Ontario Health has started work to develop recommendations to improve the delivery of palliative care for adults in hospital settings. Specific goals of this work include recommendations for improved intake and identification of patients with palliative care needs in various hospital settings and improving transitions between hospital and community settings.
Ontario Health is seeking input from patients and families/caregivers from equity deserving communities to understand the unique challenges and barriers faced by members of equity deserving communities when accessing palliative care in hospital settings, or when being discharged from hospitals to other settings. Ontario Health will use this input to help develop recommendations for how palliative care should be organized and delivered for adults receiving care in hospital settings.
The request:
Ontario Health is looking to host focus groups with individuals from equity-deserving communities who have recent experience (preferably in the last 3-5 years) receiving palliative care services in hospital settings as:
- A patient with a serious illness, e.g. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease OR
- A caregiver, family member or friend caring for an adult with a serious illness.
We are specifically seeking individuals that identify with the following communities:
- Black and/or racialized
- Francophone and/or other non-English language needs
- 2SLGBTQIA+
- Newcomers to Ontario
- Low income
- Underhoused or vulnerably housed (experience with unsafe housing)
- Rural and remote
Please note that Indigenous communities will be engaged separately through dedicated engagement in partnership between the Ontario Health Regions and the Ontario Palliative Care Network (OPCN).
Focus Groups:
- Participants: ~5-6 per focus group
- Length: ~2 hours
- Format: Virtual via MS Teams or a similar platform – support will be provided to ensure you are able to participate as much as possible (e.g., technical support or meeting materials in accessible formats). If you cannot participate virtually and could participate more easily by phone, please indicate this when you apply.
- Timing: Early May
Participant will be expected to:
- Read and review the focus group discussion questions before the session
- Attend focus group sessions and participate in the interactive group discussions
- Review and provide feedback on the discussion summary following the session
Honoraria will be provided for participating in the focus groups and reviewing the discussion summaries through a direct deposit or cheque.
To be eligible for the honorarium, participants must:
- Confirm that they are not engaged through a Services or Employment Agreement in work for Ontario Health, the government of Ontario, or with any organization in the Broader Public Sector
- Provide a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) and a mailing address where the honorarium can be sent
How you can help:
To participate, we ask that you:
- Bring your questions or concerns about the current state of palliative services in hospital settings and share opportunities for improvement.
- Reflect on the proposed models and provide feedback on any perceived gaps
- Be comfortable sharing relevant stories about your experience with palliative services in hospitals
Please indicate your interest to participate by completing this form: https://forms.office.com/r/5igk06jm2k, by Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
For more information, please contact Daniel Gillespie at daniel.gillespie@ontariohealth.ca.
Please accept our apologies if we are not able to include all interested individuals on this project. Selected participants can expect to hear back from us by Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
