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Impact of Pain and Palliative Care Services on Patients
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This article was originally published by Medknow Publications and was migrated to Scientific Scholar after the change of Publisher.
Abstract
Background:
Palliative care has become an emerging need of the day as the existing health-care facilities play only a limited role in the care of the chronically ill in the society. Patients with terminal illness in most cases spend their lives in the community among their family and neighbors, so there is the need for a multi disciplinary team for their constant care. Volunteers are primary care givers who originate normally from the same locality with local knowledge and good public contact through which they can make significant contributions in a team work by bridging the gap between the patient community and outside world.
Aim:
The present study has been undertaken to analyze the impact of palliative care services on patients by considering 51 variables.
Materials and Methods:
The respondents of the study include 50 pain and palliative care patients selected at random from 15 palliative care units functioning in Ernakulam district. The analysis was made by using statistical techniques viz. weighted average method, Chi-square test, Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks and percentages.
Results:
The study revealed that the major benefit of palliative care to the patients is the reduction of pain to a considerable extent, which was unbearable for them earlier. Second, the hope of patients could be maintained or strengthened through palliative care treatment.
Conclusion:
It is understood that the services of the doctors and nurses are to be improved further by making available their services to all the palliative care patients in a uniform manner.
Keywords
Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks
Hospice
Neighborhood network in palliative care
Palliative care
PPC units
INTRODUCTION
Palliative care is a holistic care which fulfills the requirements of chronically ill patients. Those who need continued supportive care spend their lives not in the hospital, but in the community among their family and neighbors. Hence, the community has a major role in the care of these individuals. Yuen et al.,[1] in their study “Palliative care at home: general practitioners working with palliative care teams” stated that home care was the preferred option for most people with a terminal illness, and providing home care relies on good community-based services, a general practice workforce competent in palliative care practice, and willing to accommodate patients’ need. Devi, et al.,[2] in a study, “Setting up home-based palliative care in countries with limited resources: a model from Sarawak, Malaysia,”, described the set up of a home-care program in Sarawak (the Malaysian part of the Borneo Island), where half the population lives in villages that are difficult to access. The program had been sustainable and cost efficient, serving 936 patients in 2006. The results showed that pain medication could be provided even in remote areas with effective organization and empowerment of nurses, who were the most important determinants for the set up of this program. Zerzan et al.,[3] in their study, “ Access to Palliative Care and Hospice in Nursing Homes”, stated that hospice improves end-of-life care for dying nursing home residents by improving pain control, reducing hospitalization, and reducing use of tube feeding, but it is rarely used. Hospice use varies by region, and rates of use are associated with nursing home administrators’ attitudes toward hospice and contractual obligations.
Data show that 80% of all palliative care services in the country are delivered in Kerala, reaching 30% of the needy patients, whereas these services reach only to 2% in India. Kerala’s attempts at caring for terminally ill patients have been regarded as a model for the rest of the world. Kerala Government is the only State Government in Asia which has introduced a palliative care policy in the State for the first time. The Neighborhood Network in Palliative Care (NNPC) is a volunteer-driven movement that has gained momentum in Kerala, especially in Malabar Region, where the volunteers are the arms of the community, supporting the patient in collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental agencies in Kerala.
Significance of the study
Palliative care is a prerequisite for a complete medical care. It provides the best care to the patients and their families. In India, the present medical and hospice systems do not have the capacity to guarantee quality of life for the majority of people with life-limiting illnesses or for their care givers and survivors, which focuses upon the identification and control of observable and predictable physical symptoms. The existing healthcare facilities are more attuned to caring for acute health problems and they play only a limited role in the care of the chronically ill in the society. Patients with terminal illness need a multidisciplinary team and constant care. This has lead to a mounting need for palliative care.
Pain and palliative care units (hereafter referred as PPC Units) are committed to being responsible centers of the communities where they operate by making a visible impact on billions of lives across the world with their renowned products. They also touch the lives of those who are in need of care and attention. In Kerala, the tremendous developments made in palliative care in the State have made the end-of-life phase of the terminally ill more bearable. Palliative care remains the only and indeed the most appropriate form of treatment for the patients presenting at incurable stages. There is a need to advocate adequate policy development and effective program implementation in the area of palliative care. Moreover, the review of earlier literature revealed that most of the studies in palliative care have been conducted in the field of medical science. No study has so far been conducted for analyzing the impact of palliative care services on patients. In this context, the present topic entitled “Impact of Pain and Palliative Care Services on Patients” assumes greater importance.
