Perceptions of Palliative Care: Demographics and Health Status Among the General Population in Florida and the United States.
Brenda W Dyal, Saunjoo L Yoon, Keesha L Powell-Roach and 5 others
PMID 37379569WHAT IT FOUND
In 2229 adults, younger age, greater rural identity, lower income or education, and Hispanic or Black background were linked with less agreement about palliative care goals and more misconceptions.
Nurses can address these in patient and family education.
Key findings
01Young adults aged 18 to 24 years were less likely than adults, middle adults, and older adults to agree that palliative care helps friends and family cope, offers social and emotional support, or manages pain and other physical symptoms.
02Respondents with greater rural identity were more likely to have the misconception that accepting palliative care means giving up (OR 1.39).
03Hispanic respondents and respondents with high school or less education were less likely to agree that palliative care manages pain and other physical symptoms, while White respondents were more likely than Black respondents to agree.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional survey of general-population perceptions, not patients or families already receiving palliative care. It measured associations at one time, so it cannot show that demographic factors cause lower palliative care knowledge or that education will change knowledge. The authors report that COVID-19 forced online data collection for both Florida samples, so sampling bias could have occurred, and they do not know whether respondents appeared in both Florida groups. Panel respondents may be less representative of the population, and some demographics may not have been considered. The paper does not test an intervention, so it cannot tell clinicians what palliative-care education works.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report a funding source or conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that palliative care education improves knowledge or use. The study surveyed general-population perceptions and did not test any educational intervention.