TY - JOUR
T1 - Awareness and Actual Knowledge of Palliative Care Among Older People
T2 - A Dutch National Survey
AU - Bergman, Tessa D.
AU - van der Plas, Annicka G. M.
AU - Pasman, H. Roeline W.
AU - Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Centerdata of Tilburg University for advising us on the questionnaire. This study is part of a larger project which was funded by ZonMw (grant number 80-84400-98-717). The funders had no role in data collection and analysis, selection of respondents, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors declare that they have no potentially conflicting interests with respect to the research, authorship, or publication of this article. Funding Information: This study is part of a larger project which was funded by ZonMw (grant number 80-84400-98-717 ). The funders had no role in data collection and analysis, selection of respondents, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors declare that they have no potentially conflicting interests with respect to the research, authorship, or publication of this article. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Context: Lack of public knowledge of palliative care may be a barrier to timely use of palliative care and hinder engagement in advance care planning (ACP). Little research has been conducted on (the relationship between) awareness and actual knowledge of palliative care. Objectives: To determine awareness and actual knowledge of palliative care and explore factors that contribute to knowledge of palliative care among older people. Methods: A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 1242 Dutch people (≥ 65 years; response 93.2%) on whether they had heard of palliative care and knowledge statements about palliative care. Results: The majority had heard of the term palliative care (90.1%), and 47.1% reported to know (quite) exactly what it means. Most knew palliative care is not only for people with cancer (73.9%) and is not only provided in hospice facilities (60.6%). A minority knew palliative care can be provided alongside life-prolonging treatment (29.8%) and is not only for people who have a few weeks left to live (23.5%). Experience with palliative care through family, friends and/or acquaintances (range ORs: 1.35–3.39 for the four statements), higher education (ORs: 2.09–4.81), being female (ORs: 1.56–1.91), and higher income (OR: 1.93) were positively associated with one or more statements, while increasing age (ORs: 0.52–0.66) was negatively associated. Conclusion: Knowledge of palliative care is limited, stressing the need for population-wide interventions, including information meetings. Attention should be paid to timely attention for palliative care needs. This might stimulate ACP and raise public knowledge of (im) possibilities of palliative care.
AB - Context: Lack of public knowledge of palliative care may be a barrier to timely use of palliative care and hinder engagement in advance care planning (ACP). Little research has been conducted on (the relationship between) awareness and actual knowledge of palliative care. Objectives: To determine awareness and actual knowledge of palliative care and explore factors that contribute to knowledge of palliative care among older people. Methods: A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 1242 Dutch people (≥ 65 years; response 93.2%) on whether they had heard of palliative care and knowledge statements about palliative care. Results: The majority had heard of the term palliative care (90.1%), and 47.1% reported to know (quite) exactly what it means. Most knew palliative care is not only for people with cancer (73.9%) and is not only provided in hospice facilities (60.6%). A minority knew palliative care can be provided alongside life-prolonging treatment (29.8%) and is not only for people who have a few weeks left to live (23.5%). Experience with palliative care through family, friends and/or acquaintances (range ORs: 1.35–3.39 for the four statements), higher education (ORs: 2.09–4.81), being female (ORs: 1.56–1.91), and higher income (OR: 1.93) were positively associated with one or more statements, while increasing age (ORs: 0.52–0.66) was negatively associated. Conclusion: Knowledge of palliative care is limited, stressing the need for population-wide interventions, including information meetings. Attention should be paid to timely attention for palliative care needs. This might stimulate ACP and raise public knowledge of (im) possibilities of palliative care.
KW - Palliative care
KW - awareness
KW - cross-sectional study
KW - elderly, advance care planning
KW - end-of-life care
KW - knowledge
KW - terminal care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163348133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.05.005
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.05.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 37207787
SN - 0885-3924
VL - 66
SP - 193-202.e2
JO - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
JF - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
IS - 3
ER -