Table 3 The aim, study design and the findings of qualitative studies from Sweden (n = 6)
Aim of the study | Study design (participants and analysis) | Finding expressed by themesa and categories/sub-themes |
|---|---|---|
Patients’ experiences: | ||
To explore how patients with cancer in palliative home care experienced soft tissue massage (Cronfalk et al. [44]). | A qualitative interview study involving 22 patients with advanced cancer who received soft tissue massage. A hermeneutic approach was used in the analysis. | Existential time of respite. • An experience of thoughtful attention • A sensation of complete tranquility. |
To describe patients’ experiences of PREFER model of person-centred integrated HF and palliative care at home (Talabani et al. [46]). | A qualitative descriptive interview study involving 12 patients with severe heart failure. Content analysis was used. | Feeling secure and safe through receiving care at home. • Having access to readily available care at home • Being followed up continuously and having trust in the team members’ ability to help. Being acknowledged as both a person and a patient. • Being met as a person, participating in decisions about one’s care • Receiving help for symptoms of both HF and comorbidities. |
To explore patients’ experiences of care and support at home after family members’ participation in a psychoeducational intervention during palliative care (Norinder et al. [47]). | A qualitative interview study involving 11 patients with advanced incurable cancer. Interpretive descriptive analysis was used. | Safe at home Facilitated and more honest communication Feeling like a unit of care. |
Family’s experiences: | ||
To describe family members’ experiences of the intervention, PREFER (Alvariza et al. [45]). | A qualitative descriptive design based on interviews with 14 members of the families of patients with chronic heart failure. Content analysis was used. | Happiness and Thankfulness as a Result of Witnessing Patients’ Enhanced Well-Being, Feelings of Relief and Shared Responsibility with Healthcare Professionals, Living in the Shadow of Severe Illness. |
Staff’s experiences: | ||
To explore assistant nurses’ experiences of conversations about death and dying with nursing home residents within the framework of an ongoing implementation of palliative care (Alftberg et al. [49]). | An ethnographic study design was applied in seven nursing homes, where eight assistant nurses were interviewed and followed in their daily assignments through participant observations. An inductive thematic analysis was applied. | Barriers to conversations about death and dying. • Lacking time • Feeling emotional strain. Managing conversations in practice. • Having tools • Distracting • Comforting • Disregarding |
To describe the impact of therapy dogs on people with dementia in the final stages of life from the perspective of the dog handler (Swall et al. [48]). | A qualitative interview study with 11 dog handlers for persons with dementia at seven municipal nursing homes. Qualitative content analysis was used. | The presence of the dog and interaction with the dog provide comfort and relief at the end of life. • The dog helps the person open up • The dog functions as a receiver and reliever • The dog is responsive and inspiring |