Scope of the study
The present study has been undertaken to analyze the impact of palliative care services on the patients availing such services. The assessment has been made by considering the perception of patients in Kerala. However, the focus of the study is the palliative care patients of Ernakulam District, Kerala.
Objective of the study
The main objective of the study is to know the impact of palliative care services on the patients availing such services in Kerala.
Hypothesis of the study
HO1There is no difference in the level of satisfaction among the PPC patients with regard to services of medical professionals in Kerala.
Selection of sample
The PPC patients have been selected from the data base maintained by the PPC units of the Ernakulam district, Kerala State. There are in all 22 PPC units functioning in Ernakulam district as on July 31, 2009. Only 15 units in Ernakulam are offering home care services. Convenience sampling method was adopted for selection of sample. A sample of 50 patients (of 2000 patients) was selected from these 15 units for the purpose of study.
Collection of data
The data required for the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected from the respondents based on structured questionnaire. The secondary data were collected from reports, books, and journals published by the consortium of PPC Units in Ernakulam District, Institute of Palliative Medicine, and from various web sites.
Tools of analysis
For the purpose of analysis, statistical tools like averages, percentages, rank test, and Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks were used. To study the level of satisfaction in the palliative care services among patients in Kerala, the relevant questions were asked in five point scale with the following options: highly satisfied, satisfied, not satisfied, dissatisfied, and no opinion. These questions were scored in the order of magnitude from 5 to 1. Overall score of each respondent was found out, which form the basis for comparison. The Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks (nonparametric test) was used to compare the effects of a series of different experimental treatments on a single group. Each subject’s responses were ranked from smallest to largest without regard to other subjects, and then the rank sums for the treatments were compared.
Period of the study
The study covers a period of six months, that is, from July 2009 to January 2010.
Impact of palliative care service – Analysis
For analyzing the impact of PPC services on patients, 51 variables have been considered. The study revealed that the majority of the patients (52%) under palliative care treatment were men in the age group of above 60 years. It is understood that in Ernakulam District, palliative care is mainly provided to cancer patients because 50% of the beneficiaries of palliative care services are cancer patients. Table 1 reveals that the major physical problem of the patients is pain and the problem of incontinence is ranked as second. The Friedman Chi-square test result [Table 2] revealed that there is significant difference in the type of physical problems faced by the patients of different age groups (Chi-square = 345.495 with 22 d.f.at 1% level). Most of the patients are not able to stay in their job and their children could not continue their schooling because of their illnesses which they ranked as the major social problem, and they also have fear on account of illness [Table 3]. Huge medical expenditure is the major financial problem faced by the patients, followed by intractable debt which is ranked as second [Table 4]. The major medical care provided by the doctors is prescribing medicines. They also help the patients to reduce their sufferings through touch and closeness [Table 5]. Most of the patients, irrespective of their age, are either highly satisfied or satisfied with the services of the doctors [Table 6]. Chi-square test result [Table 6] revealed that there is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the services of the doctors (Chi-square = 1.531 with 1d.f. at 5% level). The major service provided by the nurses is attending to the bed sore of the patients. They also give medicines to the patients as per the directions of the doctors, which is ranked as second by the patients [Table 7]. It is revealed that all the patients in the age group of 20 to 40 years are highly satisfied and patients in the age group of above 40 years are either highly satisfied or satisfied with the services of nurses [Table 8]. There is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the services of the nurses (Chi-square = 0.045 with 1 d.f. at 5% level) [Table 8]. The Chi-square test results given in Table 6 and Table 8 revealed that there is no significant difference in the level of satisfaction among the patients with regard to the services of doctors and nurses. Therefore, the null hypothesis (HO1) stating that there is no difference in the level of satisfaction among the PPC patients with regard to services of medical professionals in Kerala stands accepted.
