Self-Care at the End of Life: A Review
Author Information
Author(s): Joshua Gallagher, Bárbara Antunes, James Sutton, Isla Kuhn, Michael P Kelly, Robbie Duschinsky, Stephen Barclay
Primary Institution: University of Cambridge
Hypothesis
How does self-care in life-limiting conditions impact healthcare utilization, quality of life, and associated costs?
Conclusion
Self-care becomes increasingly burdensome towards the end of life, often leading to delayed professional care and inconclusive effects on quality and costs.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-care can lower healthcare costs but may lead to increased hospitalizations as patients delay seeking help.
- Patients often feel overwhelmed by self-care responsibilities as they approach the end of life.
- Self-care practices are under-researched in the context of end-of-life care.
Takeaway
Taking care of yourself when you're very sick can be hard and sometimes makes things worse, like waiting too long to see a doctor.
Methodology
A systematic review and narrative synthesis of 33 studies using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the reliance on self-reported data and the subjective nature of self-care assessments.
Limitations
The review is limited by the focus on higher-income countries and the lack of uniformity in measuring quality of life.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 2882 patients, 7 informal caregivers, and 221 professionals, primarily from higher-income countries.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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