Objective: Informal caregivers of palliative care patients face many challenges and are in need of support by healthcare providers. We aim to assess the care provided to informal caregivers, the...Show moreObjective: Informal caregivers of palliative care patients face many challenges and are in need of support by healthcare providers. We aim to assess the care provided to informal caregivers, the effects of healthcare providers’ background characteristics and actions undertaken to improve the care provided in healthcare organizations. Method: A cross-sectional mixed-method approach was applied. Questionnaires were used for statistical analysis. First, the care provided to informal caregivers (i.e. basic emotional care and specific care tasks) was examined using descriptive statistics. Second, the effects of healthcare providers’ background characteristics (i.e. healthcare setting, profession, age and work experience) on the care provided were examined using bivariable analyses and general linear model (GLM). Third, actions to improve the care provided in healthcare organizations were examined using qualitative conventional content analysis. Journey mapping workshops provided input for the 19 analyzed action plan reports. Results: 586 healthcare providers and volunteers of 19 Dutch healthcare organizations completed the questionnaire (response rate: 49%). First, participants had an average basic emotional care of 6.70 (SD = 3.33, 0-10 range) and an average of specific care tasks of 8.51 (SD = 2.89, 0-13 range). Second, volunteers and paramedics scored lower than other healthcare providers on basic emotional care (p = .003, p = .012) and volunteers scored lower on specific care tasks (p = .012). The age of healthcare providers and volunteers seemed to have a quadratic effect on the basic emotional care (p = .017) with an increase until 45-55 years. The same effect was found on specific care tasks (p = 0.042) after excluding the volunteers. Third, improvement categories were derived from the action plan reports. For individual healthcare providers: care and support for informal caregivers during the illness-trajectory, bereavement care for informal caregivers, cooperation with informal caregivers, interprofessional cooperation. For healthcare organizations: organizational support. Discussion: The care provided to informal caregivers is still in need of improvement. The age and profession of healthcare providers were found to affect the care provided. The actions found to improve the care provided to informal caregivers are promising and can be a source of inspiration for healthcare organizations.Show less
Previous studies have found a relation between clinician-expressed empathy and patients’ information recall in bad news consultations. The question that rises is: What are the underlying mechanisms...Show morePrevious studies have found a relation between clinician-expressed empathy and patients’ information recall in bad news consultations. The question that rises is: What are the underlying mechanisms that determine this relationship? In this study we aimed to i) determine if there is a relationship between clinician-expressed empathy and recall of provided information (total recall, recall of core information and recall of additional information) and to ii) determine whether the relationship between empathy and recall is mediated by changes in trust and satisfaction. This study was part of a larger project. The general study had an experimental video vignette design, of a consultation between a breast cancer patient in the advanced stage of the disease and an oncologist. The level of affective communication in these videos was manipulated and the amount of recall was assessed using a questionnaire. The participants of this study were asked to watch and assess the video while identifying with the video-patient. They acted as analogue patients (APs). The group of participants consists of Dutch speaking cancer patients treated with both curable and incurable intent, survivors of cancer and healthy women. The questionnaire has questions that assess core information recall and additional information recall. A mediation analysis was performed to investigate the mediating role of trust and satisfaction on the relationship between empathy and recall. Our findings have shown a negative effect of empathy on total recall and core recall, unless the patients trust the clinician. The patients that trust the clinician more will recall more total and core information. The patients that are more satisfied by the consultation will recall more core information.Show less