Increasing awareness among professional caregivers concerning palliative care needs of patients with COPD

Abstract

Background: Palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in home care settings is a neglected area and needs professional attention. Aim: To present experiences gained from an action research project about palliative care for patients with COPD in a Danish municipality with 97,000 citizens. Methods: An educational programme was developed for improving the ability of professional caregivers to identify palliative care needs of patients with COPD and initiate palliative care interventions. Home care leaders, professional caregivers and researchers collaborated on identifying problems related to palliative care and on developing solutions. The educational programme was implemented in home care in 2015 and 164 professional caregivers attended five educational sessions. Participant outcomes were evaluated through self-administered questionnaires and nine focus group interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative descriptive analysis as described by Sandelowski. Results: The educational programme contributed to: a growing awareness of palliative care needs of patients with COPD; increased ability to respond to palliative care needs; and organizational changes in home care. The professional caregivers learned about COPD, palliative care, symptom management and the patient perspective. Conclusion: The action research method was suitable for initiating development and gaining new knowledge in the home care sector as it involved the professional caregivers in both problem identification, development of the educational programme, and implementation of new practices and evaluation.