Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal
Background: The World Health Organization advocates the early, appropriate provision of palliative care (PC) to patients throughout the life course. Patient consultations to the emergency department (ED) have been recognised as opportunities to initiate or optimise their PC needs. This study aimed t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2024-04-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5860 |
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| author | Nagaleswari Sriranganathan David Morris Laura Campbell Richard Hift |
| author_facet | Nagaleswari Sriranganathan David Morris Laura Campbell Richard Hift |
| author_sort | Nagaleswari Sriranganathan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The World Health Organization advocates the early, appropriate provision of palliative care (PC) to patients throughout the life course. Patient consultations to the emergency department (ED) have been recognised as opportunities to initiate or optimise their PC needs. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards PC among doctors at emergency physician staffed EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 for doctors employed out at emergency physician staffed EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using the validated Palliative Care Attitude and Knowledge questionnaire. The variables assessed were the self-rated and basic knowledge and attitudes towards core domains of PC. Ordinal data were compared using the t-test or ANOVA as appropriate, using MedCalc® Statistical Software version 22.009.
Results: Of the 39 participants, the scores for the knowledge questions showed that 15.3% participants had good knowledge, 53.8% had fair knowledge and 30.7% had poor knowledge. Participants had either favourable (58.8%) or an uncertain (41.0%) attitude towards PC. No correlation was seen between the knowledge and attitudes scores (Spearman’s rho = 0.13, 95% CI –0.19 to 0.43, p = 0.43).
Conclusion: There appears to be a deficit in knowledge of PC among doctors in the ED and a need for in-service training in PC for emergency care physicians.
Contribution: This study provides new knowledge around PC practices at EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6013bb4e29ad4f909ddbcd66aa540c31 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-6013bb4e29ad4f909ddbcd66aa540c312025-08-20T03:43:58ZengAOSISSouth African Family Practice2078-61902078-62042024-04-01661e1e610.4102/safp.v66i1.58604410Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-NatalNagaleswari Sriranganathan0David Morris1Laura Campbell2Richard Hift3Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Research, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanBackground: The World Health Organization advocates the early, appropriate provision of palliative care (PC) to patients throughout the life course. Patient consultations to the emergency department (ED) have been recognised as opportunities to initiate or optimise their PC needs. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards PC among doctors at emergency physician staffed EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 for doctors employed out at emergency physician staffed EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using the validated Palliative Care Attitude and Knowledge questionnaire. The variables assessed were the self-rated and basic knowledge and attitudes towards core domains of PC. Ordinal data were compared using the t-test or ANOVA as appropriate, using MedCalc® Statistical Software version 22.009. Results: Of the 39 participants, the scores for the knowledge questions showed that 15.3% participants had good knowledge, 53.8% had fair knowledge and 30.7% had poor knowledge. Participants had either favourable (58.8%) or an uncertain (41.0%) attitude towards PC. No correlation was seen between the knowledge and attitudes scores (Spearman’s rho = 0.13, 95% CI –0.19 to 0.43, p = 0.43). Conclusion: There appears to be a deficit in knowledge of PC among doctors in the ED and a need for in-service training in PC for emergency care physicians. Contribution: This study provides new knowledge around PC practices at EDs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5860emergency medicinepalliative careknowledgeattitudesurvey |
| spellingShingle | Nagaleswari Sriranganathan David Morris Laura Campbell Richard Hift Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal South African Family Practice emergency medicine palliative care knowledge attitude survey |
| title | Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full | Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_fullStr | Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_short | Palliative care in the emergency department: An observational study of doctors in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_sort | palliative care in the emergency department an observational study of doctors in kwazulu natal |
| topic | emergency medicine palliative care knowledge attitude survey |
| url | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5860 |
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