How initial policy responses to COVID-19 contributed to shaping dying at home preferences and care provision: key informant perspectives from Canada.

Objectives: In response to COVID-19's first wave, provincial governments rapidly implemented several public health directives, including isolation measures and care facility visitor restrictions, which profoundly affected healthcare delivery at the end of life and dying experiences and perceptions. The objective of this study was to identify implications of early policy changes for dying at home.

Methods: Analysis of interviews with 29 key informants with expertise in the policy and practice context of dying at home and care for those dying at home was conducted as part of a larger mixed-methods study on dying at home in Canada.