Palliation til kraeftpatienter i Grönland – set fra sundhedsprofessionelles perspektiv
Sammanfattning
In this study the focus is on the health professionals' perspectives on conditions, opportunities, and barriers meeting cancer patients in Greenland and Denmark. The purpose of the study was to investigate the healthcare professional’s perspectives on how the palliative care in the Greenlandic healthcare system is organized. The study is an exploratory interview study with a phenomenological-hermeneutical research approach. Interviews were conducted with a total of 21 health professionals working in local health nursing stations, the nationwide Queen Ingrid Hospital in Nuuk and the Greenlandic Patient Home in Denmark. Interpretation of data was within a phenomenological-hermeneutic framework in accordance with Ricoeur-inspired text interpretation theory with three analytical levels: naive reading, structural analysis, and critical interpretation.
Current palliative care is not systematized but relies on the local health professional´s relational and personal skills. Geography and logistics in Greenland are defining factors for the patient’s treatment and contact with the health care system. There are currently very few guidelines to support the health professionals on a local and national level to offer palliative care. There is a need to further develop coordinated interventions in palliative care, care and treatment. This requires education initiatives for health professionals at all levels. Central supervision through use of telemedicine would be a feasible solution to supervise patients, relatives and health professionals in cities and towns. Clinical guidelines and distribution of roles will contribute to the systematization of palliative care. Increased quality in palliative action also requires optimized municipal cooperation for patients and relatives.