Wei Lu, Xu Zhenrong, Chen Ying, Gao Yanhong
Department of Geriatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Psychiatry Clin Psychopharmacol. 2025 Mar 17;35(1):60-68. doi: 10.5152/pcp.2025.24924. eCollection 2025 Mar.
This study aimed to investigate the awareness and attitude toward hospice and palliative care among healthcare professionals in a tertiary hospital in China.
A convenience sampling method was utilized to collect data from healthcare professionals in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. A self-designed questionnaire was employed with reference to existing tools. The survey collected participants' demographic information, previous training experience, as well as assessed their knowledge and attitudes toward hospice and palliative care.
Two hundred ninteen participants were recruited. One hundred seventy-two individuals (78.5%) demonstrated awareness of hospice and palliative care. Compared to staff in other sections, healthcare professionals in the geriatrics department exhibited significantly higher levels of awareness ( = .011). Only 47 individuals (21.5%) reported having received prior training in hospice and palliative care. Two hundred nine participants (95.4%) expressed demands for further training in the related field. Further analysis revealed significant differences in the overall scores of hospice and palliative care attitudes among healthcare professionals with different educational backgrounds ( = .036). Professionals with master's and doctoral degrees scored significantly higher than those with bachelor's degrees. Healthcare professionals between the ages of 36 and 45 demonstrated higher scores than their younger counterparts, particularly in domains related to the perception and usage of hospice and palliative care ( = .020). Physicians in the geriatrics department exhibited significantly higher scores than nurses regarding attitudes toward illness and individuals with end-stage diseases.
Healthcare professionals in tertiary hospitals possess a certain level of awareness and recognition of hospice and palliative care. This will provide an important basis for the promotion of hospice and palliative care in tertiary hospitals. Tertiary hospitals should establish hospice and palliative training centers, organize multidisciplinary cooperation teams, and carry out life and death education starting with healthcare professionals.
本研究旨在调查中国一家三级医院的医护人员对临终关怀和姑息治疗的认知与态度。
采用便利抽样法，从中国上海一家三级医院的医护人员中收集数据。参照现有工具设计了一份自填式问卷。该调查收集了参与者的人口统计学信息、既往培训经历，并评估了他们对临终关怀和姑息治疗的知识与态度。
共招募了219名参与者。172人（78.5%）知晓临终关怀和姑息治疗。与其他科室的工作人员相比，老年医学科的医护人员知晓水平显著更高（P = 0.011）。仅有47人（21.5%）报告曾接受过临终关怀和姑息治疗方面的培训。209名参与者（95.4%）表示有进一步接受相关领域培训的需求。进一步分析显示，不同教育背景的医护人员在临终关怀和姑息治疗态度的总体得分上存在显著差异（P = 0.036）。拥有硕士和博士学位的专业人员得分显著高于拥有学士学位的人员。36至45岁的医护人员得分高于年轻同行，尤其是在临终关怀和姑息治疗的认知与应用方面（P = 0.020）。在对疾病和晚期疾病患者的态度方面，老年医学科的医生得分显著高于护士。
三级医院的医护人员对临终关怀和姑息治疗有一定程度的认知和认可。这将为三级医院推广临终关怀和姑息治疗提供重要依据。三级医院应建立临终关怀和姑息治疗培训中心，组建多学科合作团队，并从医护人员入手开展生死教育。
