ObjectivesTo explore current practice in relation to palliative and end of life care in prisons, and to make recommendations for its future provision.DesignA rapid literature review of studies using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods, with a narrative synthesis of results.Data sourcesSix databases searched between January 2014 to December 2018: ASSIA, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts and Scopus.Eligibility criteriaPrimary research articles reporting qualitative or quantitative findings about palliative and end of life care in prisons, published in peer-reviewed, English language journals between January 2014 to December 2018.ParticipantsPrisoners, prisoners’ families, prison healthcare staff and other prison staff.Data extraction/synthesisData extracted included: citation, design, aim, setting, sample/population, methods and key findings. Data were analysed thematically then subject to a narrative synthesis in order to answer the research questions.Quality appraisalTwo researchers independently appraised articles using the Qualsyst tool, by Kmet et al (2004). Aggregate summary quality scores are included with findings. Articles were not excluded based on quality appraisal.Results23 articles were included (16 qualitative, 6 quantitative, 1 mixed methods). Top three findings (by prevalence) were: fostering relationships with people both inside and outside of prison is important to prisoners with palliative and end of life care needs, inmate hospice volunteers are able to build and maintain close relationships with the prisoners they care for and the conflicting priorities of care and custody can have a negative impact on the delivery of palliative and end of life care in prisons.ConclusionsThe key findings are: relationships are important to prisoners at the end of life, inmate hospice volunteers can build close bonds with the prisoners in their care and the prison environment and regime conflicts with best practices in palliative and end of life care. Directions for future research are also identified.PROSPERO registration numberPROSPERO ID: CRD42019118737. Registered January 2019.
Background: Differential Diagnosis Decision Support Systems (DDDSS) and other forms of clinical decision support systems may have a role in supporting clinicians and the public in making decisions about differential diagnosis and accessing health care services. The aim of this qualitative, focus group study was to explore the needs of out-of-hours and primary care clinicians, and members of the public in relation to DDDSS. Methods: Twenty-nine participants (comprising 13 advanced nurse practitioners [ANPs], 7 general practitioners [GPs], 2 allied health professional advanced practitioners [AAPs], and 7 members of the public) took part in 1 of 6 focus groups. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Results: Four themes were identified: (1) Current Practice, (2) Attitudes to DDDSS, (3) Implementation Considerations, and (4) Desirable Characteristics of DDDSS. Discussion: There may be a role for differential diagnosis decision support systems in supporting clinicians and members of the public; however, it is important that the needs of these groups are considered when designing or implementing any clinical decision support system in primary or out-of-hours care. More research is needed into how these systems could be used within clinical practice.
Background: Older adults in prison have complex healthcare needs, and many will need palliative care before their sentence ends. Compared with prison-based hospices, little is known about the role played by community-based hospices in providing palliative care to people in prison Aim: To describe the roles Scottish hospices have adopted to support prisons to provide palliative care, and to discuss the international relevance of these findings in addressing the knowledge gap around community hospices supporting people in prison. Design: A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews. Setting/participants: Representatives from all Scottish adult hospices were invited to take part in a short telephone interview and all ( N = 17) participated. Results: Four roles were identified: caring, sharing, preparing and declaring. Most hospices employed different combinations of roles. Five (30%) hospices were engaged in caring (providing direct care at the prison or the hospice). Eleven (65%) hospices were engaged in sharing (supporting the prison by sharing knowledge and expertise). Eleven (65%) hospices were engaged in preparing (making preparations to support prisons). All seventeen hospices were described as declaring (expressing a willingness to engage with prisons to provide care). Conclusions: There are differences and similarities in the way countries provide palliative care to people in prison: many are similar to Scotland in that they do not operate prison-based hospices. Variations exist in the level of support hospices provide. Ensuring that all people in prison have equitable access to palliative care will require close collaboration between prisons and hospices on a national level.
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Background Multimorbidity (two or more concurrent chronic conditions) is associated with poorer health outcomes and increased healthcare utilisation in primary care and general populations. Less is known about the prevalence of multimorbidity in emergency department attenders, or its association with poor outcomes in this population. Aim This study sought to explore the relationship between multimorbidity, mortality and health-care utilisation in a large urban cohort of persons attending emergency departments. Methods Validated algorithms for the identification of 28 chronic conditions from ICD-10 codes were deployed on a cross-sectional sample of patients attending emergency departments in Glasgow, Scotland between April 2019 and March 2020. Analysis was conducted on complete cases (n=63,328) and compared with results from data with imputed missing values (n=75,723). Models adjusted for age, sex, deprivation and ethnicity were fitted to test for the association between (i) multimorbidity, (ii) complex multimorbidity, (iii) disease count and the following outcomes: admission to hospital, reattendance at 30 and 90 days, and death during admission. Results Multimorbidity, complex multimorbidity and disease count were significantly associated with hospital admission and emergency department reattendance. Those with 1-3 conditions were at increased risk of inpatient mortality. Conclusion This study further evidences the impact of multimorbidity and disease burden on health-care use, and mortality to a lesser extent. Deployed algorithms were sufficiently sensitive to detect associations, despite limited access (21 months) to secondary-care data. This should allow for the construction of more robust models to prospectively identify persons at risk of poor outcomes in similar populations.
Purpose of review The prison population is growing and ageing, and many people will die from natural causes while incarcerated. This article provides a contemporary review of key issues related to palliative and end-of-life care in prisons. Recent findings Few countries have integrated prison hospices. Palliative care needs may go unrecognised in prison. Older offenders may not trust the prison to care for them and may benefit from segregation. Cancer remains a major cause of death. Training staff remains a priority, and technology can help facilitate this. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had a significant impact on prisons, less is known about its impact on palliative care. Compassionate release is underutilised, and the issue of medically assisted dying adds complexity to decisions around end-of-life care. Peer carers can provide reliable symptom assessment. Family members are often absent when someone dies in prison. Summary Palliative and end-of-life care in prisons requires a joined-up approach, and staff must understand the challenges of both this and custodial care in general. The relational network both inside and outside of the prison should be involved, and when possible and appropriate, we should consider alternatives to dying whilst incarcerated, such as compassionate release.
health care record) and key themes (e.g. need for clinician education & communication skills, executive leadership and dedicated people & systems resource). A targeted QI strategy includes coordinated communication 'do not attempt resuscitate' pathways between care settings, dedicated training resource for rolling clinician education, fit-for-purpose documentation of treatment escalation considerations and a public awareness campaign. Conclusion(s)The detailed exploration of EoLDM across the region has resulted in a targeted QI strategy. It acts as a springboard for future work to normalise EoLDM. Our vision is that everyone in North Wales can have discussions to support their EoL decision-making at the right time supported by skilled clinicians. Fit-for-purpose pathways and documentation should ensure decisions and preferences are acted upon, within a robust governance framework. Only by learning from one another have we been able to grow together for the people of North Wales.
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