Barriers and Facilitators for an Effective Palliative Care Communication with Older People: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The present mixed-method systematic review identifies facilitators and barriers in palliative care communication among health professionals and older people.

Methods: The review process was conducted by three reviewers who searched studies in four different databases (January 2009-January 2022), exploring experiences of communication among health professionals and older people without cognitive impairments. Relevant articles were quality assessed with a standardized tool.

Results: Twenty-eight articles were included and the following 5 clusters were identified: 1) training and education for health professionals, 2) team working and coordination among health professionals, 3) communication skills, 4) time and availability, 5) emotional, cultural and psychological factors. The articles highlighted the need for greater preparation of health professionals around the management of palliative care communication with older people.

Conclusion: Palliative care communication among health professionals and older people are characterized by several challenges. However, there are facilitating aspects that may be considered to improve the quality of communication.

Practice Implications: Facilitators are promising approaches to support health professionals in providing high-quality palliative care communication to older people, developing a person-centred practice. Facilitators include palliative care training and educational opportunities for health professionals, like ELNEC Geriatric Curriculum, permitting them to develop specific competences in communication and aging.