Aotearoa New Zealand emergency ambulance services and the provision of end-of-life care : a short survey

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MUNRO, Andrew | GRUNDY, Kate | DAVIS, Sara

AIM: To characterise emergency ambulance service (EAS) clinical roles and experiences (including cultural competency and pastoral care) in the delivery of end-of-life (EOL) and palliative care in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHOD: A nine question online survey was distributed to St John and Wellington Free Ambulance clinicians. Four questions enabled voluntary free-text comments to be submitted for thematic analysis. A further opportunity for free-text comments was available at the end of the survey. RESULTS: There were 444 participants, which is 14% of the paid ambulance workforce. 63% reported that they frequently transported EOL care patients to hospital when they could be better managed at home. EAS clinicians depend heavily on informal collegial support for pastoral care as formal debriefs are rarely offered. There were 671 free-text comments. Dominant themes included the importance of seniority, the need for further education, the importance of documented care plans and the need for better integration with community services, including hospice. CONCLUSIONS: More can and should be done to ensure EAS clinicians are supported to deliver quality EOL care for patients alongside other community providers.

Voir la revue «The New Zealand medical journal, 136»

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