Preference for initiation of end-of-life care discussion in Indonesia: a quantitative study

BMC Palliative Care

Venita Eng¹  Aria Kekalih²  Victoria Hewitt³ 

[1] Indonesian Cancer Foundation Jakarta Chapter, Jalan Baru Sunter Permai Raya no.2, Jakarta Utara, 14340, Jakarta, Indonesia;Master Program in Occupational Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jl. Pegangsaan Timur No.16, RT.1/RW.1, Pegangsaan, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, 10310, Jakarta, Indonesia;Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK;

关键词: End-of-life care;    Communication;    Preference;    Developing countries;    Online questionnaire;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12904-021-00894-0

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundInitiating discussion about death and dying is often considered a difficult topic for healthcare providers, thus there is a need for further research to understand this area, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe preferences for the initiation of end-of-life care discussions in Indonesia, comparing the general population and health care professionals.MethodsThis cross-sectional, descriptive study analysed quantitative data from 368 respondents to an online questionnaire (255 general population (69%); 113 healthcare professionals (31%)) utilizing consecutive sampling and snowball sampling methods.ResultsOverall, most respondents (80%) stated that they would like to discuss end-of-life issues with a healthcare professional in the case of terminal illness. This was more marked amongst healthcare professionals compared with the general population (94% vs. 75%, respectively, p < 0,001). The preferred time for discussion was at first diagnosis (68% general population, 52% healthcare professionals, p = 0.017) and the preferred person to start the discussion was the doctor (59% general population, 71% healthcare professionals, p = 0.036). Fewer respondents wanted to know about prognosis compared to diagnosis (overall 76% v 93% respectively).ConclusionDoctors have vital role in end-of-life care discussion, and attempts should be made to encourage physicians to initiate these conversations and respond to patient’s requests when needed. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this area of practice, with focus on a developing country. The role of socio-cultural influences on these conversations warrants further research, in order to develop practical resources to support clinicians to appropriately conduct end-of-life care discussions with their patients and to provide data for policymakers to develop services.

【 授权许可】

CC BY