From: “Building palliative care capacity in cancer treatment centres: a participatory action research”
Probes | Responses | Recommendations |
---|---|---|
How can we improve capacity for palliative care within oncology institutes? | Identify change champions for palliative care | • A team of 2 doctors and 2 nurses from each oncology institute to drive the organizational change |
Improve Infrastructure Space, staff, time, equipment | • Stand-alone outpatient palliative care department • Consultation liaison service for inpatients • Task shifting to overcome health workforce shortage • Prevent task overload | |
Increase access to opioids | • Procure license to store and dispense opioids • Educate regarding safe practices • Ensure uninterrupted supply | |
Initiate advocacy activities to raise awareness about PC | • Develop competency for in-house training • Conduct continuing medical education programs with external support | |
How can we improve individual capacity to provide palliative care in oncology treatment institutes? | • Improve knowledge and skills about palliative care • Help in knowledge translation | • Attend and complete recommended training in palliative care • Mentoring activities • Academic detailing • Develop institutional policies and guidelines |
What are the outcome indicators to measure the implementation of the program? | For organizational capacity building | • Number of dedicated staff for palliative care • Number of hours of OPD per month • Number of patients seen in OPD per month • Number of patients seen in CL per month • Number of new patients referred to palliative care |
For individual capacity building | • 5-day face-to-face training in Palliative Care • 5-day clinical attachment at specialist palliative care institute • 2-day mentorship training by a visiting mentor • Completion of certificate course in essentials of palliative care (CCEPC) by Indian Association of Palliative Care | |
For morphine availability | • Number of milligrams of morphine use per month | |
For advocacy activities | • Number of trainings conducted in a year • Number of doctors trained • Number of nurses trained • Number of allied healthcare practitioners trained • Observance of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day in the institute |