Checklist
Site Visits: How to Observe a Palliative Care Organisation?
Site Visits: How to Observe a Palliative Care Organisation?
Before the visit, plan ahead:
Before the visit, define:
- Explore the landscape of non-profit organisations, associations, and government scholarships related to palliative care. Many programmes support professional mobility and education, potentially covering all or part of your expenses for visiting a palliative care institution.
- Select the institution you wish to visit.
- Reach out to representatives of that institution. Contact information is typically available on the organisation’s website, if it has one, or on the websites of the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Social Affairs. A helpful tip: try locating the building on popular online maps; they often display a phone number and email address.
- Before making contact, write down your vision for the site visit: how long you plan to stay, what activities you’d like to participate in, whether you’ll be coming alone or with someone, which spaces are essential for you to access, and which professionals you hope to meet. Additionally, think about what you can offer to the host institution. You might be willing to give a short lecture in your field or share insights about how your organisation operates (don’t forget to get approval from your supervisors first).
- When you write to the contact person, introduce yourself — include your position and place of work. Inform them of your interest in visiting their institution for educational and knowledge exchange purposes. Inquire whether they have an established process for such visits, and if not, present your plan.
- Agree on the dates. If the institution is in another country, allow enough time to prepare for the trip (tickets, visas, etc.).
Before the visit, define:
- Why do you want to visit this particular facility?
- What are the goals and objectives of this facility?
- Which aspects are most important to you: medication management, care systems, environment, staff, etc.?
- List the evaluation criteria related to these aspects: availability of opioids, presence of equipment, availability of nursing assistants, etc.
- Consider how these aspects are currently managed in your facility and identify what you wish to learn from your colleagues.
Photo by PACED
Before the visit, prepare:
During the visit, pay attention to the surroundings:
During the visit, focus on patients:
- Make a list of questions.
- Contact the facility in advance with a list of documents you would like to review or the specialists you would like to meet.
- Learn about the history of palliative care in the country or region you are visiting and the history of the facility itself.
- Bring a notebook along to take notes. If you wish to make an audio or video recording during your visit, be sure to get permission from the management and from anyone who may be recorded.
- How ‘lively’ is the area around the facility? Cleanliness is important, but perfect sterility, as well as total neglect, can indicate that patients are not using the space.
- Examine how the facility meets two objectives: accessibility and a homelike atmosphere.
- Notice the interior design and color schemes—they greatly influence the overall ambience of the space.
During the visit, pay attention to the surroundings:
- How ‘lively’ is the area around the facility? Cleanliness is important, but perfect sterility, as well as total neglect, can indicate that patients are not using the space.
- Examine how the facility meets two objectives: accessibility and a homelike atmosphere.
- Notice the interior design and color schemes—they greatly influence the overall ambience of the space.
During the visit, focus on patients:
- Who are the informational posters intended for? Is the language clear and accessible to patients, especially children?
- Every facility has a list of rules. Consider the purpose of each restriction.
- How is the infrastructure designed for patients, visitors, and volunteers?
- What new ideas can you borrow—perhaps activities or routines you'd like to implement?
- How much freedom do patients have? Can they move around freely, take advantage of the opportunities offered by the facility (such as visiting a chaplain or attending a concert), decide how to spend their time, or change their appearance (hairstyle, beard, tattoo, etc)?
Firefly World Children’s Hospice / Photo by PACED
During the visit, focus on the staff:
During the visit, focus on the structure of the facility:
After the visit:
- Pay attention to the size of the team, including doctors, nurses, aides, psychologists, and others.
- What do staff members do during their free time?
- Observe the tone of communication with patients, colleagues, visitors, and management. If it’s consistently kind and relaxed, it’s a place worth learning communication skills from.
- How much freedom do staff members have? Can they adjust their schedules, speak openly, and appear as they wish?
During the visit, focus on the structure of the facility:
- Pay attention to the daily routine and the institution’s operating schedule.
- How does the institution approach patients’ personal space?
- Observe all aspects of quality care: medication, food, bedding, bathing, and health monitoring.
- What is the institution’s policy? Can patients make suggestions? What about the staff?
- How does the organisation work with volunteers? Is there any training provided?
- How is the institution funded, and how does it attract new resources?
After the visit:
- Send a written thank-you note to the host organisation after returning home.
- Follow up on new connections: reach out to them and add them on social media.
- Review your notes and emphasize what is most important to you. Which ideas could be beneficial for your region, and how might you implement them?
- Prepare a brief report on the visit — it will be valuable for you and your colleagues in the future.
Firefly World Children’s Hospice / Photo by PACED