Breaking New Ground in Palliative Care: Examining the Impact of Al Ain – Palliative Care Outreach Program on Patients With Advanced Cancer in the United Arab Emirates

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Palliative Outreach Program in improving the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in a Tertiary Hospital in the Al Ain region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods & Material One hundred patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study and administered the patient version of the Consumer Quality (CQ) Index Palliative Care Instrument to assess their perception of the quality of care they received. The demographics, diagnosis, and questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the Palliative Outreach Program. Results A total of one hundred patients met the criteria for the study. Most patients were above 50, female, female, Non-Emiratis, and had high school certificates. The top three cancer diagnoses were breast (22%), lung (15%), and head & neck (13%). The patients reported high levels of support from their caregivers regarding physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being, as well as information and expertise. The mean scores for most variables were favorable, except for information (mean = 2.9540, SD= 0.25082) and general appreciation (mean = 6.7150, sd = 0.82344). Overall, the patients rated the care they received positively, with high mean scores for physical/psychological well-being (mean = 3.4950, SD = 0.28668), autonomy (mean = 3.7667, SD= 0.28623), privacy (mean = 3.6490, SD = 0.23159), and spiritual well-being (mean =3.7500, SD = 0.54356). The patients would recommend their caregivers to others in similar situations. Discussion The findings demonstrate that the Palliative Outreach Program effectively improves the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in the UAE. The CQ Index Palliative Care Instrument proved a novel method for assessing palliative care quality from patients' perspectives. However, there is room for improvement in providing more favorable information and general appreciation outcomes. Caregivers should focus on all areas to enhance their physical/psychological well-being, autonomy, privacy, spiritual well-being, expertise, and general appreciation of their patients. Conclusion In conclusion, the Palliative Outreach Program is an effective intervention to improve the quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in the UAE. The patients reported high levels of support from their caregivers in all aspects of care, except for information and general appreciation. These findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of palliative care interventions and highlight the need for continued efforts to improve the quality of care for patients with advanced cancer.