Public Awareness Of Palliative Care Research Articles

Public Awareness of Palliative Care: A Nationally Representative Sample of Jordanian Adults

ContextInternationally, studies suggest that inadequate comprehension of the concept of palliative care and misconceptions about it hinder the effective use of palliative care, especially in developing nations. ObjectiveTo assess the awareness of the adult population in Jordan regarding palliative care. MethodsThe study used a cross-sectional design and an online self-administered questionnaire survey. The recruitment method was convenience snowball sampling of three thousand nine hundred forty-two Jordanian adults covering 12 governorates. Participants were recruited through social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. The process of gathering data commenced in October –December 2023. Descriptive statistics were computed. ResultsA study of 3942 respondents in Jordan found that 45% have some knowledge of palliative care, with 31% being pretty knowledgeable. Most respondents (89%) strongly agree that patients with incurable illnesses should receive palliative care, with cancer patients showing the highest level of agreement (96%). The most agreed-upon aspect of palliative care is controlling pain and symptoms at home, while the least agreed-upon aspect is providing information on benefits and financial matters. The study also highlighted the link between palliative care and mortality, suggesting the need for increased awareness and education. ConclusionThe demand for palliative care in Jordan is increasing, requiring increased access, a holistic approach, open discussions, and easily accessible information. Challenges include integrating palliative care into non-malignant progressive diseases, ensuring comprehensive end-of-life care, promoting societal receptiveness towards mortality, enhancing information accessibility, and health promotion efforts. The study's results indicate the importance of implementing educational strategies and engaging families and communities in policymaking to change public knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care.

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the community about palliative care

Background: Although cancer is the disease for which people need palliative care the most, the number of diseases and conditions requiring palliative care has increased and will continue to grow. Palliative care improves health, reduces unnecessary hospitalization as well as overuse of health services. There are several barriers to palliative care access and the main are those related to the public such as: lack of public awareness of palliative care, on their benefits; cultural and social barriers.

Trends and Patterns in the Public Awareness of Palliative Care, Euthanasia, and End-of-Life Decisions in 3 Central European Countries Using Big Data Analysis From Google: Retrospective Analysis.

BackgroundEnd-of-life decisions, specifically the provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide services, challenge traditional medical and ethical principles. Austria and Germany have decided to liberalize their laws restricting assisted suicide, thus reigniting the debate about a meaningful framework in which the practice should be embedded. Evidence of the relevance of assisted suicide and euthanasia for the general population in Germany and Austria is limited.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine whether the public awareness documented by search activities in the most frequently used search engine, Google, on the topics of palliative care, euthanasia, and advance health care directives changed with the implementation of palliative care services and new governmental regulations concerning end-of-life decisions.MethodsWe searched for policies, laws, and regulations promulgated or amended in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland between 2004 and 2020 and extracted data on the search volume for each search term topic from Google Trends as a surrogate of public awareness and interest. Annual averages were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression Program.ResultsImportant policy changes yielded significant changes in search trends for the investigated topics. The enactment of laws regulating advance health care directives coincided with a significant drop in the volume of searches for the topic of euthanasia in all 3 countries (Austria: −24.48%, P=.02; Germany: −14.95%, P<.001; Switzerland: −11.75%, P=.049). Interest in palliative care increased with the availability of care services and the implementation of laws and policies to promote palliative care (Austria: 22.69%, P=.01; Germany: 14.39, P<.001; Switzerland: 17.59%, P<.001). The search trends for advance health care directives showed mixed results. While interest remained steady in Austria within the study period, it increased by 3.66% (P<.001) in Switzerland and decreased by 2.85% (P<.001) in Germany.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that legal measures securing patients’ autonomy at the end of life may lower the search activities for topics related to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Palliative care may be a meaningful way to raise awareness of the different options for end-of-life care and to guide patients in their decision-making process regarding the same.

Wit, Wisdom, and Hard Work Make a Model Medical Director of the Year

Wit, Wisdom, and Hard Work Make a Model Medical Director of the Year

General public awareness, knowledge, and beliefs toward palliative care in a Saudi population

Objectives: Public awareness of palliative care (PC) is satisfactory in only twenty countries in 2013, which does not include Saudi Arabia in spite of the global efforts done to enhance the public awareness of PC. This study was conducted to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, and beliefs of the Saudi adult population about PC. Methods: A cross-sectional design study was conducted in December 2017 using a self-administered questionnaire survey that was sent through Google Docs to assess the Saudi general public on the awareness of PC. Results: There were 1987 (out of 3164, 62.8% response rate) Saudi adults who responded to the survey, in which 60.3% were males (mean age: 39.50 years, median: 39.0 years, and range: 15–77 years). There were 321 (16.2%) respondents who reported that they know PC and 454 (22.8%) answered that they have heard or were aware of PC. A total of 755 (38.2%) believe that PC improves the quality of life of sick people and 684 (34.4%) believe that PC can reduce the physical suffering of patients. Knowledge of PC was not statistically significantly affected by gender, place of residence, and marital status. On the other hand, employment and having higher levels of education led to better knowledge and more awareness of PC. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that the knowledge and awareness of PC is still low among surveyed Saudis. There is a need for the government to advocate institutions to functionally devote programs and initiatives and promote literacy of PC in the general population. Nongovernmental sectors should also participate in programs to improve the knowledge and awareness of PC.

