Towards a Clinically Relevant Appreciation of the Cost of Caring: A Study of Palliative Care Physicians in Malaysia
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Background: The cost of caring for patients and their families in the midst of interconnected resource, ethical, moral, legal and practical considerations compromises a physician’s emotional and physical well-being and therefore patient care. Whilst the cost of caring is historically best associated with compassion fatigue, data has suggested that this may extend to other related concepts, such as vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. In particular, palliative care physicians are especially vulnerable as they witness and encounter more cases of death and dying. Methods: This study aims to provide a more clinically relevant notion of the cost of caring amongst palliative care physicians in Malaysia. 11 physicians underwent semi-structured interviews as part of the Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA) for prospective studies. Results: Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed the following domains: (1) conceiving the costs of caring; (2) risk factors; and (3) support mechanisms. Conclusion: This SEBA-guided study into the cost of caring amongst Malaysian palliative care physicians suggests that the costs of caring extend beyond encapsulating moral distress, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Rather, the data suggests a personalized notion that varies with individual and contextual factors which are in flux and change over time. A longitudinal, personalized and holistic mentoring program is therefore proposed to counter this cost.
Institutions: National Cancer Centre Singapore, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, National University Health System, Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Sultan Ismail Specialist Hospital, Duke-NUS Medical School, University of Liverpool, Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, The Palliative Care Centre for Excellence in Research and Education
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4404145635