How is Home-Based Palliative Care Implemented in Developed Countries? An Integrative Review

Abstract

Palliative care focused on improving the quality of life for terminal patients and their families have had a significant impact on healthcare services in developed countries. This review aims to explore how home-based palliative care is implemented for terminal patients in developed countries by analyzing 10 articles from a total of 705 found in 4 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, and Science Direct) between August 2014 and August 2024. The quality of the documents was evaluated using the critical appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), with scores ranging from 75% to 100%. Key findings include: (1) Positive benefits of home-based palliative care, including peaceful deaths at home and improved family functioning; (2) Barriers to implementation, such as a lack of healthcare professional competency and issues from families and healthcare services; (3) A comprehensive approach to care at home, encompassing comprehensive care and symptom management; (4) The success of home-based care depends on support from interdisciplinary teams and families. Implementing palliative care in developed countries requires cooperation and support from multiple stakeholders. Study limitations include difficulties in comparing implementations between developed and developing countries and the limited number of relevant articles, with only 705 articles found.