Use of Online Communications to Support Patients and Their Families in the Hospice Unit
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 20
- Primary Endpoint
- SWAT - The social work assessment tool
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The increasing awareness of the importance of palliative care has led, in Israel, to the 2005 Law for the Rights of Persons with Terminal Illness. Still, problems of accessibility to palliative care remain unresolved. The use of e-health services is likely to expand the ability of the medical, psychosocial and nursing staff to reach patients who are either living in the periphery, are unable to make clinic visits or whose family members are housebound in order to be caregivers. This exploratory research is designed to explore the issues, barriers and advantages of e-health care through the perspective of the palliative care staff members, the patients themselves and their caregiving family members.
Detailed Description
This study is designed to test the applicability and suitability of e-health services (e.g. by use of SKYPE) to the psychosocial needs of patients and their families who are getting services through home hospice care. In addition, the attitudes of the hospice staff will be investigated to the use of e-health methods. The study will clarify selection criteria, referral pathways and barriers and/or supporting elements that will allow e-health services to be provided in a highly professional fashion. Up to 20 dyads of a patient and their primary caregiver will be recruited from those who are receiving services from the home hospice unit of the Kupat Holim Clalit (General Sick Fund) in the South of Israel.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Non Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Patient currently receiving care from the home hospice unit,
- •over the age of 18,
- •able to give informed consent,
- •with a computer that can use SKYPE or a smartphone,
- •speaking a language of the psychosocial staff person (Hebrew, English, Russian, Arabic).
Exclusion Criteria
- •Brain tumors,
- •dementia,
- •speech disturbance,
- •refusal to participate,
- •language other than the four spoken by psychosocial staff members,
- •inability to use technology or lack of computer in the home.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
SWAT - The social work assessment tool
Time Frame: One year
Tool to assess the quality of social work psychosocial services
Secondary Outcomes
- EIS (Emotional Intimacy Scale)(6 month)
- SLDS (Satisfaction with cancer scale)(6 month)
- the will to live question(6 month)
- ZBI (Zarit burden scale),(6 month)
- attitudes toward use of e-therapy questionnaire.(6 month)
Investigators
Pesach Shvartzman
Prof.
Meir Medical Center