Background
Methods
Study design
Sample, participants, setting, and recruitment
Questionnaire
Statistical analysis
Results
Characteristics of the participants
Project | Category | Life-sustaining treatment attitudes at the end of life | Total | x trend 2/x2 | P‧ | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Active treatment | Comfortable support treatment | No treatment needed | (n = 519) | ||||
(n = 181) | (n = 265) | (n = 73) | |||||
Area of residence | Rural-urban fringe | 108 (40.15) | 124 (46.10) | 37 (13.75) | 269 (51.83) | 7.186 | 0.028* |
Urban area | 73 (29.20) | 141 (56.40) | 36 (14.40) | 250 (48.17) | |||
Gender | Male | 79 (34.80) | 116 (51.10) | 32 (14.10) | 227 (43.74) | 0.001 | 0.975 |
Female | 102 (34.93) | 149 (51.03) | 41 (14.04) | 292 (56.26) | |||
Age | 40 ~ 49 | 34 (41.46) | 42 (51.22) | 6 (7.32) | 82 (15.80) | 12.988 | < 0.001c |
50 ~ 59 | 51 (47.22) | 43 (39.81) | 14 (12.96) | 108 (20.81) | |||
60 ~ 69 | 52 (30.41) | 94 (54.97) | 25 (14.62) | 171 (32.95) | |||
70 ~ 79 | 34 (30.09) | 63 (55.75) | 16 (14.16) | 113 (21.77) | |||
> 80 | 10 (22.22) | 23 (51.11) | 12 (26.67) | 45 (8.67) | |||
Marital status | Single | 22 (33.85) | 34 (52.31) | 9 (13.85) | 65 (12.52) | 0.048 | 0.976 |
Married | 159 (35.02) | 231 (50.88) | 64 (14.10) | 454 (87.48) | |||
Education level | Primary school and below | 28 (45.16) | 25 (40.32) | 9 (14.52) | 62 (11.94) | 2.677 | 0.102 |
Junior | 52 (34.90) | 73 (48.99) | 24 (16.11) | 149 (28.71) | |||
High School/Technical School | 52 (35.37) | 72 (48.98) | 23 (15.65) | 147 (28.32) | |||
Junior college or above | 60 (28.85) | 123 (59.15) | 25 (12.02) | 208 (40.08) | |||
Monthly after-tax income (RMB) | No income | 14 (51.85) | 9 (33.33) | 4 (14.81) | 27 (5.20) | 1.753 | 0.185 |
1 ~ 3000 | 39 (39.39) | 45 (45.45) | 15 (15.15) | 99 (19.08) | |||
3001 ~ 5000 | 70 (33.02) | 110 (51.89) | 32 (15.09) | 212 (40.85) | |||
5001 ~ 10,000 | 51 (34.00) | 83 (55.33) | 16 (10.67) | 150 (28.90) | |||
> 10,000 | 7 (22.58) | 18 (58.06) | 6 (19.35) | 31 (5.97) | |||
Medical insurance | Out of pocket | 10 (34.48) | 12 (41.38) | 7 (24.14) | 29 (5.59) | 4.868 | 0.561 |
New rural cooperative medical service | 32 (42.11) | 35 (46.05) | 9 (11.84) | 76 (14.64) | |||
Basic medical insurance for urban residents | 42 (34.15) | 64 (52.03) | 17 (13.82) | 123 (23.70) | |||
Basic medical insurance for urban workers | 97 (33.33) | 154 (52.92) | 40 (13.75) | 291 (56.07) | |||
Religious beliefs | No | 27 (7.40) | 148 (40.55) | 190 (52.05) | 365 (70.33) | 1.759a | 0.079 |
Yes | 16 (10.40) | 70 (45.50) | 68 (44.20) | 154 (29.67) | |||
Experience of the death of an immediately family member | Yes | 127 (34.79) | 190 (52.05) | 48 (13.15) | 365 (70.33) | 0.973 | 0.615 |
No | 54 (35.06) | 75 (48.70) | 25 (16.23) | 154 (29.67) | |||
Experience of caring for dying patients | Yes | 95 (37.55) | 127 (50.20) | 31 (12.25) | 253 (48.75) | 2.237 | 0.327 |
No | 86 (32.33) | 138 (51.88) | 42 (15.79) | 266 (51.25) |
Current situation of community residents’ awareness of hospice care
Project | Category | Life-sustaining treatment attitudes at the end of life | Total (n = 519) | x2 | P‧ | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Active treatment (n = 181) | Comfortable support treatment (n = 265) | No treatment needed (n = 73) | |||||
Awareness of hospice care | Better understanding | 11 (25.58) | 29 (67.44) | 3 (6.98) | 43 (8.29) | 18.382 | 0.001** |
Basic understanding | 61 (27.98) | 127 (58.26) | 30 (13.76) | 218 (42.00) | |||
No understanding | 109 (42.24) | 109 (42.25) | 40 (15.50) | 258 (49.71) | |||
Total | 181 (34.88) | 265 (51.05) | 73 (14.06) | 519 (100.00) |
Community residents’ attitudes towards life-sustaining treatment at the end of life
The relationship between community residents’ awareness of hospice care and their attitudes towards life support therapy
Attitudes towards life-sustaining treatment at the end of life by participants’ demographic characteristics
Community demand for hospice care services
Service expectations (multiple choice) | Preferred location (multiple choice) | Expectations about number of beds per room | Out-of-pocket costs (RMB/month) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expectation | Frequency | Percentage | Location | Frequency | Percentage | Number of beds | Frequency | Percentage | Cost | Frequency | Percentage | |
1 | Reduced discomfort | 392 | 75.53 | Professional hospice care institutions | 258 | 49.71 | One | 234 | 45.09 | < 200 | 324 | 62.43 |
2 | Medical help | 313 | 60.31 | General hospital | 230 | 44.32 | Two | 252 | 48.55 | 200 ~ 400 | 138 | 26.59 |
3 | Company | 260 | 50.10 | Home | 206 | 39.69 | Three | 27 | 5.2 | 400 ~ 600 | 32 | 6.17 |
4 | Assistance in completing a will | 214 | 41.23 | Pension agency | 205 | 39.5 | Other | 6 | 1.16 | 600 ~ 800 | 12 | 2.31 |
5 | Funeral preparations | 177 | 34.1 | Community health center | 114 | 21.97 | > 800 | 13 | 2.50 |
Need (multiple choice) | Frequency‧ | Percentage‧ |
---|---|---|
Hospice care is now necessary in medical institutions | 431 | 83.04 |
Hospice care drugs and services should be covered by medical insurance reimbursement | 454 | 87.48 |
Hospice patients should be accompanied by family members | 461 | 88.82 |
Special equipment is needed (automatic bathing machine, automatic turning bed, etc.) | 427 | 82.27 |
A farewell room/care room should be provided | 431 | 83.04 |