Paramedics’ experiences and educational needs when participating end-of-life care at home: A mixed method study

Abstract

Background: Paramedics face end-of-life care patients during emergency calls and more recently through planned protocols. However, paramedics experiences and educational needs concerning preplanned end-of-life care at home remain largely unknown. Aim: To describe experiences and educational needs of the paramedics included in the end-of-life care protocol. Design: A mixed method study with a questionnaire including open ended questions and numeric evaluations on a Likert scale. Setting/Participants: The questionnaire was delivered to and answered by all the 192 paramedics working in North Karelia fire and rescue department during the time of the data collection in 2017. Results: Over 80% of the paramedics agreed that the protocol helped them to take care of the patients and to improve the quality of end-of-life care. Visits to the patients were considered useful and the end-of-life care as a meaningful work by 76.5% and 62.5% of the paramedics, respectively. The paramedics expressed challenges in psychosocial aspects, communication, symptom management, and their role in end-of-life care. Encountering and communication with the families as well as managing the most common symptoms were emphasized as educational needs. Using a patient controlled analgesia device emerged as an example of practical educational aspect. Conclusions: Paramedics considered end-of-life care at home meaningful but called for more competency in supporting and encountering the families and in symptom management. Our results can be utilized when developing end-of-life care protocols and education for the paramedics. Patients’ and families’ views on the paramedics’ participation in end-of-life care should be evaluated in the future.