5 research outputs found
Live well, die well â an international cohort study on experiences, concerns and preferences of patients in the last phase of life: the research protocol of the iLIVE study
Introduction Adequately addressing the needs of patients at the end of life and their relatives is pivotal in preventing unnecessary suffering and optimising their quality of life. The purpose of the iLIVE study is to contribute to high-quality personalised care at the end of life in different countries and cultures, by investigating the experiences, concerns, preferences and use of care of terminally ill patients and their families. Methods and analysis The iLIVE study is an international cohort study in which patients with an estimated life expectancy of 6 months or less are followed up until they die. In total, 2200 patients will be included in 11 countries, that is, 200 per country. In addition, one relative per patient is invited to participate. All participants will be asked to fill in a questionnaire, at baseline and after 4 weeks. If a patient dies within 6 months of follow-up, the relative will be asked to fill in a post-bereavement questionnaire. Healthcare use in the last week of life will be evaluated as well; healthcare staff who attended the patient will be asked to fill in a brief questionnaire to evaluate the care that was provided. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with patients, relatives and healthcare professionals in all countries to gain more in-depth insights. Ethics and dissemination The cohort study has been approved by ethics committees and the institutional review boards (IRBs) of participating institutes in all countries. Results will be disseminated through the project website, publications in scientific journals and at conferences. Within the project, there will be a working group focusing on enhancing the engagement of the community at large with the reality of death and dying. Trial registration number NCT04271085
Hospital care for the dying patient with cancer: does an advance care planning invitation influence bereaved relativesâ experiences? A two country survey
Objectives Advance care planning (ACP) is
not systematically performed in Argentina or
Norway. We used the post-bereavement survey
of the ERANet-LAC International Care Of the
Dying Evaluation (CODE) project (2017â2020)
to examine the proportion of relatives who were
offered an ACP conversation, the proportion of
those not offered it who would have wanted
it and whether the outcomes differed between
those offered a conversation and those not.
Methods Relatives after cancer deaths in
hospitals answered the CODE questionnaire 6â
8weeks post bereavement, by post (Norway) or
interview (Argentina). Two additional questions
asked if the relative and patient had been invited
to a conversation about wishes for the patientâs
remaining lifetime, and, if not invited, whether
they would have wanted such a conversation.
The data were analysed using mixed-effects
ordinal regression models.
Results 276 participants (Argentina 98 and
Norway 178) responded (56% spouses, 31%
children, 68%women, age 18â80+). Fifty-
six per cent had been invited, and they had
significantly more positive perceptions about care
and support than those not invited. Sixty-eight
per cent of the participants not invited would
have wanted an invitation, and they had less
favourable perceptions about the care, especially
concerning emotional and spiritual support.
Conclusions Relatives who had been invited
to a conversation about wishes for the patientâs
remaining lifetime had more positive perceptions
about patient care and support for the relatives
in the patientâs final days of life. A majority of
the relatives who had not been invited to an ACP
conversation would have wanted it
Assessing quality of care for the dying from the bereaved relativesâ perspective: Using pre- testing survey methods across seven countries to develop an international outcome measure
Background: The provision of care for dying cancer patients varies on a global basis. In order to improve care, we need to be able to
evaluate the current level of care. One method of assessment is to use the views from the bereaved relatives.
Aim: The aim of this study is to translate and pre-test the âCare Of the Dying Evaluationâ (CODETM) questionnaire across seven
participating countries prior to conducting an evaluation of current quality of care.
Design: The three stages were as follows: (1) translation of CODE in keeping with standardised international principles; (2) pre-testing
using patient and public involvement and cognitive interviews with bereaved relatives; and (3) utilising a modified nominal group
technique to establish a common, core international version of CODE.
Setting/participants: Hospital settings: for each country, at least five patient and public involvement representatives, selected by
purposive sampling, fed back on CODETM questionnaire; and at least five bereaved relatives to cancer patients undertook cognitive
interviews. Feedback was collated and categorised into themes relating to clarity, recall, sensitivity and response options. Structured
consensus meeting held to determine content of international CODE (i-CODE) questionnaire.
Results: In total, 48 patient and public involvement representatives and 35 bereaved relatives contributed to the pre-testing stages.
No specific question item was recommended for exclusion from CODETM. Revisions to the demographic section were needed to be
culturally appropriate.
Conclusion: Patient and public involvement and bereaved relativesâ perceptions helped enhance the face and content validity of
i-CODE. A common, core international questionnaire is now developed with key questions relating to quality of care for the dying
Good Quality Care for Cancer Patients Dying in Hospitals, but Information Needs Unmet: Bereaved Relativesâ Survey within Seven Countries
Background. Recognized disparities in quality of end-of-life
care exist. Our aim was to assess the quality of care for patients
dying from cancer, as perceived by bereaved relatives, within
hospitals in seven European and South American countries.
Materials and Methods. A postbereavement survey was
conducted by post, interview, or via tablet in Argentina,
Brazil, Uruguay, U.K., Germany, Norway, and Poland. Next
of kin to cancer patients were asked to complete the inter-
national version of the Care Of the Dying Evaluation (i-
CODE) questionnaire 6â8 weeks postbereavement. Pri-
mary outcomes were (a) how frequently the deceased
patient was treated with dignity and respect, and (b) how
well the family member was supported in the patientâs
last days of life.
Results. Of 1,683 potential participants, 914 i-CODE
questionnaires were completed (response rate, 54%).
Approximately 94% reported the doctors treated their fam-
ily member with dignity and respect âalwaysâ or âmost of
the timeâ; similar responses were given about nursing staff
(94%). Additionally, 89% of participants reported they were
adequately supported; this was more likely if the patient
died on a specialist palliative care unit (odds ratio, 6.3; 95%
confidence interval, 2.3â17.8). Although 87% of participants
were told their relative was likely to die, only 63% were
informed about what to expect during the dying phase.
Conclusion. This is the first study assessing quality of care for
dying cancer patients from the bereaved relativesâ perspective
across several countries on two continents. Our findings suggest
many elements of good care were practiced but improvement in
communication with relatives of imminently dying patients is
needed. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03566732)
Live well, die well - an international cohort study on experiences, concerns and preferences of patients in the last phase of life: the research protocol of the iLIVE study
Introduction Adequately addressing the needs of patients at the end of life and their relatives is pivotal in preventing unnecessary suffering and optimising their quality of life. The purpose of the iLIVE study is to contribute to high-quality personalised care at the end of life in different countries and cultures, by investigating the experiences, concerns, preferences and use of care of terminally ill patients and their families.Methods and analysis The iLIVE study is an international cohort study in which patients with an estimated life expectancy of 6 months or less are followed up until they die. In total, 2200 patients will be included in 11 countries, that is, 200 per country. In addition, one relative per patient is invited to participate. All participants will be asked to fill in a questionnaire, at baseline and after 4 weeks. If a patient dies within 6 months of follow-up, the relative will be asked to fill in a post-bereavement questionnaire. Healthcare use in the last week of life will be evaluated as well; healthcare staff who attended the patient will be asked to fill in a brief questionnaire to evaluate the care that was provided. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with patients, relatives and healthcare professionals in all countries to gain more in-depth insights.Ethics and dissemination The cohort study has been approved by ethics committees and the institutional review boards (IRBs) of participating institutes in all countries. Results will be disseminated through the project website, publications in scientific journals and at conferences. Within the project, there will be a working group focusing on enhancing the engagement of the community at large with the reality of death and dying