| Physical problem | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | 21.868 | 1 |
| Breathlessness | 20.538 | 4 |
| Fatigue | 20.550 | 3 |
| Drowsiness | 19.587 | 6 |
| Insomnia | 19.333 | 8 |
| Dehydration | 18.200 | 17 |
| Constipation | 19.133 | 11 |
| Anorexia | 19.830 | 12 |
| Nausea | 17.000 | 20 |
| Physical losses | 18.333 | 16 |
| Edema | 18.857 | 13 |
| Incontinence | 20.929 | 2 |
| Loss of function | 18.000 | 18 |
| Vomiting | 19.833 | 5 |
| Bed sores | 18.833 | 14 |
| Loss of mobility/dependency | 19.250 | 9 |
| Fumigating wounds | 17.500 | 19 |
| Disfigurement | 19.167 | 10 |
| Difficult to swallow | 19.444 | 7 |
| Itching | 18.500 | 15 |
Source: Primary data
| Category | 20–30 | 30–40 | 40–50 | 50–60 | Above 60 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Rank | Mean | Rank | Mean | Rank | Mean | Rank | Mean | Rank | |
| Pain | 21.0000 | 2 | 22.0000 | 1 | 21.600 | 2 | 21.846 | 2 | 22.000 | 1 |
| Breathlessness | 21.0000 | 2 | 19.0000 | 7 | 21.0000 | 4 | 20.778 | 3 | ||
| Fatigue | 20.0000 | 3 | 20.250 | 6 | 20.714 | 5 | 20.625 | 4 | ||
| Drowsiness | 19.0000 | 4 | 19.0000 | 7 | 19.0000 | 8 | 20.500 | 5 | ||
| Insomnia | 17.500 | 8 | 19.0000 | 8 | 19.727 | 9 | ||||
| Dehydration | 21.0000 | 2 | 21.0000 | 4 | 21.333 | 3 | ||||
| Constipation | 21.0000 | 4 | 19.143 | 7 | 18.857 | 12 | ||||
| Anorexia | 20.500 | 5 | 18.333 | 9 | 19.000 | 11 | ||||
| Nausea | 16.250 | 14 | 17.000 | 14 | ||||||
| Physical losses | 16.500 | 10 | 19.000 | 8 | 19.500 | 10 | ||||
| Edema | 18.500 | 5 | 0.0000 | 17.667 | 12 | 21.000 | 2 | |||
| Incontinence | 22.0000 | 1 | 21.250 | 3 | 22.000 | 1 | 20.286 | 6 | ||
| Loss of function | 20.000 | 3 | 16.000 | 6 | ||||||
| Vomiting | 22.000 | 1 | 22.000 | 1 | 18.000 | 10 | 19.000 | 11 | ||
| Bed sores | 18.0000 | 5 | 21.000 | 4 | 17.667 | 13 | ||||
| Loss of mobility/dependency | 19.000 | 4 | 18.500 | 5 | 21.000 | 4 | 17.750 | 11 | 20.000 | 7 |
| Fumigating wounds | 20.000 | 3 | 16.500 | 13 | 17.667 | 13 | ||||
| Disfigurement | 21.000 | 2 | 21.000 | 4 | 20.000 | 6 | 17.667 | 13 | ||
| Difficult to swallow | 17.000 | 9 | 19.750 | 8 | ||||||
| Itching | 16.500 | 10 | 20.000 | 7 | ||||||
Source: Primary data; χ2= 345.495 with 22 degrees of freedom. Significant at 1% level
| Type of social problem | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Not able to stay in my job/go to school | 15.350 | 1 |
| Social isolation | 14.524 | 3 |
| Not able to fulfill my prior role in the family/society | 14.375 | 4 |
| Sadness | 13.350 | 10 |
| Not able to be active in the society/community | 14.318 | 5 |
| Depression | 14.111 | 7 |
| Not able to keep up friendships | 12.000 | 12 |
| Anger | 12.500 | 11 |
| Anticipatory bereavement | 10.167 | 14 |
| Lack of social safety | 14.167 | 6 |
| Fear | 15.125 | 2 |
| No relatives available for help | 13.923 | 8 |
| Neglect | 12.500 | 11 |
| Change in faith/beliefs | 13.714 | 9 |
| Loss of social roles | 11.600 | 13 |
Source: Primary data
| Type of financial problems | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty due to absence of income earning member | 5.231 | 3 |
| Huge medical expenditure | 5.732 | 1 |
| Children dropped out of school | 4.000 | 5 |
| Intractable debt | 5.313 | 2 |
| Family member gave up work due to illness | 4.333 | 4 |
Source: Primary data
| Type of physical care | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Medicines | 4.946 | 1 |
| Exercises and aids | 3.625 | 4 |
| Touch and closeness | 4.000 | 2 |
| Discussion between me and family members | 3.692 | 3 |
Source: Primary data
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | No opinion | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–30 | 1 | - | 1 | |
| 30–40 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 40–50 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| 50–60 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| Above 60 years | 10 | 13 | 3 | 26 |
