Influence of a day hospice on the quality of life of palliative care patients: an interview-based qualitative survey

In addition to the established forms of outpatient palliative care, day hospices have been available in Germany as a further component of care for several years. However, only a few day hospices currently exist in Germany, and data on the effects of day hospices, particularly on the quality of life and care situation of the patients concerned, are not sufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of day hospice care on the quality of life of palliative care patients. This qualitative interview study included palliative care patients at a day hospice in Lower Bavaria. In collaboration with SINUS Markt- und Sozialforschung GmbH, Heidelberg, qualitative guided interviews were conducted between October and December 2024. The interview guide was developed by the team of authors in collaboration with SINUS GmbH and was agreed upon after several rounds of discussions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized. The transcripts were evaluated using hermeneutic text interpretation. A total of 20 palliative care patients (13 females and 7 males) with an average age of 70.9 years (range, 56–90 years) participated in the study. All participants had a malignant disease. Participants reported that visiting the day hospice improved their quality of life. They reported that social factors were more important than medical factors in improving quality of life. The aspects of community, professional support and guidance, and relief for relatives were cited as particularly important. The participants perceived the day hospice as a place of peace and relaxation where they could regain strength and confidence and rediscover meaning and joy in their lives. Therefore, day hospices are a fundamentally valuable component of outpatient palliative care. The further development of this care structure will be closely watched with great interest. The study was registered as part of the IMPULS-Study in the German Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS-ID: DRKS00031613; Date of registration: 04 April 2023) and the Display portal of the Center for Clinical Studies of the University Hospital Regensburg (Z-2022-1734-6; Date of registration: 01 October 2022).