Clients' satisfaction with hospice services as perceived by the multidisciplinary team

Abstract

Research shows that hospice care providers or teams have the fundamental role to identify and to deal with client and family needs. The access and availability of the varied services are identified by hospice specialists as being beneficial in relation to the level of clients' satisfaction (Kealy & Mcintyre, 2005). The aim of this descriptive exploratory study was to investigate why clients found hospice services helpful as perceived by the Hospice Multidisciplinary Team. A purposive sample of 13 members of the MDT was recruited. Two focus groups yielded qualitative data. The groups consisted of health care professionals within the Malta Hospice Movement. This study is being carried out as part of a large scale study initiated by Dr Donia Baldacchino in collaboration with the Malta Hospice Movement in 2006. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and thematic analysis using Burnard (1991) framework was carried out. Four themes emerged from the data analysis, namely meeting clients' needs, therapeutic communication, providing holistic care and efficiency of provision of services by MDT. A set of recommendations for clinical practice were made in order to improve hospice services and increase the level of clients' satisfaction. Further research was suggested to investigate more in depth the clients, MDT and the informal carers' views regarding hospice helpfulness and satisfaction with hospice services.