| Total | 19 | 25 | 6 | 49 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 1.531 with 1 degree of freedom. Not significant at 5% level
| Type of physical care | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Bathing | 7.0000 | 3 |
| Attending to the bed sore | 8.0000 | 1 |
| Changing clothes | 5.0000 | 7 |
| Giving medicines | 7.7050 | 2 |
| Dressing the wounds | 6.3333 | 5 |
| Changing the “condom catheter” | 6.8700 | 4 |
| Training the family members in simple nursing tasks | 5.8333 | 6 |
Source: Primary data
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | No opinion | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 30-40 | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| 40-50 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 50-60 | 9 | 4 | 13 | |
| Above 60 years | 17 | 8 | 1 | 26 |
| Total | 32 | 16 | 2 | 50 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 0.045 with 1 degree of freedom; Not significant at 5% level
“Attending to the bed sore” is the major physical care provided by the volunteers to the patients, which is ranked as first by the patients. Second, volunteers also help the patients to change clothes and give them medicines as prescribed by the doctor [Table 9]. The major psychological care provided by volunteers is chatting with the patients. Volunteers also listen to the sorrows of the patients, which is ranked as second by the patients [Table 10]. The major financial care provided by the volunteers is supply of medicines to the patients at free of cost. Second, they supply rice and provisions to the patient’s family [Table 11]. The major spiritual care provided by the volunteers to the patients is psychological boost [Table 12].
| Type of physical care provided by the volunteers | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Bathing | 7.000 | 4 |
| Attending to the bed sore | 7.800 | 1 |
| Changing clothes | 7.500 | 2 |
| Giving medicines | 7.630 | 3 |
| Dressing the wounds | 6.556 | 7 |
| Changing the “condom catheter” | 6.688 | 5 |
| Training the family members in simple nursing tasks | 5.429 | 8 |
| Others | 6.667 | 6 |
Source: Primary data
| Type of psychological care | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Chatting with the patients | 4.786 | 1 |
| Listening the sorrows and fears of patients | 3.913 | 2 |
| Listening to the concerns of the family members | 3.400 | 3 |
| Sharing of problems with patients and the family counselling | 3.263 | 4 |
Source: Primary data
| Type of financial care | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Supply medicines at free of cost | 4.966 | 1 |
| Supply rice and provisions for the family | 4.250 | 2 |
| Provide wheel chairs/water beds, commodes, etc | 4.143 | 3 |
| Books, clothes, and school fees for the kids | 3.000 | 4 |
Source: Primary data
| Type of spiritual care | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological boost | 9.759 | 1 |
| Helped to establish/re-establish a sense of meaning | 8.818 | 3 |
| Encourage to reminisce with family and friends | 7.0000 | 5 |
| Prepare advance directives | 8.778 | 4 |
| Love and affection | 8.917 | 2 |
Source: Primary data
All the patients in the age group of 20 to 40 years are highly satisfied with the services of the volunteers. Patients in the age group of above 40 years are either highly satisfied or satisfied with the services of the volunteers [Table 13]. There is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the services of the volunteers (Chi-square = 0.199 with 1 d.f. at 5% level [Table 13]). 56% of the patients are highly satisfied with the present medicines. Of which, 50% of them are in the age group of above 60 years and 32% of them are in the age group of 50 to 60 years [Table 14]. The majority of the patients in the age group of 40 to 50 years are satisfied with the medicines. Chi-square test result [Table 14] revealed that there is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the present medicines (Chi-square = 1.469 with 2 d.f. at 5% level).
