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Nursing Reports
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Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care
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Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care

A special issue of Nursing Reports (ISSN 2039-4403).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 10232

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Matthew Allsop

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9NL, UK
Interests: palliative care; end-of-life care; digital technology; applied health research; user involvement; stakeholder engagement; global health research; low-resource settings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for palliative and end-of-life care continues to rise as populations age, with a concurrent increase in the burden of non-communicable—as well as some communicable—diseases. Access to palliative care is limited worldwide, with only a minority of those in need receiving timely access to palliative and end-of-life care, particularly in low-resource settings. This is due to factors such as financial pressures, underdeveloped infrastructure, geographical constraints (e.g., rural settings), and environmental factors. Access to effective palliative care is a critical component of universal health coverage and needs to be achieved in ways that mitigate, circumvent, or overcome such inhibiting factors.

Many people nearing the end of their lives face challenges related to life-threatening illnesses, including but not limited to their physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and communication needs. With the early integration of the person-centered approach to palliative care, the quality of life of patients and their families can be improved.

Innovative models of palliative care delivery continue to be developed globally to increase access to care for people with life-threatening illnesses. One approach, further catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is the use of digital health capabilities and technological innovation. If developed and implemented well, digitally enabled models of care could strengthen progress towards a more equitable state of universal health coverage. However, it is critical to ensure digitally enabled models of care are implemented optimally to meet the needs of service users, their caregivers, and their healthcare providers.

This Special Issue seeks to draw together much-needed evidence to guide the development of palliative care and end-of-life care services globally, particularly with a focus on the application of digital technologies.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in IJERPH.

Dr. Matthew Allsop
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nursing Reports is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • palliative care
  • end-of-life care
  • digital technology
  • health research
  • user involvement
  • global health

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1165 KiB  
Article
Validation of Two Questionnaires Assessing Nurses’ Perspectives on Addressing Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Challenges in Palliative Care Patients
by Vesna Antičević, Ana Ćurković and Linda Lušić Kalcina
Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14(3), 2415-2429; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030179 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 822
Abstract
Background: Palliative care provides holistic support, addressing physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of suffering, known as “total pain”, to improve patients’ quality of life. Patients often rely on healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, for support. This study aimed to develop and validate [...] Read more.
Background: Palliative care provides holistic support, addressing physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of suffering, known as “total pain”, to improve patients’ quality of life. Patients often rely on healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, for support. This study aimed to develop and validate questionnaires assessing nurses’ perceptions of psychological, social, and spiritual issues in palliative care and their effectiveness in managing them. Methods: Two self-rated questionnaires were created: the Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Problems of Palliative Patients’ Questionnaire and the Effectiveness in Coping with the Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Challenges of Palliative Care Patients. The study surveyed 237 nurses caring for palliative patients in Split Dalmatian County, Croatia. Results: The questionnaires demonstrated high reliability with Cronbach’s α values of 0.98 and 0.99. Factor analysis revealed four factors for the first questionnaire and three for the second. Nurses primarily perceived patients as experiencing fear and emotional/spiritual suffering, with the greatest difficulty coping with the fear of the disease outcomes. Nurses acknowledged the need for improvement in addressing patient challenges, highlighting gaps in the Croatian system. Conclusions: Ongoing efforts are crucial to prioritize palliative care globally, with nursing professionals playing a vital role in symptom management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care)
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20 pages, 1682 KiB  
Article
Description and Analysis of Research on Death and Dying during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Published in Nursing Journals Indexed in SCOPUS
by Leticia Cuellar-Pompa, José Ángel Rodríguez-Gómez, María Mercedes Novo-Muñoz, Natalia Rodríguez-Novo, Yurena M. Rodríguez-Novo and Carlos-Enrique Martínez-Alberto
Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14(2), 655-674; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14020050 - 22 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1548
Abstract
Aim: To offer an overall picture of the research published regarding the different aspects of death and dying during the COVID-19 pandemic in journals covering the field of nursing in the Scopus database. Design: bibliometric analysis. Methods: The metadata obtained were exported from [...] Read more.
Aim: To offer an overall picture of the research published regarding the different aspects of death and dying during the COVID-19 pandemic in journals covering the field of nursing in the Scopus database. Design: bibliometric analysis. Methods: The metadata obtained were exported from Scopus for subsequent analysis through Bibliometrix. Using the VOSviewer co-word analysis function, the conceptual and thematic structure of the publications was identified. Results: A total of 119 papers were retrieved, with the participation of 527 authors. The publications were found in 71 journals covering the nursing area. The main lines of research revolved around the keywords “palliative care” and “end-of-life care” in regard to the ethical, psychological, and organizational challenges faced by the health professionals who cared for these patients. Conclusion: The results obtained offer a range of data and images that characterize the scientific production published on this topic, coming to the conclusion that, due to the multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to the experience of death, care, and accompaniment in the dying process, bibliometric maps improve the comprehensive understanding of the semantic and conceptual structure of this field of research. This study was retrospectively registered with the OSF Registries on the 14 March 2024. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care)
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15 pages, 740 KiB  
Article
How to Manage the Suffering of the Patient and the Family in the Final Stage of Life: A Qualitative Study
by E. Begoña García-Navarro, Sonia Garcia Navarro and María José Cáceres-Titos
Nurs. Rep. 2023, 13(4), 1706-1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13040141 - 6 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2862
Abstract
Background: The end of life and death have changed from being issues managed within the family, assumed as part of life, to occur within health institutions for the majority of patients. The amount of patients dying at home has decreased, and the roles [...] Read more.
Background: The end of life and death have changed from being issues managed within the family, assumed as part of life, to occur within health institutions for the majority of patients. The amount of patients dying at home has decreased, and the roles of families and communities in death and dying have become involuted, threatening related traditions and knowledge. As a result, a need to promote the end of life at home in this new self-serving society has arisen. In that context, the main objective of this study was to find out what patients and their families need during the end-of-life process in order to feel effectively accompanied at this time. Methods: With that objective, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted via the content analysis of data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups. This research adhered to the COREQ guidelines. The sample consisted of 36 informants selected via intentional sampling of family members and patients integrated into the Comprehensive Palliative Care Process (PAI Paliativos). Results: The results suggest the existence of several common needs such as communication and presence, including the conspiracy of silence as an important factor generating suffering for both. However, there are specific needs such as autonomy, dignity, and respect for patients, which must be taken into account. Conclusions: The results of this study will allow us to establish intervention strategies for effective accompaniment of patients’ family members at the end of life and the avoidance of ethnocentrism in this process. This study was retrospectively registered with the (nursrep-1194226) on the (21 April 2023). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care)
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Review

