Multi-Sensory Comfort Care in Hospice Wards: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences and Challenges

Purpose: This study is to explore the real experience, effect perception and practical dilemma of multi-sensory comfort care implemented by healthcare professionals in hospice care wards, and to provide an empirical basis for optimizing the quality of hospice care services. Participants and Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative research design, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 healthcare professionals (including 2 doctors, 6 nurses, 3 social workers, 2 psychotherapists, and 2 caregivers) from hospice care wards in 3 medical institutions in Chongqing through purposive sampling. Targeted content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Two themes and nine sub-themes were extracted, namely, the practical experience and effect perception of multi-sensory comfort care (visual intervention to create a healing environment, tactile intervention to convey emotional support, olfactory intervention to regulate physical and mental state, auditory intervention to relieve emotions, and taste intervention to connect physical and mental pleasure), and the practical challenges of multi-sensory comfort care (lack of policy guarantee, imbalance of resource allocation, gaps in professional competence, and low receptivity). Conclusion: The results show that the clinical value of multi-sensory comfort care has been widely recognized by healthcare professionals, but its comprehensive promotion still faces significant challenges. In order to break through the current bottleneck, it is urgent to provide solid support for its development by constructing a “policy-resource-talent” trinity support system, innovating public education models and other comprehensive strategies. Keywords: hospice care, multi-sensory comfort care, healthcare professionals, practice experience, qualitative research