Feasibility of Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Psychosocial Palliative Care: Observational Cohort Study of Hospice Day Care and Social Support Groups

Abstract

Palliative care patients can be at risk of social isolation or loneliness. Interventions that can provide effective social support, and particularly emotional support, could facilitate healthy coping that bolsters quality of life and reduces depression in palliative care patients. This is an observational cohort study which recruited thirty patients (n = 30) from the day services of four independent hospices in England. Participants completed patient reported outcome measures in perceived social support, loneliness, and depression, at up to three time points. Age range was 56–91 years, males and females were equally represented, and the sample was 93% white British. In participants that provided two or more timepoints, perceived social support increased, and loneliness and depression decreased. Largest changes with the least variation between participants was in emotional support (p = 0.165) and loneliness (p = 0.104). These results suggest that the psychosocial patient reported outcome measures used (MOS-SS, UCLA, BEDS) could be sensitive to change aligned with the goals of this intervention in palliative care. Participants in this study were observed to derive psychosocial benefit from attending the hospice day service.

Explaining how and why social support groups in hospice day services benefit palliative care patients, for whom, and in what circumstances

“…The study took place as part of a mixed methods PhD project, which included an online survey of social support interventions in hospice day services 1 and tested the feasibility and sensitivity of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for perceived social support, loneliness and depression. 46 The qualitative component reported here occurred concurrently to the use of PROMs. Data collection was carried out by NB and involved qualitative interviews with service providers and researcher observations of services.…”