'Mum, I think we might ring the ambulance, okay?' A qualitative exploration of bereaved family members' experiences of emergency ambulance care at the end of life.
Palliat Med
; 36(9): 1389-1395, 2022 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36154525
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In the context of a sudden or unexpected event, people with a life-limiting illness and their family caregivers may be dependent on emergency ambulance services.AIM:
To explore bereaved family members' experiences of emergency ambulance care at the end of life.DESIGN:
A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis of data collected from semi-structured phone interviews. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS:
A purposive sample of 38 family caregivers identified from a database of deaths in Aotearoa, New Zealand.RESULTS:
Emergency ambulance personnel assist, inform and reassure patients and family caregivers managing distressing symptoms, falls, infections, unexpected events and death itself. Family members and patients are aware of the pressure on emergency services and sometimes hesitate to call an ambulance. Associating ambulances with unwanted transport to hospital is also a source of reluctance.CONCLUSIONS:
The generalist palliative care provided by emergency ambulance personnel is a vital service for patients in the last year of life, and their caregivers. This must be acknowledged in palliative care policy and supported with training, specialist consultation and adequate resources.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ambulâncias
/
Serviços Médicos de Emergência
Tipo de estudo:
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Palliat Med
Assunto da revista:
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Nova Zelândia