Despite palliative care being key to the right to health, there is a significant gap in equitable access. Due to lack of or delay in obtaining provincial health coverage, Canadian refugees face significant challenges in accessing community palliative care services and therefore, are more likely to have aggressive medical interventions at the end of life. The goal of this project is to explore the challenges refugees face when trying to access palliative care in the greater Hamilton, Ontario area. This project explores these questions by interviewing healthcare professionals in the community who provide palliative care and refugee patients who have palliative care needs. We will also look at administrative data that will provide a holistic understanding of palliative care access. This project ultimately hopes to shed light on the refugee experience in palliative care and begin the process of closing the inequitable gaps that exist for refugees accessing palliative care.
Recruitment to platform at one of the hubs
Consent and enrolment in platform
Collection of key data, minimizing participant burden for individual trials
Screening automatically for all trials taking place on the platform, maximizing options for patients and caregivers
Trials – patients and caregivers participate in trials they are eligible for
Ongoing check-ins – patients and caregivers are followed until they choose to stop participating or until patient death
Bereavement – we follow caregivers for up to three years and offer them bereavement interventions
By linking practice and research, the platform will improve care for patients and families affected by advanced cancer.
Practice
Clinicians, patients, and caregivers identify areas for improvement in care.
PCPCRC
Supports foundational research that identifies promising interventions.
Research Platform
Comprised of Phase 3 RCTs, Research Hubs, Data Strategy.
Evaluation of hub model and data strategy to optimize research.
Training and mentorship underlie and uphold all activities in the cycle.