HOLIDAY MODE
African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine.
“A multi-professional patient-centred approach and improved communication between different components of the health system provides a more seamless service that supports palliative patients when they need it most,” said lead author, Stellenbosch University professor Louis Jenkins, who is also head of family medicine at George Hospital.
In focusing on palliative care in the Western Cape, Jenkins said the team found caring for people with life-threatening illnesses was “a key part of working in healthcare”, which had to be integrated into existing public health care.
In terms of World Health Organisation statistics, about 40 million people in the world each year needed palliative care, with only 14% receiving it.
Of these, 78% live in low or middle-income countries.
The Western Cape, said Jenkins, had several metropolitan hospital-based palliative care services, providing an exceptional service to patients. But there was very little other comprehensive end-of-life care existing in the province – especially for people in rural areas.
“Most patients in rural areas who face problems associated with life-threatening illnesses don’t have proper access to palliative care services that can improve their quality of life as well as that of their families,” said Jenkins.
In addressing the shortcoming, Jenkins and his fellow researchers have developed a palliative care model that has been shared with the rural districts and the chief director for rural health in the province.
As part of the study, a multi-professional team consisting of a palliative care-trained family medicine doctor, medical officer, physiotherapist, psychologist and social worker was formed to improve communication between George Regional Hospital and the sub-district.
“The fact that a multi-professional team listened and planned together at the patient’s bedside has restored some of the dignity and ethos of patient-centred care, which is a core principle of the provincial health care 2030 vision.
“There’s a greater appreciation for how the patient experiences the illness, allowing for patient autonomy, fostering respect and caring with competence and empathy.
“Establishing regular multi-professional palliative care ward rounds has changed the way patients needing palliative care are managed, particularly in challenging the mindsets of specialist departments,” he said.
The experts have developed a palliative care plan as a standardised tool for the hospital and sub-district, which is shared with patients and regularly updated.
“We also developed an electronic booklet of local community resources involved in the care of terminally ill people for staff and patients to refer to.
“The team keeps a database of palliative patients in the area, ensuring patients are not lost in the system and building a profile of local palliative care needs,” said Jenkins.
The team keeps a database of palliative patients in the area