Research Into the Quality of the Dying Phase

Research Into the Quality of the Dying Phase in Hospitals in the Province of Groningen

The aim of this study is to get insight in the quality of life at the end of life and quality of dying for patients died at the hospital in the department Groningen (the Netherlands).

The primary endpoint is the quality of life at the end of life and the secondary endpoint is the quality of dying. Both according a numerical rating scale.

An explorative analysis will be done for differences for the hospitals in Groningen, effect of using the Liverpool care Pathway for the dying, effect of using consultation by the palliative consultation team, effect of using the Hospice@UMCG intervention, correlation with the quality of life at the end of life and quality of dying according to nurses and doctors.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cessation of Life
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Hospice care at UMCG

Detailed Description

Three hospitals in the department Groningen (the Netherlands) will participate in this study. When a patient died in one of these hospitals (except the emergency department, child ward and intensive care unit) the bereaved relatives will get an information letter. After about 12 weeks a questionnaire will be sent to the bereaved relative. This questionnaire is developed to evaluate the end of life care at the hospital.

Shortly after the patient died at the hospital, also the nurse and doctor of this patient are requested to fill out a questionnaire.

The questionnaire for the bereaved relatives consists of items, divided in groups: a general part, followed by questions of the last days of life, existing symptoms (physical, psychological, existential and social), the care and treatment and the loss.

The questionnaire for the nurses exists of similar items. Special attention for recognizing the impending dying and problems, care and therapy at the end of life.

In all questionnaires there are also 2 main questions: What is your opinion of the quality of life during the last days of life and What is your opinion of the quality of dying.

In the three hospitals the end of life care is managed at somehow different ways: the use of the Liverpool care Pathway of the dying, the hospice@UMCG intervention and consultation by the palliative team of the hospital.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 200

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Groningen, Netherlands, 9713 GZ
    • University Medical Center Groningen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

all patients dying in the hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients dying in the hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients dying at the child ward, emergency dept. and intensive care dept.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Family-Based
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
University Medical Center Groningen; all patients that died on one of the wards with the exception of children; on several wards the Hospice care will be introduced as an intervention	Other: Hospice care at UMCG; introduction of hospice care facilities on the wards at the UMCG
Martini Ziekenhuis; all patients that died on one of the wards with the exception of children
Ommelander ZorgGroep; all patients that died on one of the wards with the exception of children

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Quality of life questionnaire	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen
• Collaborators: Martini Hospital Groningen
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: An KL Reyners, MD/PhD, UMCG

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 24, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 29, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): July 4, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 19, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: palliative care; Quality of dying
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Death
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2016pz/1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO