Araki Mehad, Shanbhag Nandan M, Al Qawasmeh Khaled H, Saleh Mohammad M, Javed Muhammad Z, Samad Afroz
Nursing, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, ARE.
Radiation Oncology/Palliative Care, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, ARE.
Cureus. 2023 Mar 27;15(3):e36756. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36756. eCollection 2023 Mar.
Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Palliative Outreach Program in improving the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in a Tertiary Hospital in the Al Ain region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods & Material One hundred patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study and administered the patient version of the Consumer Quality (CQ) Index Palliative Care Instrument to assess their perception of the quality of care they received. The demographics, diagnosis, and questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the Palliative Outreach Program. Results A total of one hundred patients met the criteria for the study. Most patients were above 50, female, female, Non-Emiratis, and had high school certificates. The top three cancer diagnoses were breast (22%), lung (15%), and head & neck (13%). The patients reported high levels of support from their caregivers regarding physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being, as well as information and expertise. The mean scores for most variables were favorable, except for information (mean = 2.9540, SD= 0.25082) and general appreciation (mean = 6.7150, sd = 0.82344). Overall, the patients rated the care they received positively, with high mean scores for physical/psychological well-being (mean = 3.4950, SD = 0.28668), autonomy (mean = 3.7667, SD= 0.28623), privacy (mean = 3.6490, SD = 0.23159), and spiritual well-being (mean =3.7500, SD = 0.54356). The patients would recommend their caregivers to others in similar situations. Discussion The findings demonstrate that the Palliative Outreach Program effectively improves the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in the UAE. The CQ Index Palliative Care Instrument proved a novel method for assessing palliative care quality from patients' perspectives. However, there is room for improvement in providing more favorable information and general appreciation outcomes. Caregivers should focus on all areas to enhance their physical/psychological well-being, autonomy, privacy, spiritual well-being, expertise, and general appreciation of their patients. Conclusion In conclusion, the Palliative Outreach Program is an effective intervention to improve the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in the UAE. The patients reported high levels of support from their caregivers in all aspects of care, except for information and general appreciation. These findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of palliative care interventions and highlight the need for continued efforts to improve the quality of care for patients with advanced cancer.
引言 本研究旨在评估姑息治疗外展项目对阿联酋艾因地区一家三级医院中晚期癌症患者姑息治疗质量的改善效果。
方法与材料 符合纳入标准的100名患者被纳入研究，并使用消费者质量（CQ）指数姑息治疗工具的患者版本来评估他们对所接受护理质量的看法。对人口统计学、诊断和问卷回复进行分析，以确定姑息治疗外展项目的效果。
结果 共有100名患者符合研究标准。大多数患者年龄在50岁以上，为女性、非阿联酋人，拥有高中文凭。前三大癌症诊断分别为乳腺癌（22%）、肺癌（15%）和头颈癌（13%）。患者报告称，在身体、心理和精神健康以及信息和专业知识方面，他们得到了护理人员的高度支持。除信息（均值 = 2.9540，标准差 = 0.25082）和总体满意度（均值 = 6.7150，标准差 = 0.82344）外，大多数变量的平均得分都较为理想。总体而言,患者对所接受的护理评价积极，身体/心理健康（均值 = 3.4950，标准差 = 0.28668）、自主性（均值 = 3.7667，标准差 = 0.28623）、隐私（均值 = 3.6490，标准差 = 0.23159）和精神健康（均值 = 3.7500，标准差 = 0.54356）的平均得分较高。患者会向处于类似情况的其他人推荐他们的护理人员。
讨论 研究结果表明，姑息治疗外展项目有效地提高了阿联酋中晚期癌症患者的姑息治疗质量。CQ指数姑息治疗工具被证明是一种从患者角度评估姑息治疗质量的新颖方法。然而，在提供更有利的信息和总体满意度方面仍有改进空间。护理人员应关注所有领域，以提高患者的身体/心理健康、自主性、隐私、精神健康、专业知识以及对患者的总体满意度。
结论 总之，姑息治疗外展项目是提高阿联酋中晚期癌症患者姑息治疗质量的有效干预措施。患者报告称，除信息和总体满意度外，他们在护理的各个方面都得到了护理人员的高度支持。这些发现为姑息治疗干预措施的有效性提供了有价值的见解，并强调了持续努力提高中晚期癌症患者护理质量的必要性。
