The end of life experiences of people living with socio-economic deprivation in the developed world : an integrative review
Abstract
Background: Those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation have poorer quality of health throughout their life course which can result in poorer quality of death - with decreased access to palliative care services, greater use of acute care, and reduced access to preferred place of care compared with patients from less deprived populations. Aim: To summarise the current global evidence from developed countries on end-of-life experience for those living with socio-economic deprivation. Design: Integrative review in accordance with PRISMA. A thorough search of major databases from 2010-2020, using clear definitions of end-of-life care and well-established proxy indicators of socio-economic deprivation. Empirical research describing experience of adult patients in the last year of life care were included. Results: Forty studies were included from a total of 3508 after screening and selection. These were deemed to be of high quality; from a wide range of countries with varying healthcare systems; and encompassed all palliative care settings for patients with malignant and non-malignant diagnoses. Three global themes were identified: 1) multi-dimensional symptom burden, 2) preferences and planning and 3) health and social care interactions at the end of life. Conclusions: Current models of healthcare services are not meeting the needs of those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation at the end-of-life. Further work is needed to understand the disparity in care, particularly around ensuring patients voices are heard and can influence service development and delivery.
Citation
Bowers , S P , Chin , M , O'Riordan , M & Carduff , E 2022 , ' The end of life experiences of people living with socio-economic deprivation in the developed world : an integrative review ' , BMC Palliative Care , vol. 21 , 193 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-01080-6
Publication
BMC Palliative Care
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1472-684XType
Journal item
Description
Funding: The roles of Emma Carduff and Maire O'Riordan are funded by Marie Curie. Emma Carduff is Co-Applicant on an Economic and Social Research Council grant (ES/S014373/1) entitled Dying in the Margins: uncovering the reasons for unequal access to home dying for the socio-economically deprived.Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.