Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey

Despite the known benefits, healthcare systems struggle to provide early, integrated palliative care (PC) for advanced cancer patients. Understanding the barriers to providing PC from the perspective of oncology clinicians is an important first step in improving care. A 33-item online survey was ema...

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Main Authors: Sharlette Dunn, Madelene A. Earp, Patricia Biondo, Winson Y. Cheung, Marc Kerba, Patricia A. Tang, Aynharan Sinnarajah, Sharon M. Watanabe, Jessica E. Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/2/140
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author Sharlette Dunn
Madelene A. Earp
Patricia Biondo
Winson Y. Cheung
Marc Kerba
Patricia A. Tang
Aynharan Sinnarajah
Sharon M. Watanabe
Jessica E. Simon
author_facet Sharlette Dunn
Madelene A. Earp
Patricia Biondo
Winson Y. Cheung
Marc Kerba
Patricia A. Tang
Aynharan Sinnarajah
Sharon M. Watanabe
Jessica E. Simon
author_sort Sharlette Dunn
collection DOAJ
description Despite the known benefits, healthcare systems struggle to provide early, integrated palliative care (PC) for advanced cancer patients. Understanding the barriers to providing PC from the perspective of oncology clinicians is an important first step in improving care. A 33-item online survey was emailed to all oncology clinicians working with all cancer types in Alberta, Canada, from November 2017 to January 2018. Questions were informed by Michie’s Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and queried (a) PC provision in oncology clinics, (b) specialist PC consultation referrals, and (c) working with PC consultants and home care. Respondents (<i>n</i> = 263) were nurses (41%), physicians (25%), and allied healthcare professionals (18%). Barriers most frequently identified were “clinicians’ limited time/competing priorities” (64%), “patients’ negative perceptions of PC” (63%), and clinicians’ capability to manage patients’ social issues (63%). These factors mapped to all three BCW domains: motivation, opportunity, and capability. In contrast, the least frequently identified barriers were clinician motivation and perceived PC benefits. Oncology clinicians’ perceptions of barriers to early PC were comparable across tumour types and specialties but varied by professional role. The main challenges to early integrated PC include all three BCW domains. Notably, motivation is not a barrier for oncology clinicians; however, opportunity and capability barriers were identified. Multifaceted interventions using these findings have been developed, such as tip sheets to enhance capability, reframing PC with patients, and earlier specialist PC nursing access, to enhance clinicians’ use of and patients’ benefits from an early PC approach.
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spelling doaj.art-c7908b628d7b4e9d96c708395b86bf562023-11-22T11:29:31ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292021-04-012821483149410.3390/curroncol28020140Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System SurveySharlette Dunn0Madelene A. Earp1Patricia Biondo2Winson Y. Cheung3Marc Kerba4Patricia A. Tang5Aynharan Sinnarajah6Sharon M. Watanabe7Jessica E. Simon8Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N2, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N2, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N2, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N2, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N2, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, CanadaDepartment of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, CanadaDespite the known benefits, healthcare systems struggle to provide early, integrated palliative care (PC) for advanced cancer patients. Understanding the barriers to providing PC from the perspective of oncology clinicians is an important first step in improving care. A 33-item online survey was emailed to all oncology clinicians working with all cancer types in Alberta, Canada, from November 2017 to January 2018. Questions were informed by Michie’s Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and queried (a) PC provision in oncology clinics, (b) specialist PC consultation referrals, and (c) working with PC consultants and home care. Respondents (<i>n</i> = 263) were nurses (41%), physicians (25%), and allied healthcare professionals (18%). Barriers most frequently identified were “clinicians’ limited time/competing priorities” (64%), “patients’ negative perceptions of PC” (63%), and clinicians’ capability to manage patients’ social issues (63%). These factors mapped to all three BCW domains: motivation, opportunity, and capability. In contrast, the least frequently identified barriers were clinician motivation and perceived PC benefits. Oncology clinicians’ perceptions of barriers to early PC were comparable across tumour types and specialties but varied by professional role. The main challenges to early integrated PC include all three BCW domains. Notably, motivation is not a barrier for oncology clinicians; however, opportunity and capability barriers were identified. Multifaceted interventions using these findings have been developed, such as tip sheets to enhance capability, reframing PC with patients, and earlier specialist PC nursing access, to enhance clinicians’ use of and patients’ benefits from an early PC approach.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/2/140palliative careoncologytheoretical domains framework
spellingShingle Sharlette Dunn
Madelene A. Earp
Patricia Biondo
Winson Y. Cheung
Marc Kerba
Patricia A. Tang
Aynharan Sinnarajah
Sharon M. Watanabe
Jessica E. Simon
Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
Current Oncology
palliative care
oncology
theoretical domains framework
title Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
title_full Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
title_fullStr Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
title_full_unstemmed Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
title_short Oncology Clinicians’ Challenges to Providing Palliative Cancer Care—A Theoretical Domains Framework, Pan-Cancer System Survey
title_sort oncology clinicians challenges to providing palliative cancer care a theoretical domains framework pan cancer system survey
topic palliative care
oncology
theoretical domains framework
url https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/2/140
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