Kang Sook Jung, Jang Hae In
College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
J Hosp Palliat Care. 2024 Dec 1;27(4):149-161. doi: 10.14475/jhpc.2024.27.4.149.
This study explored the attitudes of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals toward death and their perceptions of hospice and palliative care, as well as their care needs. It also investigated their preferences for alternative decision-making and advance care planning options at the end of life.
A descriptive survey study was conducted with LGBT adults aged 18 and older. Participants were recruited through LGBT organizations and online communities, and data from 207 respondents were analyzed. Questionnaires were utilized to assess attitudes toward death, perceptions of hospice care, and care needs. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0, employing the t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients.
LGBT individuals generally had low attitudes toward death and negative perceptions of hospice care. Attitudes toward death varied significantly by sex, age, and education, while perceptions of hospice care differed significantly by sexual orientation and education. Care needs in hospice settings also varied significantly by age, gender identity, and education. Most LGBT participants preferred their biological family members (52%) and partners (39%) as surrogate decision-makers. A significant positive correlation was found between perceptions of hospice care and overall care needs.
The findings highlight the need for healthcare services tailored to LGBT individuals' specific needs. It is necessary to promote social understanding, awareness, and policy support to improve the quality of life for LGBT individuals through more inclusive and responsive healthcare services. It also points to the need for healthcare professionals to increase their awareness and understanding of these issues.
本研究探讨了女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋和跨性别（LGBT）群体对死亡的态度、他们对临终关怀和姑息治疗的看法以及他们的护理需求。研究还调查了他们在生命末期对替代决策和预先护理计划选项的偏好。
对18岁及以上的LGBT成年人进行了一项描述性调查研究。通过LGBT组织和在线社区招募参与者，并对207名受访者的数据进行了分析。使用问卷来评估对死亡的态度、对临终关怀的看法以及护理需求。使用SPSS 20.0进行统计分析，采用t检验、方差分析和皮尔逊相关系数。
LGBT群体对死亡的态度普遍较低，对临终关怀的看法也较为负面。对死亡的态度在性别、年龄和教育程度上存在显著差异，而对临终关怀的看法在性取向和教育程度上存在显著差异。临终关怀环境中的护理需求在年龄、性别认同和教育程度上也存在显著差异。大多数LGBT参与者更喜欢他们的亲生家庭成员（52%）和伴侣（39%）作为替代决策者。临终关怀护理的看法与总体护理需求之间存在显著的正相关。
研究结果凸显了针对LGBT群体特定需求提供医疗服务的必要性。有必要促进社会理解、提高认识并提供政策支持，以通过更具包容性和响应性的医疗服务来提高LGBT群体的生活质量。这也表明医疗专业人员需要提高对这些问题的认识和理解。
