O11 Connecting communities across the globe: atlas project

Résumé fourni par la source

Background Compassionate Communities (CoCos) are community-led initiatives that support individuals and communities facing serious illness, caregiving, death, and grief. Since their emergence in the early 2000s, CoCos have expanded globally. However, their highly localised and diverse nature makes them difficult to define, quantify, and evaluate. This has limited the ability to demonstrate their impact, expand their adoption, and inform policy. This study aimed to develop the first global atlas of CoCos, mapping their locations, activities, evaluation strategies, and global patterns. Methods A cross-sectional survey was co-designed and piloted in collaboration with an international steering group. The survey was administered via Qualtrics and made available in multiple languages. Dissemination was conducted through global networks, professional conferences, and targeted outreach, employing both convenience and snowball sampling methods. Results A total of 537 responses were received, with 360 included in the final analysis. These responses represented 75 countries across all WHO regions, with a total of 322 unique compassionate communities. Respondents included healthcare professionals (53%), followed by senior staff (22%), volunteers (18%), and community members (7%). The work these communities do is broad including education (28%), community engagement (12%), support for caregivers and patients (11%), bereavement services (10%) and advocacy (13%). Outcome measures included service reach or utilisation (23%), individual impact such as reducing loneliness (17%), whilst 10% had no evaluation methods. Differences in CoCos between regions were seen, for example in settings where palliative care is classified as emerging, over 75% of initiatives were led by healthcare providers, compared to 25% where palliative care provision is categorised as advanced. Threats included financial instability which was reported as a threat for 42% of initiatives, and distance/rurality was reported as a threat by 29%, which was particularly common in low-income settings. The most commonly identified strength was communities themselves, reported by 86% of respondents. Conclusion This atlas is a step towards achieving a broader understanding of CoCo globally, revealing that they are more numerous and diverse than previously reported. Increased awareness will enable more effective advocacy, facilitate the sharing of their impact and create opportunities for partnerships.

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