Experience of multidisciplinary medical teams on humanistic palliative care in oncology wards: a descriptive qualitative study in Southern China

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to explore the experiences of multidisciplinary medical teams in implementing humanistic palliative care within the oncology ward.Design Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used in this qualitative study, which involved conducting semistructured interviews to gather personal experiences from members of multidisciplinary medical teams providing humanistic palliative care in the oncology ward.Setting The research was conducted in the oncology ward of a tertiary hospital located in Foshan, China.Participants Participants included 4 doctors, 12 nurses and 2 medical social workers who form the multidisciplinary medical team responsible for delivering humanistic palliative care to patients with cancer in oncology wards.Results Phenomenological qualitative analysis yielded 3 main themes and 9 subthemes. The identified themes were as follows: (1) conceptual change, (2) concrete actions and (3) facilitators and barriers to the implementation of humanistic palliative care.Conclusion The findings suggest a need for strengthening humanistic consciousness among multidisciplinary palliative care teams working in oncology wards, although there has been a gradual improvement in humanistic care behaviours. Furthermore, facilitators and barriers coexist in the implementation of humanistic palliative care. Efforts should be directed towards refining mechanisms that promote humanistic palliative care, fostering the enthusiasm of healthcare professionals, conducting systematic training to enhance their humanistic care abilities and striving for improvements in the quality of medical services for the benefit of both patients and their families.