Yujun Zhu|Susan Enguídanos
When Patients Say They Know About Palliative Care, How Much Do They Really Understand?
University of Southern California|University of Southern California
contextlack knowledge misconceptions palliative care pc serve barriers accessing pc seriously ill patients although selfreported rates pc knowledge increasing little known selfreports relate actual pc knowledgeobjectiveto determine prevalence pc knowledge portion reporting knowledgeable actual pc knowledge basic pc principalsmethodswe used health information national trends survey 5 cycle 2 nationally representative data set describe prevalence selfreported pc knowledge conducted chisquared test compare selfrated pc knowledge level actual knowledge finally ran logistic regression examine selfreported knowledge level age cancer history associated actual pc knowledgeresultsabout 34 participants selfreported least knowledge pc 41 reporting familiarities pc able answer three basic pc questions correctly rates correct responses cancer patients similar 42 general sample older adults lower 35 compared less high school education people bachelors degree postbaccalaureate degree higher odds ratio 2107 2307 respectively actual understanding pcconclusionswe found selfreported pc knowledge may reflect actual pc knowledge physicians carefully explain pc introducing patients addition pc information provided low literacy level ensure widespread understanding service