Factors of Good Collaboration in Home-Based End-of-Life Care: A Questionnaire Survey of Japanese Home Care Nurses, Home Helpers, and Care Managers

Good interprofessional work (IPW) is essential to provide quality home-based end-of-life (EOL) care. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors of “good collaboration,” as evaluated separately by home care nurses (HNs), home helpers (HHs), and care managers (CMs). The relationship was examined between their evaluation of good collaboration and their recent actual experience of interprofessional collaborative work for a home-based EOL case. The questionnaire was returned nationwide by 378 HNs, 305 HHs, and 476 CMs, and data were collected on 177 EOL cases from HNs, 84 cases from HHs, and 123 cases from CMs. Evaluation of good collaboration by HNs was associated with working with a CM with whom they had multiple collaborative experiences, the client being independent for their toileting until just before dying, and sharing information regarding the client’s EOL decision with an HH 1 month before dying. Evaluation of good collaboration by HHs was associated with working at an agency that collaborated with fewer CM agencies and working at an agency that allowed staff to visit dying clients. Evaluation of good collaboration by CMs was associated only with the client being dependent for toileting. Our results highlighted the characteristics of how each professional seeks to collaborate depending on their preparedness, contexts, and resultant expectations toward other professionals when entering the IPW for home-based EOL care. To promote good IPW for home-based EOL care further, professionals need to understand these differences among ourselves and try to meet others’ expectations.