Healthcare Provider Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Hospice Care and Their Influencing Factors: A Cross-sectional Study in Shanghai

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 School of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

2 Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

3 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai, China

4 Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

Abstract

Background 
In 2017, the Chinese government launched a pilot project in hospice care (HC), in which Shanghai was a pioneer. Healthcare provider knowledge, attitudes, and practices in hospice care (KAPHC) may facilitate or hinder HC development. To determine how to design targeted training for healthcare providers and policies to improve their KAPHC, we conducted an original study based on an indigenized KAPHC scale to (a) comprehensively measure the KAPHC baseline of healthcare providers in Shanghai and (b) explore its influencing factors.

Methods 
A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate healthcare providers’ KAPHC with the indigenized KAPHC scale.  Descriptive analysis, linear regression, and Pearson’s (r) correlation analysis were performed to uncover providers’ KAPHC, its influencing factors, and their correlations.

Results 
The KAPHC scale proved applicable to the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the large sample of providers we surveyed. The 7027 KAPHC scaling results revealed that 42.44% of participants had HC experience and 57.49% were willing to provide HC. The mean accuracy of the responses related to knowledge was 59.30%. Scoring rates for attitudes, confidence, and self-reported practices were 74.20%, 73.96%, and 75.55%, respectively. The linear regression revealed that higher KAPHC scores were associated with experience and willingness and varied with professional specializations. The Pearson’s (r) correlation evidenced that HC practices were strongly correlated with confidence (r = 0.648, P < .001) and moderately correlated with attitudes (r = 0.463, P < .001).

Conclusion 
We uncovered that targeted training for enhancing healthcare provider KAPHC in Shanghai should focus on psychological and spiritual care, the management of pain and other symptoms, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Additionally, training should be scaled up for providers with different characteristics. Meanwhile, policy should encourage providers to work enthusiastically in HC—universal high-quality HC requires well-trained, supported, and motivated providers.

Keywords

References

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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 11, Issue 12
December 2022
Pages 3090-3100

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 June 2021
  • Revise Date: 27 July 2022
  • Accept Date: 31 July 2022
  • First Publish Date: 01 August 2022

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