Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities

Owen Barr, Sonja McIlfatrick, Roy McConkey, Dorry McLaughlin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and objectives Evidence fromEuropean and American studies indicates limitedreferrals of people with learning (intellectual)disabilities to palliative care services. Althoughprofessionals’ perceptions of their training needs inthis area have been studied, the perceptions ofpeople with learning disabilities and family carersare not known. This study aimed to elicit the viewsof people with learning disabilities, and their familycarers concerning palliative care, to informhealthcare professional education and training.Methods A qualitative, exploratory design wasused. A total of 17 people with learning disabilitieswere recruited to two focus groups which tookplace within an advocacy network. Additionally,three family carers of someone with a learningdisability, requiring palliative care, and two familycarers who had been bereaved recently were alsointerviewed.Results Combined data identified the perceivedlearning needs for healthcare professionals.Three subthemes emerged: ‘information andpreparation’, ‘provision of care’ and ‘family-centredcare’.Conclusions This study shows that people withlearning disabilities can have conversations aboutdeath and dying, and their preferred end-of-lifecare, but require information that they canunderstand. They also need to have people aroundfamiliar to them and with them. Healthcareprofessionals require skills and knowledge toeffectively provide palliative care for people withlearning disabilities and should also work inpartnership with their family carers who haveexpertise from their long-term caring role. Thesefindings have implications for educators andclinicians.
LanguageEnglish
JournalBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
Volume5
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Mar 2014

Fingerprint

Learning Disorders
Disabled Persons
Palliative Care
Delivery of Health Care
Education
Caregivers
Professional Education
Focus Groups
Intellectual Disability
Learning

Cite this

Barr, Owen ; McIlfatrick, Sonja ; McConkey, Roy ; McLaughlin, Dorry. / Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities. In: BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2014 ; Vol. 5, No. 5.
@article{0ae401b3cc42464b959684d7191d529c,
title = "Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities",
abstract = "Background and objectives Evidence fromEuropean and American studies indicates limitedreferrals of people with learning (intellectual)disabilities to palliative care services. Althoughprofessionals’ perceptions of their training needs inthis area have been studied, the perceptions ofpeople with learning disabilities and family carersare not known. This study aimed to elicit the viewsof people with learning disabilities, and their familycarers concerning palliative care, to informhealthcare professional education and training.Methods A qualitative, exploratory design wasused. A total of 17 people with learning disabilitieswere recruited to two focus groups which tookplace within an advocacy network. Additionally,three family carers of someone with a learningdisability, requiring palliative care, and two familycarers who had been bereaved recently were alsointerviewed.Results Combined data identified the perceivedlearning needs for healthcare professionals.Three subthemes emerged: ‘information andpreparation’, ‘provision of care’ and ‘family-centredcare’.Conclusions This study shows that people withlearning disabilities can have conversations aboutdeath and dying, and their preferred end-of-lifecare, but require information that they canunderstand. They also need to have people aroundfamiliar to them and with them. Healthcareprofessionals require skills and knowledge toeffectively provide palliative care for people withlearning disabilities and should also work inpartnership with their family carers who haveexpertise from their long-term caring role. Thesefindings have implications for educators andclinicians.",
author = "Owen Barr and Sonja McIlfatrick and Roy McConkey and Dorry McLaughlin",
year = "2014",
month = "3",
day = "4",
doi = "10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000615",
language = "English",
volume = "5",
journal = "BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care",
issn = "2045-435X",
number = "5",

}

Barr, O, McIlfatrick, S, McConkey, R & McLaughlin, D 2014, 'Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities', BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, vol. 5, no. 5. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000615

Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities. / Barr, Owen; McIlfatrick, Sonja; McConkey, Roy; McLaughlin, Dorry.

In: BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, Vol. 5, No. 5, 04.03.2014.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

TY - JOUR

T1 - Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities

AU - Barr, Owen

AU - McIlfatrick, Sonja

AU - McConkey, Roy

AU - McLaughlin, Dorry

PY - 2014/3/4

Y1 - 2014/3/4

N2 - Background and objectives Evidence fromEuropean and American studies indicates limitedreferrals of people with learning (intellectual)disabilities to palliative care services. Althoughprofessionals’ perceptions of their training needs inthis area have been studied, the perceptions ofpeople with learning disabilities and family carersare not known. This study aimed to elicit the viewsof people with learning disabilities, and their familycarers concerning palliative care, to informhealthcare professional education and training.Methods A qualitative, exploratory design wasused. A total of 17 people with learning disabilitieswere recruited to two focus groups which tookplace within an advocacy network. Additionally,three family carers of someone with a learningdisability, requiring palliative care, and two familycarers who had been bereaved recently were alsointerviewed.Results Combined data identified the perceivedlearning needs for healthcare professionals.Three subthemes emerged: ‘information andpreparation’, ‘provision of care’ and ‘family-centredcare’.Conclusions This study shows that people withlearning disabilities can have conversations aboutdeath and dying, and their preferred end-of-lifecare, but require information that they canunderstand. They also need to have people aroundfamiliar to them and with them. Healthcareprofessionals require skills and knowledge toeffectively provide palliative care for people withlearning disabilities and should also work inpartnership with their family carers who haveexpertise from their long-term caring role. Thesefindings have implications for educators andclinicians.

AB - Background and objectives Evidence fromEuropean and American studies indicates limitedreferrals of people with learning (intellectual)disabilities to palliative care services. Althoughprofessionals’ perceptions of their training needs inthis area have been studied, the perceptions ofpeople with learning disabilities and family carersare not known. This study aimed to elicit the viewsof people with learning disabilities, and their familycarers concerning palliative care, to informhealthcare professional education and training.Methods A qualitative, exploratory design wasused. A total of 17 people with learning disabilitieswere recruited to two focus groups which tookplace within an advocacy network. Additionally,three family carers of someone with a learningdisability, requiring palliative care, and two familycarers who had been bereaved recently were alsointerviewed.Results Combined data identified the perceivedlearning needs for healthcare professionals.Three subthemes emerged: ‘information andpreparation’, ‘provision of care’ and ‘family-centredcare’.Conclusions This study shows that people withlearning disabilities can have conversations aboutdeath and dying, and their preferred end-of-lifecare, but require information that they canunderstand. They also need to have people aroundfamiliar to them and with them. Healthcareprofessionals require skills and knowledge toeffectively provide palliative care for people withlearning disabilities and should also work inpartnership with their family carers who haveexpertise from their long-term caring role. Thesefindings have implications for educators andclinicians.

UR - https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/searchAll/index/?search=11426770&pageSize=25&showAdvanced=false&allConcepts=true&inferConcepts=true&searchBy=PartOfNameOrTitle

U2 - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000615

DO - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000615

M3 - Article

VL - 5

JO - BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

T2 - BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

JF - BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

SN - 2045-435X

IS - 5

ER -

Barr O, McIlfatrick S, McConkey R, McLaughlin D. Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2014 Mar 4;5(5). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000615

Access to Document