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | No opinion | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 30-40 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 40-50 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| 50-60 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Above 60 years | 22 | 3 | 7 | 32 |
| Total | 34 | 8 | 8 | 50 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 0.199 with 1 degree of freedom. Not significant at 5% level
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | No opinion | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 30-40 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 40-50 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 50-60 | 9 | 4 | 13 | |
| Above 60 years | 14 | 11 | 1 | 26 |
| Total | 28 | 20 | 2 | 50 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 1.469 with 2 degrees of freedom; Not significant at 5% level
All the patients in the age group of 20 to 40 years are highly satisfied with the present medical treatment [Table 15]. Chi-square test result [Table 15] revealed that there is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the present medical treatment (Chi-square = 0.142 with 1 d.f. at 5% level). All the patients in the age group of 20 to 40 years are highly satisfied and patients in the age group of above 40 years are either highly satisfied or satisfied with the overall services of the units [Table 16]. Chi-square test result [Table 16] revealed that there is significant relationship between the age of the patients and their level of satisfaction in the overall services of the units (Chi-square = 3.907 with 1 d.f. at 5% level).
60% of the patients in the age group of above 60 years and 23% of the patients in the age group of 50 to 60 years have the opinion that the present services are qualitative and do not require any improvement [Table 17]. 31% of the patients in the age group of below 50 years and 69% of the patients in the age group of above 50 years demand for improvement in the quality of present palliative care services. Chi-square test result [Table 17] revealed that there is no significant difference in the opinion about the improvement in the present care among patients irrespective of their age (Chi-square = 2.973 with 1 d.f. at 5% level).
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30-40 | 3 | 3 | |
| 40-50 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 50-60 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Above 60 years | 16 | 10 | 26 |
| Total | 32 | 18 | 50 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 0.142 with 1 degree of freedom; Not significant at 5% level
| Age | Highly satisfied | Satisfied | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30-40 | 3 | 3 | |
| 40-50 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 50-60 | 11 | 2 | 13 |
| Above 60 years | 15 | 11 | 26 |
| Total | 35 | 15 | 50 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 3.907 with1 degree of freedom. Significant at 5% level
| Age | Yes | Percentage | No | Percentage | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 30-40 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| 40-50 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 14 |
| 50-60 | 5 | 27 | 7 | 23 | 12 | 24 |
| Above 60 years | 8 | 42 | 19 | 60 | 27 | 54 |
| Total | 19 | 100 | 31 | 100 | 50 | 100 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 2.973 with1 degree of freedom. Not significant at 5% level
83% of the patients in the age group of above 50 years and 17% of the patients in the age group of 30 to 50 years do not require any services other than those offered by the units [Table 18]. However, 55% of the patients in the age group of above 50 years and 38% of them in the age group of 20 to 50 years need other services. Chi-square test result [Table 18] revealed that there is no significant relationship between the age of the patients and their need for other services (Chi-square = 1.941 with 1 d.f. at 5% level). 28% of the patients in the age group of above 50 years and 7% of the patients in the age group of 20 to 50 years feel that palliative care is very essential for the society. However, 74% of the patients in the age group of above 50 years and 26% of the patients in the age group of 40 to 50 years feel that these services as essential to the society [Table 19]. Chi-square test result [Table 19] revealed that there is no significant difference in the opinion about the need for PPC services in the society among patients of different age group (Chi-square = 0.549 with 1 d.f. at 5% level).
| Age | Yes | Percentage | No | Percentage | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 30-40 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 40-50 | 3 | 27 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 14 |
| 50-60 | 4 | 44 | 9 | 22 | 13 | 26 |
| Above 60 years | 1 | 11 | 25 | 61 | 26 | 52 |
| Total | 9 | 100 | 41 | 100 | 50 | 100 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 1.941 with1 degree of freedom. Not significant at 5% level
| Age | Absolutely essential | Percentage | Essential | Percentage | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 30-40 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 40-50 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 26 | 7 | 14 |
| 50-60 | 11 | 30 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| Above 60 years | 17 | 49 | 9 | 61 | 26 | 52 |
| Total | 35 | 100 | 15 | 100 | 50 | 100 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 0.549 with1 degree of freedom. Not significant at 5% level
57% of the female patients and 43% of male patients opined that palliative care service is absolutely essential for the society, whereas, 73% of male patients and 27% of female patients feel that these services are essential [Table 20]. Chi-square test result [Table 20] revealed that there is significant difference in the opinion about the necessity of PPC services in the society among the male and female patients (Chi-square = 3.907 with 1 d.f. at 5% level). After undergoing palliative care treatment, the pain suffered by the patients earlier could be reduced to a considerable extent, which they ranked as first. The hope of patients could be maintained or strengthened through palliative care treatment, which was ranked as second by the patients [Table 21]. It is understood that the services of the doctors are to be improved further by making available their services to all the palliative care patients in a uniform manner as and when the patients need it [Table 22]. Similarly, services of the nurses should also be improved, which was ranked as second by the patients.
