Quality of palliative care and palliative care outcomes

Michael A. EchteldVUmc AmsterdamThe Netherlands

Overview

Current research projects Interests

1. Studying quality indicators of end-of-life care by reviewing hospitalised cancer patients’ records

Assess the adequacy of end-of-life care for hospitalised cancer patients

Retrospective analysis of deceased cancer patients’ records

2. SentiMELC – Monitoring End-of-Life Care by means of a Sentinel Network of GP’s

Aim: a nationwide overview of › The care trajectory of the last three months life› Care, needs and outcomes › End-of-life decision making

Comparisons between Belgium and The Netherlands Data are collected through the Sentinel Network of

GP’s

3. Evaluating an individualised quality of life intervention for hospitalised cancer patients

Improving quality of life in a palliative care and symptom control hospital unit

Patient problems are identified using and instrument for individual QOL, and caretakers are assigned

4. Instruments for the measurement of palliative care outcomes

Assess the quality and usefulness of instruments for palliative care outcomes

Study psychometric properties of selected instruments in hospitals, hospices and terminal care units

5. Barriers and facilitators in the provision of adequate spiritual care in nursing homes

To determine adequacy of spiritual care provided by physicians and nurses in the nursing home

Methods› Interviews with nursing home staff members› Observations of care in the nursing home

6. Reducing fatigue and improving QOL in cancer patients: an intervention study

Reducing fatigue and improving QOL by means of a tailored physical activity programme for cancer patients

RCT

Odds and ends

Evaluation of units for terminal care in nursing homes: views of family members

Characteristics of volunteers in end-of-life care A literature study on GP’s communication at the end

of life

Research interests

(Individual) quality of life Response shift and coping Fatigue and developing interventions for fatigue Palliative care needs and development of care

facilities for noncancer patients (esp. CHF and COPD)

Thank you

Quality of palliative care and palliative care outcomes

Michael A. Echteldmichael.echteld@vumc.nl