Change in Activity of Palliative Care Services during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Survey (CovPall)

Sleeman, Katherine E.; Cripps, Rachel L.; Murtagh, Fliss E.M.; Oluyase, Adejoke O.; Hocaoglu, Mevhibe B.; Maddocks, Matthew; Walshe, Catherine; Preston, Nancy; Dunleavy, Lesley; Bradshaw, Andy; Bajwah, Sabrina; Higginson, Irene J.; Fraser, Lorna K.; on behalf of the CovPall Study Team

Abstract

Objectives: To identify factors associated with palliative care services being busier during Covid-19. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey of UK palliative care services (April to July 2020) (CovPall). Ethical approval was received from King's College London Research Ethics committee (LRS-19/20-18541). The primary outcome was change in busyness (five-point ordinal scale). Ordinal logistic regression investigated factors associated with the primary outcome. Results: Of 277 responses, 71 (26%) reported being a lot more busy, 62 (22%) slightly more, 53 (19%) about the same, 50 (18%) slightly less, and 28 (10%) much less busy. Increased business was associated with homecare services (odds ratio [OR] 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-3.25), nursing care at home (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.70-6.19), publicly managed services (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.11-4.34), Covid-19 cases (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01), and staff shortages (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.64-4.48). Conclusion: Services providing community care, and publicly managed services, may have been better able to respond to escalating needs during Covid-19. This has potential implications for both service delivery and funding models.

Citation

Sleeman, K. E., Cripps, R. L., Murtagh, F. E., Oluyase, A. O., Hocaoglu, M. B., Maddocks, M., …on behalf of the CovPall Study Team. (2022). Change in Activity of Palliative Care Services during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Survey (CovPall). Journal of palliative medicine, 25(3), 465-471. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2021.0315

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 16, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 20, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jan 5, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 5, 2022
• Journal: Journal of palliative medicine
• Print ISSN: 1096-6218
• Electronic ISSN: 1557-7740
• Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 465-471
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2021.0315
• Keywords: Covid-19; End-of-life care; Hospices; Palliative care; Pandemics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3905256