Study to explore experiences of end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic

The University has launched a new study to gather information from bereaved relatives and health and social care professionals regarding end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic,

The global COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on the experiences of care at the end of life for patients, relatives and healthcare professionals. It is crucial for us to learn from this experience as it is unlikely that COVID-19 will be the last pandemic.

Researchers from the University’s Palliative Care Institute and the Department of Psychology, in collaboration with the Department of Oncology at the University of Sheffield, have launched the ‘Experience of end-of-life care during the COVID-19 crisis’ study.

The study is part of a wider H2020 funded international project  and parallels work underway at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Linked studies are ongoing in 10 countries.

Of the research, Principal Investigator Dr Stephen Mason, said: “We hope to generate a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of end-of-life care, both in the UK and internationally.

“Results will inform future service development and delivery, with the aim of mitigating the negative effects of a future spike or further pandemic, where unprecedented pressure is put on the health services and families caring for patients at the end of life.”

The online survey is open until August 2020, accessed via the following link:

https://livpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yXOqN3qFN6sioJ

Any questions about the research can be directed to Dr Stephen Mason or Rosemary Hughes via stephen.mason@liverpool.ac.uk / rosemary.hughes@liverpool.ac.uk