RESUMO
Social workers play an important role in the delivery of Hospice Palliative Care in many diverse settings. The profession brings a unique perspective to end-of-life care that reflects and supports the holistic philosophy of Hospice Palliative Care. Despite the prominent and longstanding position of social work in this area, the role and functions of social workers had not been clearly defined. A Canadian task group of social work practitioners and educators utilized a modified Delphi process to consult front line clinicians nationally, and thereby achieved consensus regarding the identification and description of eleven core competencies in Hospice Palliative Care. These competencies are relevant for social workers at different experience levels across care settings. They can be used to inform social work practice, as well as professional development and educational curricula in this area.
Assuntos
Competência Clínica , Técnica Delphi , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Cuidados Paliativos , Papel Profissional , Serviço Social/educação , Adulto , Canadá , Criança , Avaliação Educacional/normas , Cuidados Paliativos na Terminalidade da Vida , Humanos , Relações InterprofissionaisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pediatric palliative care is increasingly recognized to be a specialized type of care requiring specific skills and knowledge, yet, as found in several countries, there is little available research evidence on which to base care. OBJECTIVES: The goal of the project was to achieve consensus among palliative care practitioners and researchers regarding the identification of pertinent lines of research. METHOD: A Delphi technique was used with an interdisciplinary panel (n = 14-16) of researchers and frontline clinicians in pediatric palliative care in Canada. RESULTS: Four priority research questions were identified: What matters most for patients and parents receiving pediatric palliative services? What are the bereavement needs of families in pediatric palliative care? What are the best practice standards in pain and symptom management? What are effective strategies to alleviate suffering at the end of life? CONCLUSIONS: These identified priorities will provide guidance and direction for research efforts in Canada, and may prove useful in providing optimal care to patients and families in pediatric palliative care.
