TY - JOUR

T1 - Self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour towards hospice care and how are these related to training in palliative care

T2 - An online survey among oncologists in the Czech republic and Slovakia

AU - Loucka, Martin

AU - Pasman, Roeline H.

AU - Brearley, Sarah G.

AU - Payne, Sheila A.

AU - Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - Oncologists have a central role as ‘gate keepers’ in terms of referring patients to palliative and hospice care. This role is even more important in countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where palliative care is still developing. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of Czech and Slovak oncologists towards hospice care and their attendance of palliative care training.Methods: The method was an anonymous online questionnaire created by the LimeSurvey software. All members of national Oncological Society in the Czech Republic and Slovakia were invited to participate. Eighty-four oncologists completed the survey.Results: Czech and Slovak oncologists’ attendance of palliative care training is significantly associated with their attitudes and behaviour towards hospice care. Respondents who had any additional palliative care training felt more knowledgeable and were more likely to discuss hospice care with their patients and families than oncologists without such training. Additionally, they also found delivering bad news less difficult and referred more terminal patients to hospice care than those with no training.Conclusion: Training in palliative care can influence how oncologists discuss hospice care and refer their patients to such care. This should be reflected in curricula for medical students and in postgraduate education for oncologists and other health care providers, especially in countries with less integrated palliative care such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia.

AB - Oncologists have a central role as ‘gate keepers’ in terms of referring patients to palliative and hospice care. This role is even more important in countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where palliative care is still developing. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of Czech and Slovak oncologists towards hospice care and their attendance of palliative care training.Methods: The method was an anonymous online questionnaire created by the LimeSurvey software. All members of national Oncological Society in the Czech Republic and Slovakia were invited to participate. Eighty-four oncologists completed the survey.Results: Czech and Slovak oncologists’ attendance of palliative care training is significantly associated with their attitudes and behaviour towards hospice care. Respondents who had any additional palliative care training felt more knowledgeable and were more likely to discuss hospice care with their patients and families than oncologists without such training. Additionally, they also found delivering bad news less difficult and referred more terminal patients to hospice care than those with no training.Conclusion: Training in palliative care can influence how oncologists discuss hospice care and refer their patients to such care. This should be reflected in curricula for medical students and in postgraduate education for oncologists and other health care providers, especially in countries with less integrated palliative care such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia.

KW - Eastern Europe

KW - Education

KW - End of life care

KW - Hospice-hospital collaboration

KW - Terminal care

U2 - 10.1179/1743291X13Y.0000000067

DO - 10.1179/1743291X13Y.0000000067

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84921895747

VL - 23

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - Progress in Palliative Care

JF - Progress in Palliative Care

SN - 0969-9260

IS - 1

ER -