We are pleased to share a recent publication from the Centre that describes the development of the QualDeath framework which provides hospitals with recommendations to formalise processes to evaluate end-of life care.
Hospitals are required to be able to demonstrate quality end of life care. Currently however, there is no standardised framework in place for evaluating the quality of death and dying for advanced cancer patients in acute hospitals. This featured publication describes the development of the QualDeath framework from a review of international best practice evidence arising from the published literature, and by a scoping study of current practices in hospitals in the immediate lead-up and following an expected death of a patient with advanced cancer.
QualDeath was developed in partnership with multidisciplinary health care professionals and engagement with consumers to assist hospital administrators and clinicians to systematically review the quality of dying and death for patients with an expected death from advanced cancer in hospital settings. It offers four levels of potential implementation for hospitals incorporating medical record review, multidisciplinary meetings, quality of end-of-life care surveys and bereavement interviews with family carers. As such, the QualDeath framework provides relevant hospitals with recommendations to formalise processes to evaluate end of life care.
Hudson P, Gould H, Marco D, Mclean M, Benson W, Coperchini M, Le B, McLachlan SA, Philip J, Boughey M, McKinnon F. (2023). Assessing the quality of care for people dying of cancer in hospital: development of the QualDeath framework. Aust Health Rev. 47(4):480-486. doi: 10.1071/AH23001. PMID: 37429819.
