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      The impact of COVID-19 on palliative care social work: An online survey by a European Association of Palliative Care Task Force

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          Abstract

          Background:

          The SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the delivery of health and social care services globally. However, little is known about how palliative care social work services were impacted.

          Aim:

          The aim of this study was to capture and analyse data from palliative care social workers who provided professional support in a range of settings across 21 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

          Design:

          A cross-sectional survey-based design was used for this empirical study and this paper primarily focuses on the quantitative responses.

          Setting/participants:

          Participants, palliative care social workers, were drawn internationally via members of the EAPC Social Work Task Force and the World Hospice Palliative Care Social Work network.

          Results:

          We received 362 survey responses from 21 countries. Most (79%) respondents worked with adults in in-patient units or hospitals. The number of referrals during COVID-19 increased more in non-European countries, compared to European countries. The full range of social work services could no longer be delivered, existing services changed and 65.3% of participants reported higher levels of pressure during the pandemic, which was linked to higher levels of staff absence and additional duties. For many respondents (40.8%), this included facilitating online communication between patients and their families.

          Conclusions:

          Our findings indicate that restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 resulted in adaptations to service delivery, increased pressure on staff and moral distress, like other health and social care professions. All members of the palliative team need support and supervision to ensure effective interdisciplinary working and team cohesion.

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          Most cited references33

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          The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence

          Summary The December, 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak has seen many countries ask people who have potentially come into contact with the infection to isolate themselves at home or in a dedicated quarantine facility. Decisions on how to apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence. We did a Review of the psychological impact of quarantine using three electronic databases. Of 3166 papers found, 24 are included in this Review. Most reviewed studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma. Some researchers have suggested long-lasting effects. In situations where quarantine is deemed necessary, officials should quarantine individuals for no longer than required, provide clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols, and ensure sufficient supplies are provided. Appeals to altruism by reminding the public about the benefits of quarantine to wider society can be favourable.
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            Improving the Quality of Web Surveys: The Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES)

            Analogous to checklists of recommendations such as the CONSORT statement (for randomized trials), or the QUORUM statement (for systematic reviews), which are designed to ensure the quality of reports in the medical literature, a checklist of recommendations for authors is being presented by the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) in an effort to ensure complete descriptions of Web-based surveys. Papers on Web-based surveys reported according to the CHERRIES statement will give readers a better understanding of the sample (self-)selection and its possible differences from a “representative” sample. It is hoped that author adherence to the checklist will increase the usefulness of such reports.
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              Grief During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations for Palliative Care Providers

              The COVID-19 pandemic is anticipated to continue spreading widely across the globe throughout 2020. To mitigate the devastating impact of COVID-19, social distancing and visitor restrictions in healthcare facilities have been widely implemented. Such policies and practices, along with the direct impact of the spread of COVID-19, complicate issues of grief that are relevant to medical providers. We describe the relationship of the COVID-19 pandemic to anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, and complicated grief for individuals, families, and their providers. Further, we provide discussion regarding countering this grief through communication, advance care planning, and self-care practices. We provide resources for healthcare providers, in addition to calling on palliative care providers to consider their own role as a resource to other specialties during this public health emergency.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Palliat Med
                Palliat Med
                PMJ
                sppmj
                Palliative Medicine
                SAGE Publications (Sage UK: London, England )
                0269-2163
                1477-030X
                10 April 2023
                10 April 2023
                : 02692163231167938
                Affiliations
                [1 ]School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
                [2 ]Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK
                [3 ]Department of Social Work, University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
                [4 ]Regional Home Care Program, SAMOT, Palermo, Italy
                [5 ]Global Observatory of Palliative Care, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
                [6 ]Department of Social Sciences, PRIGO University, Havířov, Czech Republic
                [7 ]Katholische Stiftungshochschule München, München, Germany
                Author notes
                [*]Audrey Roulston, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, 6 College Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN, UK. Email: a.roulston@ 123456qub.ac.uk
                Author information
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7446-6116
                https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4445-9035
                Article
                10.1177_02692163231167938
                10.1177/02692163231167938
                10186133
                37038744
                afab1a29-ff8b-440d-ab9e-be5aba882a4e
                © The Author(s) 2023

                This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages ( https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

                History
                Funding
                Funded by: Data processing in Slovakia, ;
                Award ID: VEGA 1/0373/22
                Categories
                Original Article
                Custom metadata
                corrected-proof
                ts1

                Anesthesiology & Pain management
                palliative care,social work,pandemics,covid-19
                Anesthesiology & Pain management
                palliative care, social work, pandemics, covid-19

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