Attitudes toward and Perceptions of Educational Needs for End-of-Life Care among Health Professions Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Abstract

ContextTo provide effective end-of-life care education for health professions students, it is important to understand students’ views of death in addition to their perceptions of educational needs and preferences. However, there is a lack of studies addressing interindividual variability in perceptions of end-of-life care educational needs among health professions students. ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify latent profiles of perceptions of end-of-life care educational needs among health professions students and examine whether the demographic characteristics, death-related events, death attitude, and death anxiety differed by need subgroup. MethodsThrough convenience sampling, health professions students from three universities in China were recruited between March 2020 and June 2020. Data were collected using a demographic information and death-related experience questionnaire, the End-of-Life Care Curriculum Needs Questionnaire, the End-of-Life Care Educational Needs Questionnaire, the Death Attitudes Profile-Revised, and the Templer's Death Anxiety Scale. ResultsA total of 1048 students completed the survey. Two classes of perceptions of end-of-life care educational needs were identified: approximately 29.80% of students belonged to a medium-need group class (1), and 70.20% belonged to a high-need group class (2). Being female and having knowledge of end-of-life care significantly increased the probability of membership in class 2. Students with the two latent profiles reported having varied curriculum needs. In addition, a positive attitude toward death and low death anxiety increased the probability of membership in class 1. ConclusionTwo classes of perceptions of end-of-life care educational needs were identified, and these classes were significantly associated with sex and death-related knowledge (P < 0.05). Interindividual variability should be considered in the future development of end-of-care curricula.