Community Attitudes Towards Palliative Care – Summary Report — August 2006

3.6 Change

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There has been an increase in awareness and understanding of palliative care since 2002, most likely due to an increase in Australians having contact with palliative care services. There has been little shift in Australians attitudes to palliative care.

3.6.1 Change in community awareness

Over seven in ten Australians were aware of palliative care in 2002. In 2006, over eight in ten Australians were aware. This represents an increase of nine percentage points.

Figure 19: Awareness of palliative care

Q3: Have you heard of palliative care?

Q4: And how would you describe your level of knowledge about palliative care?

Base: All respondents 2002 (n=750) and 2006 (n=750)

Results

for 2002
Not aware 24%
Only heard the words 13%
Know a little bit 42%
Could explain to another 31%
Total Aware 76%

for 2006
Not aware 15%
Only heard the words 13%
Know a little bit 34%
Could explain to another 37%
Total Aware 85%

This increase in awareness was most likely due to increased contact with palliative care services. In 2006, close to five in ten Australians reported some contact with palliative care services compared to four in ten in 2002.

Community awareness and understanding of palliative care services has increased since 2002. Top of page

3.6.2 Change in community understanding

There has been an overall increase in Australians understanding of palliative care. Compared with 2002, in 2006 fewer Australians said that they ‘did not know’ how to describe palliative care, the aims of palliative care, or the location of palliative care. In 2006, Australians are better able to describe these aspects of palliative care.

However, understanding of the specific services of under palliative care appears to have decreased since 2002.

Figure 20: Description

Base: All respondents 2002/2006 (n = 750)

Results

for 2002
Comfort 35%
Pain relief 15%
Qol 9%
Family support 9%
Dignity 12%
Don't know 31%

for 2006
Comfort 43%
Pain relief 19%
Qol 16%
Family support 15%
Dignity 14%
Don't know 6%

Figure 21: Aims

Base: All respondents 2002/2006 (n = 750)

Results

for 2002
Care for terminally ill 55%
Comfort 17%
Pain control 12%
Care for elderly 12%
Don't know 23%

for 2006
Care for terminally ill 50%
Comfort 15%
Pain control 12%
Care for elderly 11%
Don't know 2%

Figure 22: Locations

Base: All respondents 2002/2006 (n = 750)
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Results

for 2002
In home 46%
At hospital 43%
Hospice 38%
Nursing home 5%
Don't know 25%

for 2006
In home 51%
At hospital 48%
Hospice 33%
Nursing home 26%
Don't know 3%

Figure 23: Services

Base: All respondents 2002/2006 (n = 750)

Results

for 2002
Nursing visits 45%
Counselling 18%
Pain relief 7%
Feeding/showering 14%
Don't know 18%

for 2006
Nursing visits 27%
Counselling 16%
Pain relief 14%
Feeding/showering 11%
Don't know 35%

The community’s understanding of the aims and locations under palliative care hasincreased since 2002. Top of page

3.6.3 Change in community attitudes

Despite an increase in awareness and understanding of palliative care, there has been little change in attitudes towards palliative care.

Figure 24: Changes in attitudes towards palliative care

Q18. Here are statements that other people have used when discussing palliative care and I’d like to know how strongly you agree or disagree with each.

Base: All respondents 2002 (n=750) and 2006 (n=750)
The bars depict the sum of ‘strongly agree’ and ‘agree’ responses

Results

for 2002
Emotional support 95%
Ageing population 93%
Doctor's obligation to inform 94%
Community learn more 96%
Die with dignity 82%
Support and assistance 91%
Allow the patient to choose 74%
Referred by Dr to hospital 67%
Euthanasia 36%
PC is free 29%
Don't want to know anything 23%
Older people 22%
Cancer patients 6%

for 2002
Emotional support 96%
Ageing population 94%
Doctor's obligation to inform 93%
Community learn more 92%
Die with dignity 89%
Support and assistance 89%
Allow the patient to choose 66%
Referred by Dr to hospital 65%
Euthanasia 33%
PC is free 26%
Don't want to know anything 19%
Older people 18%
Cancer patients 4%

Despite an increased understanding, community attitudes towards palliative care have not changed substantially since 2002.

Similar levels of agreement were observed in 2002 and 2006 for attitudinal statements such as:

Palliative care is mostly for older people;

• To obtain palliative care, you need to be referred by a doctor or hospital;
• Palliative care is free;
• Palliative care is only available for cancer patients;
• Palliative care allows the patient to choose the care they need as they live the remainder of their life;
• It is a doctor’s obligation to inform all patients with a life threatening illness about palliative care;
• I don’t want to know anything about palliative care unless someone I know needs it;
• The community needs to learn more about palliative care;
• With an ageing population, the need for palliative care is going to increase;
• Palliative care is about the emotional support as well as the medical side of care;
• Palliative care provides support and assistance to the patient, family and carer;
• Euthanasia is the opposite of palliative care; and
• Palliative care helps people die with dignity. Top of page

3.6.4 Change in provider attitudes

Most providers identified developments and changes in the recent five years that centered on an increased focus on providing holistic care for not only for patients, but also the carers and families via an integrated network of services.

Some recent changes identified by the providers included:

• Improvements in technology and expertise in providing medicalised support i.e. pain and symptom management, therapy treatments to help patients feel more comfortable;
• An increase in awareness and understanding of palliative care in the community;
• An increase in the number of clients;
• An increase in understanding from other healthcare professionals;
• Greater recognition of palliative care as a specialty;
• More education and training for the volunteers; and
• Development of paediatric palliative care as a sub-specialty.

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