Palliative care consumers and/or carers satisfaction with paramedics providing an after hours rapid response service

Background: The Palliative Care Services Plan for South Australia identified a need for rapid response teams to provide an emergency out of hours response to the home or site of care of palliative care patients at short notice (Palliative Care Services Plan 2009-2016). The Extended Care Paramedic (ECP) Service had been increasingly involved in after hours support for palliative care patients, but this had not been formally evaluated. Hence, the ECP/ Palliative Care Project was developed. This paper will only focus on the consumers and/or carers feedback in relation to the service provided.

Aims: To evaluate palliative care consumers and/or their carers satisfaction, with an emergency after hours rapid response provided by extended care paramedics.

Methods: The palliative care consumers, or their carers, where contacted within seven days of the ECP intervention. Verbal Consent was obtained and a series of questions were asked by an experienced palliative care nurse to assess their satisfaction with the ECP service.

Findings: From the patient and carer perspective, the ECPs were able to manage the symptoms, concerns or difficulties on 92.5% of occasions. Their concerns were listened to and respected on 92% of occasions and 100% of the time they were provided with adequate emotional support. The overall service was rated by 100% of those interviewed as good -excellent.

Implications for practice: This cost effective model for after hours rapid response has implications in other jurisdictions.

Conclusion: The ECP rapid response after hours service is well accepted by palliative care consumers and resulted in hospital avoidance in 92% of attendances.