Public awareness of palliative care in Sweden.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the awareness of palliative care (PC) in a general Swedish population. Design: We developed an e-survey based on a similar study conducted in Northern Ireland, consisting of 10 questions. Closed questions were primarily analyzed using descriptive statistics. Open questions were subject to inductive qualitative analysis. Subjects: The study utilized a population sample of 7684 persons aged 18–66, of which 2020 responded, stratified by gender, age and region. Results: Most participants reported ‘no’ (n = 827, 41%) or ‘some’ (n = 863, 43%) awareness of PC. Being female or older were associated with higher levels of awareness, as was a university-level education, working in a healthcare setting and having a friend or family member receiving PC. Most common sources of knowledge were the media, close friends and relatives receiving PC, as well as working in a healthcare setting. Aims of PC were most frequently identified as ‘care before death’, ‘pain relief’, ‘dignity’ and a ‘peaceful death’. The preferred place of care and death was one’s own home. The main barriers to raising awareness about PC were fear, shame and taboo, along with perceived lack of information and/or personal relevance. The term ‘palliative care’ was said to be unfamiliar by many. A number of strategies to enhance awareness and access to PC were suggested, largely reflecting the previously identified barriers. Conclusions: This survey found limited awareness of palliative care in an adult sample of the Swedish general public ≤ 66 years, and points to a more widespread disempowerment surrounding end-of-life issues.

A nationwide Survey on Perception and Demands on Palliative Care in the republic of Korea

Palliative care is a type of care to enhance the quality of life of the patients who have life-threatening diseases. The purpose of this study was to navigate public awareness of Palliative care in Korea.1, 500 Korean adults nationwide who were selected by quota sampling strategy according to sex, age, and region participated in this survey. Data collection was performed from 19th August to 30th September in 2014. Participants of this study completed self-reported surveys via online. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and X2 tests to find the differences in perception and demands on palliative care according to the participants'features.60.5% of theparticipants replied having no knowledge about palliative care. 85.8% of the participants replied that palliative care wasrequired. 73.9% of the participants replied that they have intentionsto utilize the services of palliative care. Size of residence, level of education, monthly income, religion, health status, private insurance and family history were associated withknowledge of palliative care. Age, level of education, marital status, monthly income, religion, private insurance, present illness, and family historywere associated withintentions to utilizepalliative services. The people who know about palliative services tended to have intentions to utilize palliative services. It is necessary to improve public perception on palliative care by emphasizing that it could enhancethe quality of life of the terminally ill patients and help the dying patients to die dignified.

Internet search query analysis can be used to demonstrate the rapidly increasing public awareness of palliative care in the USA

BackgroundA lack of public awareness of palliative care (PC) has been identified as one of the main barriers to appropriate PC access. Internet search query analysis is a novel methodology,...

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION. AWARENESS OF HEALTH WORKERS OF AZERBAIJAN IN THE FIELD OF PALLIATIVE CARE - THE NEED OF THE HEALTH DEVELOPMENT

In Azerbaijan, the process of general education and training of health workers of palliative care has received little attention. In this regard, the country can choose a policy and program of development this field in order to improve the quality of care for seriously ill patients. Provision of medical care, especially in progressive and serious deaseses, associated with more complex ethical issues. Therefore, it is important to inform and study these issues and appropriate training of health care workers. In this connection, it is advisable to include information on palliative care in the educational programs of postgraduate training of medical workers of the country. Health care providers should be well trained in the field of palliative care, to be able to receive training and support in the workplace to acquire and use new skills. Everyone, especially the worker in the field of health care, may also participate in public awareness of palliative care.

Exploring public awareness and perceptions of palliative care: A qualitative study

Background: Research suggests that the public appear to be confused about the meaning of palliative care. Given the ageing population and associated increase in the number of patients requiring palliative care, it is vital to explore the public’s understanding of this concept. Health-promoting palliative care seeks to translate hospice and palliative care ideals into broader public health practice. Aim: To explore public perceptions of palliative care and identify strategies to raise awareness. Design: An exploratory qualitative approach. Participants: Semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken (N = 50) with members of the public who volunteered to participate in the study. The interviews focused on knowledge and perceptions of palliative care, expectations of palliative care services and the identification of strategies to raise public awareness of palliative care. The interviews were audio recorded and content analysed. Results: Most participants had a general knowledge of palliative care, largely influenced by their own personal experience. They identified that palliative care was about caring for people who were dying and maintaining comfort in the last days of life. Participant’s expectations of services included the following: holistic support, symptom management, good communication and practical support to enable choice and carer support. Key aspects identified for promoting palliative care were the development of understanding and use of the term itself and targeted educational strategies. Conclusion: Experience of palliative care generates understanding in the general public who also have ideas for increasing knowledge and awareness. The findings can inform policymakers about strategies to raise public awareness of palliative care.

Raising public awareness of palliative care

To coincide with Dying Matters Week, Sonja McIlfatrick argues that community nurses have an important role to play in promoting good quality end of life care

End of life in an Icelandic nursing home: an ethnographic study

To examine care of the dying elderly in a nursing home in Iceland. An ethnographic study design was adopted. The study sample comprised all of the nursing home residents, their relatives, and all of the staff working in the nursing home, but with a particular focus on the 11 registered nurses (RNs) on the site. Data was collected through participant observation, semi-structured group interviews with the RNs, and an examination of the nursing home's official records. Underlying themes were discovered using interpretative phenomenology. Two main themes emerged: that palliative care is the most important element of care in the home, and that RNs are the pillars of caring for the dying elderly in the nursing home. The findings suggest that RNs' professional knowledge can greatly contribute to the care of dying elderly residents in nursing homes. There seem to be many parallels between the condition and wellbeing of very frail nursing home residents and patients in specialized palliative care units for the elderly. Public awareness of palliative care of the elderly in Icelandic nursing homes should be encouraged.