Clinical trial NCT04910243: The Practice of Providing Palliative Care in the Situation of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Pandemic in Czech Republic
Official title: The Practice of Providing Palliative Care in the Situation of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Pandemic in the Perspective of Physicians and Nurses - Survey Study
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Covid19
Distress, Emotional
Keywords: Palliative Care
Compassionate Care
End-of-life decisions
Moral distress
Lead sponsor: Brno University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Masaryk University
First posted: 2021-06-02
Enrollment: 307
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 99
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Healthcare providers (physicians and nurses) providing care to patients with COVID-19 admitted at ICU in period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief summary: Pandemic of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2) causing the disease COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) overwhelmed healthcare and brought new challenges and stressful situations.

Detailed description: In a short time, the capacities of intensive care units (ICU) were filled in many countries and regions. Due to the need for an excessive number of patients requiring intensive care, physicians and nurses who do not routinely provide care to critically ill patients or do not have the appropriate training (non-ICU clinician) were involved in the care of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) patients. In this context, ICU directly dedicated to the care of patients with COVID-19 ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) were also opened. Non-ICU clinicians were more or less involved together with the standard ICU staff in palliative care, including End-of-Life decision (EOLD) making, even in a situation of limited scarce resources (equipment or personnel). New workplace and scope of work, which did not correspond to the standard activity or education, most likely led to an increased stress load. EOLD can also be one of the factors leading to increased stress levels. The aim of the project is to describe the practice of palliative care for patients with COVID-19 in a situation of pandemic COVID-19 and to identify factors leading to possible moral distress related with EOLD.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthcare providers (physicians and nurses) providing care to patients with COVID-19 admitted at ICU in period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Healthcare professionals who did not managed COVID-19 patients admitted at the ICU in situation of COVID-19 pandemic in the period 2020/2021.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change of practice of providing palliative care at ICU in COVID-19 pandemic
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Risk factors for moral distress
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Brno
country: Czechia
facility: University Hospital Brno
Study officials:
affiliation: Masaryk University Brno
name: Tereza Prokopová, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Prokopova T, Hudec J, Vrbica K, Stasek J, Pokorna A, Stourac P, Rusinova K, Kerpnerova P, Stepanova R, Svobodnik A, Malaska J; RIPE-ICU study group. Palliative care practice and moral distress during COVID-19 pandemic (PEOpLE-C19 study): a national, cross-sectional study in intensive care units in the Czech Republic. Crit Care. 2022 Jul 19;26(1):221. doi: 10.1186/s13054-022-04066-1.