You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Short report
Assistive technology in palliative care: a statewide equipment programme
  1. Bridget Manning1,
  2. Renae Kelly1,2 and
  3. Kieran Broome1,3
  1. 1 Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Cannon Hill, Queensland, Australia
  2. 2 School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
  3. 3 School of Health & Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Mrs Bridget Manning, Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Cannon Hill, QLD 4178, Australia; bridget.manning{at}health.qld.gov.au

Abstract

Objectives This paper examines the impact of the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS) Palliative Care Equipment Programme (PCEP), a new initiative across Queensland, Australia, and explores the translational potential of this large scale, comprehensive, government funded programme to other jurisdictions.

Methods The five dimensions of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework were retrospectively applied to MASS PCEP, with primary programme data compared with data from secondary sources.

Results Extensive Reach and Adoption of the programme was demonstrated, with 3695 unique clients accessing the programme from the 17 Queensland hospital and health services. Seventy-four per cent of clients had a cancer diagnosis. Operationalising Effectiveness, Implementation and Maintenance dimensions revealed many positive programme aspects at individual and organisational levels, as well as ongoing challenges including transporting equipment to rural and remote regions and the impact on the workforce to respond to referrals and prescribe assistive products. Programme participants had a shorter public hospital stay (4.5 days), compared with the Queensland palliative care average (7.1 days).

Conclusions The programme has high translational potential to other jurisdictions. Assistive equipment at the end stages of life may enhance well-being by extending time spent at home, increasing independence and reducing carer burden.

  • Rehabilitation
  • Home care
  • Cancer

https://doi.org/10.1136/spcare-2022-004048

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Contributors RK and BM initiated the research project and completed the ethical application. BM was responsible for completing the analysis and drafting the manuscript with input from KB and RK. All authors contributed to the manuscript and read and approved the final manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests Two of the authors (RK and BM) declare that they were involved in the design and implementation of PCEP.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.