Extending our reach: telehealth delivered grief support groups for rural hospice. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Supiano, Katherine P.; Koric, Alzina; Iacob, Eli
• Is Part Of: Social work with groups. Volume 44:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 159
• Page End: 173
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: Grief -- support groups -- hospice -- tele-health; Social group work -- Periodicals; 361.405
• DOI: 10.1080/01609513.2020.1825153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-9513

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this pilot project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a distance-technology delivered grief support group program for grieving persons in underserved rural/frontier communities in Utah. This project was a collaboration between an established university-based grief support program, the ( blinded ) Telehealth Network and with one primary nonprofit hospice ( blinded ) and two secondary nonprofit hospice agencies ( blinded) serving underserved/rural-frontier communities. We evaluated program feasibility (recruitment, retention, acceptability, tolerability, clinician trainability, and stakeholder satisfaction) and participant grief outcomes. Distance delivered grief groups compared favorably to face-to-face groups and met an unmet need for bereaved hospice families.