Interdisciplinary palliative care during the first SARS-CoV-2 pandemic phase in german hospitals

ABSTRACT

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic challenged interdisciplinary cooperation between hospital staff and specialized palliative care (SPC) by facing sudden restrictions, yet dying patients still required comprehensive palliative care. Aim: Examination of interdisciplinary cooperation from the point of generalist palliative care between hospital staff and SPC during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in German hospitals as a part of a multicenter project (PallPan). Method: A 43-Items-questionnaire was developed based on literature and semi-structured qualitative interviews concerning the first pandemic phase and was sent to hospital staff via the online platform UniPark (n=10.357). Excluded were inhospital specialized palliative care. Interviewees were able to answer the questions beginning from 01/12/20 until 20/01/21. The data was analyzed via SPSS and descriptive statistics and cross tables were done. Results: In total 550 hospital staff did answer the questionnaire and after exclusion of SPC-respondents 530 questionnaires were analyzed. While 32.4% (n=159) did not have the possibility to include SPC into the care process, 74.1% (n=215) did often incorporate SPC in their daily work. There was a significant discrepancy for SPC-co-management regarding Covid-19 positive (46.6%, n=152) and Covid-19 negative patients (69.9%, n=228, p= < .001). Most hospital staff considered additional support by SPC as helpful (83.1%, n=368). This contains mainly easily accessible information (69.0%, n=254) and training in palliative care (63.9%, n=235). Discussion: Inhospital SPC was present in the pandemic, yet there is space for improvement. The discrepancy concerning SPC-co-management at the patients' bed is one major issue that needs to be addressed. In order for a comprehensive care SPC should provide training and easily accessible information to generalist palliative care during and outside a pandemic.