THE RESULTS OF A SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEY AMONG PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED NURSING CARE IN MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING PALLIATIVE CARE

Abstract

Nursing care in organizations providing palliative care plays a critical role in ensuring the comfort and quality of life of patients with severe or incurable diseases. This assistance includes physical care, pain control, emotional support and assistance to families. Nurses can also train families in patient care, assist in decision-making, and coordinate medical procedures. It is important that nurses in palliative care organizations are sensitive, empathetic and have appropriate medical training.The authors of the article conducted a sociological survey among nurses and patients receiving palliative care of medical organizations Republic of Kazakhstan. Аt the moment, the results of such a survey help to identify the root of the organization of nursing care in medical organizations in the healthcare sector. Objective: To study the level of accessibility of medical care among nurses and patients in the palliative care department. Materials and methods: This study is a one-stage sociological research by the survey method with the filling out of questionnaires and the method of in-depth interviewing. The questionnaire is taken as a basis as a research tool. The questionnaires are developed separately for each group of respondents and are presented in Kazakh and Russian. The study involved patients aged 60 and older who received palliative care among medical organizations providing care to senile and elderly people. The design of the study is a one-step cross-sectional study. The number of respondents is 120 nurses, 100 patients (81% of them women, 19% male). Statistical Analysis – Stata: Release 15. Categorical variables were calculated as fractions (%) and quantitative continuous variables as averages. The student’s t-test and univariate variance analysis were used. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered important. Research methods: Social, statistical. The choice of statistical criteriawill depend on the type of variables being analyzed. The Student's t-test and univariate variance analysis were used. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered important. The result of the study: The questionnaires were adapted to fill out patients receiving palliative care in medical organizations. The survey questionnaire provided information about the place of work, position, length of service, professional development, working conditions and the quality of palliative care in this aspect, as well as the life plans of respondents. The closed form of questions in the questionnaire contains the principle of alternative answers encoded for subsequent processing. For some questions, it was allowed to give up to three possible answers. The open form of answers to a number of questions allowed us to obtain more detailed information on the aspects of the respondents' professional activities of interest, as well as their working conditions. Conclusion:The study showed that the majority of nurses and patients receiving palliative care highly appreciate the level of accessibility and quality of medical care in medical organisations in the Republic of Kazakhstan. However, despite the high level of satisfaction, some problems were identified, such as obtaining prescriptions for narcotic drugs and insufficient awareness of available medical products and patients' rights. These results emphasise the need for further improvements in the quality of palliative care and training of medical staff to provide better patient care.