Exploring Misconceptions of Palliative Care Among Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Pilot Study.
Mostafa Abasseri, Shakira Hoque, Kim Caldwell and 4 others
PMID 39157978WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with liver cancer often thought palliative care meant end-of-life or giving up treatment.
After a brief explanation, 17 reported improved perceptions, while 4 still disliked the name. Ask what patients already believe and clarify early.
Key findings
0116 participants thought palliative care was reserved for end-of-life or meant stopping active treatment.
02All 21 participants reported having at least one aspect of their care that could have been addressed by palliative care.
03After hearing a standardised definition, 17 participants reported improved perceptions, and 4 continued to reject palliative care because of the name.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
All patients were recruited from one hospital, so views may not apply elsewhere. Three invited patients declined because discussing palliative care was uncomfortable, so the sample may have included more accepting people. Patients with severe hepatic encephalopathy were excluded, so the study does not cover a group that may need palliative care. Transcripts were not returned to participants, interviews were not repeated, and no field notes were taken. The study explored immediate perceptions after a definition, not whether education changes palliative care uptake, symptom control, or survival.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that brief education increases palliative care uptake or improves survival. The study measured immediate perceptions in 21 patients at one hospital, and 3 invited patients declined because of palliative care content, so it cannot show that education changes referral or outcomes.