An Ethical Framework for Visitation of Inpatients Receiving Palliative Care in the COVID-19 Context.

Russell, B; William, L; Chapman, M

An Ethical Framework for Visitation of Inpatients Receiving Palliative Care in the COVID-19 Context.

Russell, B William, L Chapman, M

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Publisher:: Springer
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2022, 19, (2), pp. 191-202
Issue Date:: 2022-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Russell, B
dc.contributor.author	William, L
dc.contributor.author	Chapman, M https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1333-3448
dc.date.accessioned	2022-09-27T03:21:39Z
dc.date.available	2022-01-10
dc.date.available	2022-09-27T03:21:39Z
dc.date.issued	2022-06
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2022, 19, (2), pp. 191-202
dc.identifier.issn	1176-7529
dc.identifier.issn	1872-4353
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/162117
dc.description.abstract	Human connection is universally important, particularly in the context of serious illness and at the end of life. The presence of close family and friends has many benefits when death is close. Hospital visitation restrictions during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic therefore warrant careful consideration to ensure equity, proportionality, and the minimization of harm. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicine COVID-19 Special Interest Group utilized the relevant ethical and public health principles, together with the existing disease outbreak literature and evolving COVID-19 knowledge, to generate a practical framework of visiting restrictions for inpatients receiving palliative and end-of-life care. Expert advice from an Infectious Diseases physician ensured relevance to community transmission dynamics. Three graded levels of visitor restrictions for inpatient settings are proposed, defining an appropriate level of minimum access. These depend upon the level of community transmission of COVID-19, the demand on health services, the potential COVID-19 status of the patient and visitors, and the imminence of the patient's death. This framework represents a cohesive, considered, proportionate, and ethically robust approach to improve equity and consistency for inpatients receiving palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic and may serve as a template for future disease outbreaks.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s11673-022-10173-z
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1801 Law, 2201 Applied Ethics, 2203 Philosophy
dc.subject.classification	Applied Ethics
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Inpatients
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care
dc.subject.mesh	Pandemics
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Inpatients
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care
dc.subject.mesh	Pandemics
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care
dc.subject.mesh	Inpatients
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Pandemics
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.title	An Ethical Framework for Visitation of Inpatients Receiving Palliative Care in the COVID-19 Context.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	19
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
utslib.for	1801 Law
utslib.for	2201 Applied Ethics
utslib.for	2203 Philosophy
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-09-27T03:21:37Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	19
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Human connection is universally important, particularly in the context of serious illness and at the end of life. The presence of close family and friends has many benefits when death is close. Hospital visitation restrictions during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic therefore warrant careful consideration to ensure equity, proportionality, and the minimization of harm. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicine COVID-19 Special Interest Group utilized the relevant ethical and public health principles, together with the existing disease outbreak literature and evolving COVID-19 knowledge, to generate a practical framework of visiting restrictions for inpatients receiving palliative and end-of-life care. Expert advice from an Infectious Diseases physician ensured relevance to community transmission dynamics. Three graded levels of visitor restrictions for inpatient settings are proposed, defining an appropriate level of minimum access. These depend upon the level of community transmission of COVID-19, the demand on health services, the potential COVID-19 status of the patient and visitors, and the imminence of the patient's death. This framework represents a cohesive, considered, proportionate, and ethically robust approach to improve equity and consistency for inpatients receiving palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic and may serve as a template for future disease outbreaks.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/162117