Dying in Hospital – Optimization of care in the dying phase

Conditions

Dying situation in hospital

Sukhvir Kaur, Sophie Meesters, Aneta Schieferdecker, Annika Dangendorf, Barbara Strohbücker et al. (12 authors)

Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice2025-08-01

10.1111/jep.70174

Formative evaluation of an employee-driven approach to improve care in the dying phase in hospitals.

Meesters S, Kaur S, Milke V, Herrmann C, Schieferdecker A, Oubaid N, Oechsle K, Schulz H, Pfaff H, Voltz R, Kremeike K.

2025-07-18

10.1017/s1478951525100400

Dying in hospital in Germany – optimising care in the dying phase: study protocol for a multi-centre bottom-up intervention on ward level

Kerstin Kremeike, Anneke Ullrich, Holger Schulz, Carolin Rosendahl, Kathleen Boström et al. (14 authors)

BMC Palliative Care2022-05-0612 citations

10.1186/s12904-022-00960-1

Interventions

Group 1: Ward teams: 1) On the ten wards of the two university hospitals, quantitative online staff surveys will be conducted on measures concerning care in the dying phase. 2) Focus groups on these

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Wards: The selection of the ten wards of the two university hospitals is based on purposeful sampling and the following criteria: - Qualification of the staff - Ward setting, speciality - size of ward - Number of deaths The aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of the conditions on the wards through the greatest possible heterogeneity. Relatives: - Relatives of patients who died on one of the selected wards. - =18 years - Written consent to participate - Sufficient knowledge of the German language, both written and spoken Ward staff: - Working on one of the selected wards with direct patient contact (e.g. medical or nursing care) - =18 years

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Relatives: No sufficient knowledge of German Ward staff: Work on one of the selected wards without direct patient contact

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Optimising the care and support of dying people and their relatives in hospital.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1) Generation of data on the acceptance and effectiveness of measures to optimise the dying phase in terms of a "minimally invasive" approach among patients, relatives and care teams. 2) Establishment of a broad portfolio of measures ("toolbox") of possible measures to optimise care in the dying phase and sustainable publication, e.g. on the website of the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP). 3) Consensus on a generic concept for optimising care in the dying phase by an advisory board for adoption by other hospitals.	—

Measure

Time frame

1) Generation of data on the acceptance and effectiveness of measures to optimise the dying phase in terms of a "minimally invasive" approach among patients, relatives and care teams. 2) Establishment of a broad portfolio of measures ("toolbox") of possible measures to optimise care in the dying phase and sustainable publication, e.g. on the website of the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP). 3) Consensus on a generic concept for optimising care in the dying phase by an advisory board for adoption by other hospitals.

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Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactKerstin Kremeike

Zentrum für Palliativmedizin

leonie.weyres@uk-koeln.de022147887835

Outcome results

None listed