| Sex | Absolutely essential | Percentage | Essential | Percentage | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 15 | 43 | 11 | 73 | 26 | 52 |
| Female | 20 | 57 | 4 | 27 | 24 | 48 |
| Total | 35 | 100 | 15 | 100 | 50 | 100 |
Source: Primary data; χ2 = 3.907 with1 degree of freedom; Significant at 5% level
| Type of relief after undergoing treatment | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| My hope is maintained/strengthened | 12.0067 | 2 |
| Pain is reduced | 12.429 | 1 |
| I feel more comfort | 11.800 | 3 |
| I am relieved from physical/mental suffering | 10.571 | 7 |
| I feel more secure | 11.000 | 6 |
| I feel relaxed | 11.758 | 4 |
| Feeling of independence | 11.600 | 5 |
| A good mental support system to help my family | 8.800 | 11 |
| The quality of my life is improved | 9.429 | 9 |
| I could get tremendous psychological boost | 9.867 | 8 |
| A great financial help to me and my family | 9.000 | 10 |
Source: Primary data
| Areas where services are to be improved | Mean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Services of the doctors | 8.0000 | 1 |
| Services of the nurses | 7.667 | 2 |
| Services of the volunteers | 7.0000 | 4 |
| Medicines | 7.167 | 3 |
| Increase in the frequency nurse’s visit | 5.0000 | 5 |
| Increase in the frequency of volunteer’s visit | 7.0000 | 4 |
Source: Primary data
CONCLUSION
In Ernakulam district, the majority of the patients under palliative care treatment are cancer patients in the age group above 60 years. It is revealed that the male patients who need palliative care outnumber the females. Volunteers play a major role in increasing the awareness of palliative care services among the community. After undergoing palliative care treatment, the pain suffered by the patients earlier could be reduced to a considerable extent and the hope of patients could be maintained or strengthened. It is understood that the services of the doctors and the nurses are to be improved further by making available their services to all palliative care patients in a uniform manner as and when the patients need it.
First of all, I thank University Grants Commission for giving me the opportunity to conduct a study on pain and palliative care units in Kerala by providing the necessary financial and other supports. My sincere thanks to Dr. M.R. Rajagopal, Chairman, Pallium India, Thiruvananthapuram and Dr. Suresh Kumar, Director, Institute of Palliative Medicine, Calicut for their valuable advice, suggestions, and support given to me for drafting the questionnaires. I am very much grateful to Dr. Hyder Ali, Managing Director, Anwar Memorial Hospital, Aluva; Mr. Lal, Trainer, Anwar Memorial Hospital, Aluva; and Mr. Radhakrishna Menon, Consortium of Pain and Palliative care Units, Ernakulam District, for their whole-hearted support and encouragement in doing this project successfully and also for providing all necessary help to collect data from various units and patients. I am also thankful to Mr. Arun George, Project fellow, for the assistance given to me during survey. Finally, I take this opportunity to thank all those who helped me to complete my research work successfully.
Source of Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: None declared.
REFERENCES
- Palliative care at home: General practitioners working with palliative care teams. Med J Aust. 2003;179:38-40.
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- Setting up home-based palliative care in countries with limited resources: A model from Sarawak, Malaysia. Mailto: Oxford University Press; 2008.
