An exploration of palliative care providers’ lived experiences of implementing the gold standards framework in oncology care from a hospital-based, outpatient palliative care setting

Abstract

Palliative care aims to address the needs of patients and family members who are dealing with a life-altering illness. The Gold Standards Framework (GSF), consisting of 7 key components (Communication, Coordination, Control of Symptoms, Continuity of Care, Continued Learning, Carer Support and Care in the Dying Phase), is a tool implemented in palliative care to ensure such objectives are met. Therefore, through an in-depth qualitative analysis, this thesis examined the lived experiences of 6 palliative care providers on implementing the GSF in oncology care from a hospital-based, outpatient palliative care setting. The GSF facilitated the interpretation of the results according to each component of the framework and 11 subthemes emerged. This study highlights the facilitators and barriers that impact the implementation of the GSF in a hospital-based, outpatient setting. This study has implications for palliative care practice, policy, education and research to help strengthen the development of sustainable palliative care.