Evaluation of the Organization of Continuity of Care for Home Hospice Patients by Four Parisian Health Networks

Evaluation of the Organization of Continuity of Care for Home Hospice Patients by Four Parisian Health Networks

In Paris, France, home hospice care for terminally ill patients is organized by four "palliative care networks". These networks are responsible for information sharing and coordination of all health care professionals working with the patient. Two different systems are in place to ensure continuity of care outside working hours, in such a setting. In the first system, palliative care specialists from the network are reachable over the phone 24/7 by the patient or its caregivers, whenever needed. In the second system, medical information about the patient, regularly updated by the network's medical team, is available to professionals via a secure website, so that in case the patient requires an urgent medical home visit outside working hours, the visiting physician has access to accurate information.

The study's goal is to compare patient's and caregiver's satisfaction between these two systems of continuity of care.

For that purpose, patients will be taken care of as usual by every palliative care network. In every instance where the patient or caregivers have reached out for medical help through the network's continuity of care system, the patient or caregiver will be called 5 days later by the investigation team to go through a satisfaction questionnaire (Likert scales)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient has a disease with fatal prognosis and requires palliative care
• Patient lives in Paris, France
• Patient benefits from home hospice care through one of the four official Paris palliative care networks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women
• Breastfeeding womed
• Altered cognitive function with a Mini Mental Status below 20
• Patient not able to communicate or not speaking French
• Patient legally not capable of giving informed consent