Doctorate
Doctorate Title: The Development of Integrated Palliative Care and Emergency Medical Services in South Africa.
Doctorate Description:
Background
The role of Emergency Medical Services in out-of-hospital patient management has evolved rapidly in recent years to include more intricate and integrated forms of healthcare beyond emergency care. For example, there has recently been recognition of the role Emergency Medical Services play in the provision of palliative care. The developing body of literature on this topic has recommended Emergency Medical Services and palliative care systems should integrate to improve palliative situation management in the out-of-hospital setting. In South Africa, however, these systems remain segregated. As a result, palliative situations are managed poorly by Emergency Medical Services providers due to disregard of patient autonomy and performance of aggressive, futile interventions. Potential benefits of integration between these systems include delivery of early palliative care, provision of home-based care, respect of patient autonomy, improved patient/family quality of life, increased patient and family satisfaction and confidence, decreased health care costs and appropriate trajectories of care. A further benefit in the low-to-middle income context of South Africa would be efficient use of limited resources.
Aim and Objectives
To develop a framework for the integration of palliative care and Emergency Medical Services systems in South Africa.
The research aim was pursued through the following objectives, each of which represented a study within the thesis:
Study 1: To review existing literature concerning the intersection of palliative care and Emergency Medical Services.
Study 2: To examine Emergency Medical Services use for palliative situations in South Africa.
Study 3: To gather the perspectives of palliative care providers on Emergency Medical Services use in palliative care in South Africa.
Study 4: To gather perspectives of South African patients and family members with palliative needs concerning Emergency Medical Services use in their care.
Study 5: To develop and prioritise approaches facilitating Emergency Medical Services and palliative care system integration within South Africa.
Details:
Type: PhD
University: University of Cape Town
Primary Supervisor: Dr Willem Stassen
Category: Other
Funding:
Start Date: 2021
End Date: 2025
Status: Complete
Thesis
Awaiting
Research Interests
EMS, Palliative Care, Health Systems
