“I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19

Background: As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, palliative care services in New Zealand and across the world needed to adapt rapidly and creatively to find new ways of working, revising, and establishing new policies and practices. This article reports the findings of phase I of an 18-month study...

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Main Authors: Rosemary Frey, Tess Moeke-Maxwell, Jackie Robinson, Deborah Raphael, Lisa Williams, Erica Munro, Jenny Thurston, Merryn Gott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-06-01
Series:Palliative Care and Social Practice
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524251343095
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author Rosemary Frey
Tess Moeke-Maxwell
Jackie Robinson
Deborah Raphael
Lisa Williams
Erica Munro
Jenny Thurston
Merryn Gott
author_facet Rosemary Frey
Tess Moeke-Maxwell
Jackie Robinson
Deborah Raphael
Lisa Williams
Erica Munro
Jenny Thurston
Merryn Gott
author_sort Rosemary Frey
collection DOAJ
description Background: As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, palliative care services in New Zealand and across the world needed to adapt rapidly and creatively to find new ways of working, revising, and establishing new policies and practices. This article reports the findings of phase I of an 18-month study examining changes in hospice care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the wake of COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to explore the motivations underpinning adaptations and innovations in the delivery of palliative care in the wake of COVID-19. Design: Transdisciplinary Action Research and Partnership approaches were utilised. Method: A thematic analysis was conducted of open-ended telephone, video, and in-person questionnaire data collected from January to August 2024 from a diverse group of stakeholders. Our findings explored the motivations for health professional practice changes in the realms of competence, relationships, and autonomy. Findings: Changes in behaviour involved streamlining and adapting policies and services, using technology to facilitate communication, building collaborative connections, and activating health professionals, families, and Indigenous empowerment. Conclusion: Palliative care services needed to adapt rapidly and creatively to the threats posed by COVID-19. The threats posed were a motivator to shift thinking about palliative care delivery regarding services, relationships, and empowerment. This shift in thinking led to changes in ways of working, revising, and establishing new policies and practices. The driving force underpinning the changes and innovations is the desire to provide patient-centred care. Indeed, the findings build a case for patient-centred, sustainable, and effective innovation. From the perspective of health professionals, the findings may inform strategies to sustain new practices in delivering quality palliative care. Additionally, they may also provide insights into possible methods to grow individual and community capacity to face future pandemics.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
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series Palliative Care and Social Practice
spelling doaj-art-43bc6ca6c0a949b4bd5e9fb1258d5d632025-08-20T03:16:32ZengSAGE PublishingPalliative Care and Social Practice2632-35242025-06-011910.1177/26323524251343095“I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19Rosemary Frey0Tess Moeke-Maxwell1Jackie Robinson2Deborah Raphael3Lisa Williams4Erica Munro5Jenny Thurston6Merryn Gott7School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandMercy Hospice, Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New ZealandBackground: As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, palliative care services in New Zealand and across the world needed to adapt rapidly and creatively to find new ways of working, revising, and establishing new policies and practices. This article reports the findings of phase I of an 18-month study examining changes in hospice care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the wake of COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to explore the motivations underpinning adaptations and innovations in the delivery of palliative care in the wake of COVID-19. Design: Transdisciplinary Action Research and Partnership approaches were utilised. Method: A thematic analysis was conducted of open-ended telephone, video, and in-person questionnaire data collected from January to August 2024 from a diverse group of stakeholders. Our findings explored the motivations for health professional practice changes in the realms of competence, relationships, and autonomy. Findings: Changes in behaviour involved streamlining and adapting policies and services, using technology to facilitate communication, building collaborative connections, and activating health professionals, families, and Indigenous empowerment. Conclusion: Palliative care services needed to adapt rapidly and creatively to the threats posed by COVID-19. The threats posed were a motivator to shift thinking about palliative care delivery regarding services, relationships, and empowerment. This shift in thinking led to changes in ways of working, revising, and establishing new policies and practices. The driving force underpinning the changes and innovations is the desire to provide patient-centred care. Indeed, the findings build a case for patient-centred, sustainable, and effective innovation. From the perspective of health professionals, the findings may inform strategies to sustain new practices in delivering quality palliative care. Additionally, they may also provide insights into possible methods to grow individual and community capacity to face future pandemics.https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524251343095
spellingShingle Rosemary Frey
Tess Moeke-Maxwell
Jackie Robinson
Deborah Raphael
Lisa Williams
Erica Munro
Jenny Thurston
Merryn Gott
“I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
Palliative Care and Social Practice
title “I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
title_full “I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
title_fullStr “I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed “I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
title_short “I don’t think service changed, I think people changed”: Palliative care delivery in Aotearoa/New Zealand after COVID-19
title_sort i don t think service changed i think people changed palliative care delivery in aotearoa new zealand after covid 19
url https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524251343095
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