society. To address the lack of patients, doctors in secondary/tertiary care hospitals need improved skills in discussing end‐of‐life care, while the general public needs better awareness and acceptance of hospice care. Solutions should respect the perspective of patients and their families, while hospice care providers must also enhance their skills of communication and psycho‐spiritual care.