Title:	Optimum ‘Hospice at Home’ Services for End of Life Care (OPEL) Phase 2
Project Description:	What are the features of Hospice at Home services that work, for whom, and under what circumstances?
Background:	Offering people a choice about where they receive their care at the end of life is central to UK policy and the number of people wishing to die at home is increasing. “Hospice at Home” services (HAH) aim to offer hospice care in the individual’s home to improve the quality of life of people who have an incurable illness up to the point of death. Currently a range of different HAH services exist in the UK and it is unclear which features of these services enable better care and outcomes at the end of life for patients and families.
Methodology description:	The study will undertake an in depth investigation of 7 case study sites which represent the range of service ‘model’ types in England. Staff will make clinical assessments of patients and carers will be asked to complete health service use and post-bereavement questionnaires and a follow-up interview. Realist evaluation is being applied to understand how the services delivered within the different models impact on patients and carers. The study will also compare the costs of delivering services in the different models and talk to commissioners and providers of services about local issues that help or hinder the delivery of a good service. Feedback on the findings of the study will be gathered at two national workshops from HAH providers, local health service planners and service user representatives. By combining this information we will assess which models are likely to lead to the best outcomes and represent best value for money.
Project organisation
Start date:	1st February 2017
End date:	31st January 2020
Contact person:	Dr Stephen Barclay
Contact Details:	Primary Care Unit Institute of Public Health University Forvie Site, Robinson Way Cambridge Cambs CB2 0SR UK Telephone: (01223) 763082 Fax: 01223 762515 E-mail: sigb2@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Collaborative:	Project Team: Dr Claire Butler (CI); University of Kent Prof Tricia Wilson, Dr Ferhana Hasham; University of Kent Prof Heather Gage, Dr Peter Williams; University of Surrey Charlotte Brigden; Pilgrims Hospices East Kent Prof Bee Wee, NHS England Kay Greene; Nat Assn for Hospice at Home (NAHH) Mary Goodwin, Graham Silsbury; PPI/Service users
Funding information
Funding Organisation:	National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme
Funding Reference:
Funding Amount:	£760,162
Further Information, References and Publications