{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T08:09:50Z","timestamp":1777882190931,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"national institutes of health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NIH award U54CA284030."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NIH award U54CA284030."]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Palliat&amp;#65533;Care"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the need for palliative care (PC) and exposed gaps in PC provision in South Africa\u2019s already-strained healthcare system. PC is a neglected yet core component of South Africa\u2019s public healthcare sector.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aim and objectives:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study aimed to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PC services in one healthcare district of South Africa, the Cape Metro Health District. Specifically, the study objectives were to describe the PC response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and healthcare managers\u2019 perceptions of PC provision during the pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Data for the study were derived from a desktop analysis of documents relating to PC service delivery over the pandemic, and from focus group discussions held with 19 senior healthcare managers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic expedited integration of PC services into the health system and raised awareness of the importance of PC service delivery. It facilitated the allocation of increased resources (financial, infrastructural, and human resources) and enabled the rapid development of training material, in situ support for clinicians and the development of patient referral mechanisms. It was a stimulus for many people to learn about PC and influenced the perspectives of those working in healthcare, including managers, many of whom experienced the loss of family members or friends, foregrounding the importance of PC.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Planning for future pandemics needs to include recognition of and ongoing care for palliative care patients and factoring in an increased demand.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/26323524261435131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T04:52:06Z","timestamp":1775105526000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on palliative care services in the Cape Metro District of South Africa"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-2114-4168","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juanita O.","family":"Arendse","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa"},{"name":"Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3914-2156","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Virginia","family":"Zweigenthal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa"},{"name":"Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7602-6168","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liz","family":"Gwyther","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30964-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejca.2020.05.023"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jphp.3200097"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2009.03.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2007.02.022"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","first-page":"99","article-title":"A review of the trials which examine early integration of outpatient and home palliative care for patients with serious illnesses","volume":"4","author":"Davis MP","year":"2015","unstructured":"Davis MP, Temel JS, Balboni T, et al. 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