Appendix: Impact of pain and palliative care services on patients
| 1. | Name of the patient | : | ||||||||||
| 2. | Name of district | : | ||||||||||
| 3. | Address | : | ||||||||||
| 4. | Phone No ________________ | |||||||||||
| 5. | Name of panchayat | : | ||||||||||
| 6. | Ward No | : | ||||||||||
| 7. | Age | : | □ Less than 10 years | □ 10-20 | □ 20-30 | □ 30-40 | □ 40-50 | □ 50-60 | □ 60 years and Above | |||
| □ 40-50 | □ 50-60 | □ 60 years and Above | ||||||||||
| 8. | Weight of patient | : | ||||||||||
| 9. | Sex | : | □ M | □ F | ||||||||
| 10. | Community | : | □ GEN | □ SC | □ ST | □ OBC | ||||||
| 11. | Marital status | : | □ Married | □ Single | □ Divorced/separated | □ Widow/Widower | ||||||
| 12. | Type of disease | : | □ Cancer | □ Burns | □ Spinal injuries | □ Osteoporosis | □ Arthritis | □ AIDS | □ Problems of old age and debility | |||
| □ Psychiatric illness | □ Chronic Respiratory diseases | □ Chronic kidney disease | □ Chronic heart diseases | □ HIV | □ Accidents | |||||||
| □ Paraplegia or motor neuron diseases | □ Chronic Liver disease | □ Stroke | □ Others | |||||||||
| 13. | How long have you been suffering from this disease? | |||||||||||
| □ Less than 6 months | □ 6-12 months | □ 12-18 months | □ 18-24 months | □ 24 months and More | ||||||||
| 14. | Which system of medicine is predominantly followed? | |||||||||||
| □ Allopathy | □ Ayurveda | □ Homeopathy | □ Unnani | □ Siddha | □ Others (Specify) | |||||||
| 15. | Do you get pain relief from treatment | □ Yes | □ No | |||||||||
| 16. | How long have you been undergoing palliative treatment? | |||||||||||
| □ Less than 6 months | □ 6-12 months | □ 12-18 months | □ 18-24 months | □ 24 months and More | ||||||||
| 17. | How did you come to know about palliative care? | |||||||||||
| □ Volunteers | □ Hospital | □ Clinic | □ Doctor | |||||||||
| □ Nurse | □ Media | □ Friends | □ Relatives | □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||
| 18. | Please specify the type of care you get: | |||||||||||
| □ Home based care | □ Institution based Care | □ Both | ||||||||||
| 19. | If it is home-based care, please specify the form of care you get: | |||||||||||
| □ Community based care | □ Hospital Pain Clinic | |||||||||||
| 20. | Please specify the type of physical problems faced by you (Rank in the order of importance) | |||||||||||
| □ Pain | □ Breathlessness | □ Fatigue | □ Drowsiness | |||||||||
| □ Insomnia | □ Dehydration | □ Constipation | □ Anorexia | □ Nausea | ||||||||
| □ Physical losses | □ Edema | □ Incontinence | □ Loss of Function | □ Vomiting | □ Bed sores | □ Loss of Mobility/ Dependency | ||||||
| □ Fungating wounds | □ Disfigurement | □ Difficult to Swallow | □ Itching | |||||||||
| □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||||||
| 21. | Please specify the type of psychological problems faced by you (Mark with Distress Thermometer) | |||||||||||
| □ 0 | □ 1 | □ 2 | □ 3 | □ 4 | □ 5 | □ 6 | □ 7 | □ 8 | □ 9 | □ 10 | ||
| 22. | Please specify the type of social problem faced by you (Rank in the order of importance) | |||||||||||
| □ Not able to stay in my job /go to school | □ Social Isolation | |||||||||||
| □ Not able to fulfil my prior role in the family/society | □ Sadness | |||||||||||
| □ Not able to be active in the society/community | □ Depression | |||||||||||
| □ Lack of social safety | □ Fear | □ No relatives available for help | ||||||||||
| □ Neglect | □ Change in Faith/ Beliefs | □ Denial | □ Loss of Social Roles | □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||
| 23. | Please specify the type of financial problems faced by you (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Poverty due to absence of income earning member in the family | ||||||||||||
| □ Huge medical expenditure | □ Children dropped out of school | |||||||||||
| □ Intractable debt | □ Family member gave up work due to illness | |||||||||||
| □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||||||
| 24. | Does any doctor visit you? | □ Yes | □ No. | |||||||||
| 25. | If yes, please specify the periodicity of visit: | |||||||||||
| □ Regularly | □ Frequently | □ Occasionally | ||||||||||
| □ Only once | □ Not at all | |||||||||||
| 26. | Type of physical care provided by the doctor (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Medicines | □ Exercises and aids | |||||||||||
| □ Touch and closeness | □ Discussion between me and family members | |||||||||||
| □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||||||
| 27. | Does any nurse visit you? | □ Yes | □ No. | |||||||||
| 28. | If yes, please specify the periodicity of visit: | |||||||||||
| □ Regularly | □ Frequently | □ Occasionally | ||||||||||
| □ Only once | □ Not at all | |||||||||||
| 29. | Type of physical care provided by the nurses (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Bathing | □ Attending to the Bed Sore | □ Changing clothes | ||||||||||
