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Similarities and differences between China and Sweden regarding the core features of palliative care for people aged 60 or older : a systematic scoping review

Ahlström, Gerd LU orcid ; Huang, Hongli ; Luo, Yu ; Bökberg, Christina LU orcid ; Rasmussen, Birgit H LU ; Persson, Eva I LU orcid ; Xue, Lian ; Cai, Le ; Tang, Pingfen and Persson, Magnus LU orcid , et al. (2022) In BMC Palliative Care 21.
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing longevity of the world's population, with an unprecedented rise in the number of people who need palliative care (PC), there has been sparse research regarding palliative care for older people, especially when it comes to comparison of PC between healthcare systems and cultures. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify the characteristics of the body of literature and to examine the knowledge gaps concerning PC research for older people (> 60 years) in two healthcare systems and cultures, mainland China and Sweden.

METHODS: The guidelines PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews), and PICOS (Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison/control, and Outcome)... (More)

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing longevity of the world's population, with an unprecedented rise in the number of people who need palliative care (PC), there has been sparse research regarding palliative care for older people, especially when it comes to comparison of PC between healthcare systems and cultures. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify the characteristics of the body of literature and to examine the knowledge gaps concerning PC research for older people (> 60 years) in two healthcare systems and cultures, mainland China and Sweden.

METHODS: The guidelines PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews), and PICOS (Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison/control, and Outcome) were used. Empirical studies on patients 60 years or older, next of kin or staff participating in a palliative care intervention or setting were included. They were conducted in mainland China or in Sweden during 2007-2019, were published in English and were extracted from seven databases: Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Cinahl, PsycInfo, Academic Search Complete and Cochrane Library. Two independent researchers conducted the selection of studies, data extraction and methodological evaluation. Any disagreements were resolved in consultation with a third researcher. The analysis was manifest directed content analysis based on PICOS domains.

RESULTS: Of the 15 studies, four were from mainland China and 11 from Sweden. Both countries included older patients with cancer but also other end-stage diseases such as heart failure and dementia. The studies differed in design, method and the content of the interventions. The study in China based on traditional Chinese medicine concerns traditional Chinese folk music. The six qualitative studies from Sweden were evaluations of five interventions.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high age of the participating patients, there was no focus on an ageing perspective concerning palliative care. To adapt to the changes taking place in most societies, future research should have increased focus on older persons' need for palliative care and should take account of issues concerning research ethics, ethnicity and culture.

REGISTERED IN PROSPERO: CRD42020078685 , available from.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, China, Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing, Humans, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Palliative Care/methods, Sweden
in
BMC Palliative Care
volume
21
article number
35
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85126181936
  • pmid:35287635
ISSN
1472-684X
DOI
10.1186/s12904-022-00906-7
project
Lu-Ku - Palliative Care for older persons with chronic diseases: a comparative study of Sweden and China
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2022. The Author(s).
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b1c60575-f5ec-428b-8506-0b06b236bab2
date added to LUP
2022-03-17 14:15:25
date last changed
2024-03-21 08:41:16
@article{b1c60575-f5ec-428b-8506-0b06b236bab2,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing longevity of the world's population, with an unprecedented rise in the number of people who need palliative care (PC), there has been sparse research regarding palliative care for older people, especially when it comes to comparison of PC between healthcare systems and cultures. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify the characteristics of the body of literature and to examine the knowledge gaps concerning PC research for older people (&gt; 60 years) in two healthcare systems and cultures, mainland China and Sweden.</p><p>METHODS: The guidelines PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews), and PICOS (Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison/control, and Outcome) were used. Empirical studies on patients 60 years or older, next of kin or staff participating in a palliative care intervention or setting were included. They were conducted in mainland China or in Sweden during 2007-2019, were published in English and were extracted from seven databases: Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Cinahl, PsycInfo, Academic Search Complete and Cochrane Library. Two independent researchers conducted the selection of studies, data extraction and methodological evaluation. Any disagreements were resolved in consultation with a third researcher. The analysis was manifest directed content analysis based on PICOS domains.</p><p>RESULTS: Of the 15 studies, four were from mainland China and 11 from Sweden. Both countries included older patients with cancer but also other end-stage diseases such as heart failure and dementia. The studies differed in design, method and the content of the interventions. The study in China based on traditional Chinese medicine concerns traditional Chinese folk music. The six qualitative studies from Sweden were evaluations of five interventions.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high age of the participating patients, there was no focus on an ageing perspective concerning palliative care. To adapt to the changes taking place in most societies, future research should have increased focus on older persons' need for palliative care and should take account of issues concerning research ethics, ethnicity and culture.</p><p>REGISTERED IN PROSPERO: CRD42020078685 , available from.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ahlström, Gerd and Huang, Hongli and Luo, Yu and Bökberg, Christina and Rasmussen, Birgit H and Persson, Eva I and Xue, Lian and Cai, Le and Tang, Pingfen and Persson, Magnus and Huang, Jingjing}},
  issn         = {{1472-684X}},
  keywords     = {{Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; Humans; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Palliative Care/methods; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Palliative Care}},
  title        = {{Similarities and differences between China and Sweden regarding the core features of palliative care for people aged 60 or older : a systematic scoping review}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-00906-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12904-022-00906-7}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}