Palliative and end-of-life care provision in prisons in Europe and Australia

09-2021 to 08-2022

Background
Evidence suggests that there are insufficient resources in many prison settings to provide adequate care for ageing and ill prisoners, and prison personnel may be struggling to meet the basic care needs of prisoners approaching the end of life. There is also little consensus about strategies to address the challenge of palliative and end-of-life care for those who are seriously or terminally ill and dying in the prison context. The EAPC Task Force on Palliative Care for Prisoners was established in 2017 to begin to address this issue.

Aim
The aim of the study is to obtain insights into the experiences and views of key professional stakeholders with regard to palliative and end-of-life care provision in prison settings across various European countries, including Belgium, and Australia. Core research questions revolve around capturing experiences and perceptions, barriers and facilitators, as well as recommendations and needs as voiced by these stakeholders.

Methods
We will perform qualitative in-depth interviews and focus groups with key professional stakeholders, such as in-house and external clinical professionals, prison officers and other relevant actors.

BOF UGent (Belgian study)