A descriptive study evaluating perinatal healthcare providers' perspectives of palliative programming in 3 Canadian institutions.

A paucity of research has evaluated the perspectives of the broader healthcare team regarding perinatal palliative care. This study examines the views of healthcare providers involved in perinatal palliative care in 3 tertiary care hospitals in Canada. Developing an understanding of their perspectives of care provision, as well as the interactions that took place with families and other teams while providing perinatal palliative care, was of interest.

Postgraduate palliative care education: evaluation of a South African programme.

Aim: We aimed to assess the postgraduate palliative care distance education programme of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of its perceived ability to influence palliative care delivery.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach, consisting of two surveys using open-ended and multiple-choice options, was conducted from January to December 2007 at the UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine. All students registered in the programme from 2000 - 2007 were invited to participate; 83 (66.

Using telehealth for assessment of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: the experience of two Canadian rural and remote communities.

Introduction: Telehealth has been used for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnostic assessment in select Manitoban communities since 2000.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the FASD telehealth program within two rural and remote Northern Manitoban communities by comparing community practices from the perspective of professionals working with the FASD diagnostic clinics in these communities. Recommendations for the further development of FASD assessment by telehealth were made to further improve current implementation and guide expansion of the FASD telehealth program within the province.

Access to hospice care: multi-professional specialist perspectives in South Africa.

Research addressing the nature of hospice referrals focuses primarily on the effect of late referral and the majority of studies are based in North America. Using health care professionals as key informants, the goal was to describe the hospice referral system used in the Western Cape Province of South Africa from the perspective of nursing sisters, medical doctors, and social workers. Semi-structured interviews with 29 such individuals were conducted at 15 rural, urban and peri-urban sites, exploring their perceptions towards, and experiences with, patient referral to hospice programmes.

Pediatric palliative care online: the views of health care professionals.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of an online resource for dying children, their family members, and health care providers from the perspective of pediatric palliative care experts. Semistructured interviews with 12 leaders in pediatric palliative care in North America were conducted, exploring their perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of Web-based resources for dying children and their care providers. Informants felt that an online resource may allow for a different form of expression, a connection between people undergoing a rare event, and an increase in education and support.