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13 pages, 708 KiB  
Review
Legacy in End-of-Life Care: A Concept Analysis
by Carolina Timóteo, Joel Vitorino, Amira Mohammed Ali and Carlos Laranjeira
Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14(3), 2385-2397; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030177 - 14 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2311
Abstract
Comprehending the significance of legacy in end-of-life (EoL) situations helps palliative care professionals enhance person-centered outcomes for those with a life-threatening illness and their families. Our purpose was to conduct a concept analysis of legacy in EoL care. By employing Walker and Avant’s [...] Read more.
Comprehending the significance of legacy in end-of-life (EoL) situations helps palliative care professionals enhance person-centered outcomes for those with a life-threatening illness and their families. Our purpose was to conduct a concept analysis of legacy in EoL care. By employing Walker and Avant’s approach, we identified the concept’s defining characteristics. Subsequently, we established the antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. After conducting a thorough review of titles and abstracts, a total of 30 publications were analyzed. These articles were sourced from three databases (CINAHL, Medline via PubMed, and Scopus) from 2002 to 2023. Our analysis identified several core attributes of legacy: (a) leave behind something of value that transcends death; (b) determine how people want to be remembered; (c) build and bestow across generations; (d) integrate advance care planning through EoL conversations and shared decision-making; and (e) develop strategies of dignity-conserving care. The consequences are related to improvements in spiritual and subjective well-being; coping with inevitable EoL existential issues; decreases in EoL suffering; engendering self-awareness, hope, gratitude, and peace; achieving and maintaining dignity; creating good memories; promoting mutually constructive and transformative relationships; and fostering the adjustment of bereaved people. Nevertheless, further effort is required to implement the key attributes of legacy that form the basis for creating legacy-oriented interventions near the EoL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care)
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19 pages, 284 KiB  
Review
Palliative Care Coordination Interventions for Caregivers of Community-Dwelling Individuals with Dementia: An Integrative Review
by Diana Layne, Ayaba Logan and Kathleen Lindell
Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14(3), 1750-1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030130 - 17 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1893
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious illness with a protracted caregiving experience; however, care coordination interventions often lack the inclusion of palliative care. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify and synthesize existing care coordination interventions that include palliative care for individuals [...] Read more.
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious illness with a protracted caregiving experience; however, care coordination interventions often lack the inclusion of palliative care. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify and synthesize existing care coordination interventions that include palliative care for individuals with dementia and their caregivers living in community settings. The Whittemore and Knafl framework guided the review, with data analysis guided by the SELFIE framework domains. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, while the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines informed reporting results. Nine care coordination interventions involving family caregivers across eighteen publications were identified. Only a single intervention explicitly mentioned palliative care, while the remaining interventions included traditional palliative care components such as advance care planning, symptom management, and emotional support. Many of the identified interventions lacked theoretical grounding and were studied in non-representative, homogeneous samples. Further research is needed to understand the lived experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers to alleviate care coordination burden. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care)
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