| □ Giving medicines | □ Dressing the wounds | □ Changing the “Condom Catheter” | ||||||||||
| □ Training the family members in simple nursing tasks | □ Others (Specify) | |||||||||||
| 30. | Please specify the periodicity of visit of the volunteers: | |||||||||||
| □ Every day | □ Once in a week | □ Twice in a week | ||||||||||
| □ Thrice in a week | □ Once in a month | □ No periodicity | ||||||||||
| 31. | Type of physical care provided by the volunteers (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Bathing | □ Attending to the Bed Sore | □ Changing clothes | ||||||||||
| □ Giving medicines | □ Dressing the wounds | □ Changing the “Condom Catheter” | ||||||||||
| □ Training the family members in simple nursing tasks | □ Others (Specify) | |||||||||||
| 32. | Type of social care provided by the volunteers: | |||||||||||
| □ Supportive Counselling to the patient to face friends, neighbours and colleagues | ||||||||||||
| □ Companionship | □ Others (Specify) | |||||||||||
| 33. | Type of psychological care provided by the volunteers (Rank on the basis of importance) | |||||||||||
| □ Chatting with the Patients | □ Listening the sorrows and fears of patients | |||||||||||
| □ Listening to the concerns of the family members | □ Sharing of problems with patients and the family counselling Others (Specify) | |||||||||||
| 34 | Type of financial care provided by the volunteers (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Supply medicines at free of Cost | □ Supply rice and provisions for the family | |||||||||||
| □ Provide wheel chairs / Water beds, Commodes etc. | ||||||||||||
| □ Books, Clothes, and school fees for the kids | □ Others (Specify) | |||||||||||
| 35. | Type of financial care provided by the volunteers (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Psychological boost | □ Love and Affection | |||||||||||
| □ Helped to establish/re-establish a sense of meaning and purpose to life | ||||||||||||
| □ Encourage to reminisce with family and friends | □ Gift giving | |||||||||||
| □ Prepare advance directives | □ Assisting with life closure | |||||||||||
| □ Creation of legacies | □ Fulfilling the wishes | □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||||
| 36. | Type of relief you got after undergoing treatment (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ My hope is maintained/strengthened | □ Pain is reduced | □ I feel more comfort | ||||||||||
| □ I am relieved from physical/mental suffering | □ I feel more secure | |||||||||||
| □ I feel relaxed | □ Feeling of Independence | |||||||||||
| □ I feel relaxed | □ Feeling of Independence | |||||||||||
| □ A good mental support system to help my family | ||||||||||||
| □ The quality of my life is improved | □ I could get tremendous psychological boost | □ A great financial help to me and my family | □ Able to take food along with family members | □ Others (Specify) | ||||||||
| 37. | Are you satisfied with the present services of the doctor of pain and palliative care unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 38. | Are you satisfied with the present services of the nurse of pain and palliative care unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 39. | Are you satisfied with the present services of the volunteers of pain and palliative care unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 40. | Are you satisfied with the present medical treatment provided by pain and palliative care unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 41. | Are you satisfied with the present medicines of pain and palliative care unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 42. | Are you satisfied with the overall services of the Unit? | |||||||||||
| □ Highly satisfied | □ Satisfied | □ Not satisfied | □ Dissatisfied | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 43. | Do you think that the? | □ Yes | □ No | |||||||||
| 44. | If yes, please specify the area where the services are to be improved (Rank in the order of importance): | |||||||||||
| □ Services of the doctors | □ Services of the nurses | □ Services of the volunteers | ||||||||||
| □ Medicines | □ Increase in the frequency of doctor’s visit | □ Increase in the frequency nurse’s visit | □ Increase in the frequency of volunteer’s visit | |||||||||
| □ Others (specify) | ||||||||||||
| 45. | Do you need any care other than the care provided by the unit? | □ Yes | □ No | |||||||||
| 46. | If yes, please specify the care needed by you: | |||||||||||
| 47. | Do you think that pain and palliative care is essential for patients suffering from terminal illness or old age problems? | |||||||||||
| □ Absolutely Essential | □ Essential | □ Somewhat essential | □ Not essential | □ No opinion | ||||||||
| 48. | Please specify your suggestions if any: | |||||||||||
