Response and role of palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national telephone survey of hospices in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Palliative care is an important component of health care in pandemics, contributing to symptom control, psychological support, and supporting triage and complex decision making.

Aim

To examine preparedness for, and impact of, the COVID-19 pandemic on hospices in Italy to inform the response in other countries.

Design

Cross-sectional telephone survey, in March 2020.

Setting

Italian hospices, purposively sampled according to COVID-19 regional prevalence categorised as high (>25), medium (15-25) and low prevalence (<15) COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A brief questionnaire was developed to guide the interviews. Analysis was descriptive.

Results

Seven high, five medium and four low prevalence hospices provided data. Two high prevalence hos

SUBMITTER: Costantini M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7218350 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature