In the context of Canada’s healthcare landscape, individuals experiencing socioeconomic inequities can often have more difficulties in accessing health services. A recent study conducted by Salas (2023) and fellow researchers focused on examining if implementing a community-based nursing intervention with a goal of providing palliative care to this vulnerable Canadian population could be successful.
This qualitative research combined critical and participatory research methodologies aligning with the Palliative Care Outreach Advocacy Team (PCOAT) based in Edmonton, Alberta. The main goal of PCOAT is to serve individuals requiring palliative care experiencing socioeconomic inequities. The study began with an exploratory phase to better understand the intervention followed by a pilot project. This project included implementing a part-time registered nurse in the Palliative Care Outreach Advocacy Team. The nurse’s primary role involved building a relationship with the patients to be able to address their health and practical needs and offer them the care needed. A total of 25 patients participated in the intervention and were interviewed to get a better understanding of their experience.
A common demographic was revealed that most patients were Indigenous men facing advanced cancer diagnoses. Other significant issues faced by the participants included financial concerns, housing, and historical challenges in accessing healthcare. They were then asked about their social and health needs and reported that help could be needed with housing, finances, transportation, symptom control, harm reduction and end-of-life care.
The results indicated that the intervention had a positive impact on participants’ lives. The first notable outcome demonstrated an improvement access to health and social services in addressing the multifaceted needs of the participants. The participants also reported being very satisfied with the intervention enhanced the quality of life of the participants in contributing to enhance their access to palliative care, improving experiences and increasing equity in delivering care.
A critical gap in palliative care services was identified for those facing socioeconomic inequities. With the help of this organization dedicated to serving this specific population, the challenges faced by these individuals was highlighted. This proposes that a community-based nursing intervention could be successful. With such positive outcomes observed, the potential effectiveness of such interventions in improving the quality of life and access to care for individuals experiencing both life-limiting illnesses and socioeconomic disparities.
To conclude, the study underscores the importance of palliative care interventions developed to address some unique challenges faced by individuals with socioeconomic inequities. Based on the outcomes, community-based nursing interventions can be a valuable approach in attempting to eliminate the gaps of care and promote equitable access to palliative care services to help the more vulnerable populations.
