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The effects of community-wide dissemination of information on perceptions of palliative care, knowledge about opioids, and sense of security among cancer patients, their families, and the general public

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Abstract

Purpose

Prejudices against palliative care are a potential barrier to quality end-of-life care. There have been few large-scale community-wide interventions to distribute appropriate information about palliative care, and no studies have investigated their impact on cancer patients, their families, and the general public. Thus, we conducted a 3-year community intervention and evaluated the effects of distributing such information at the community level, and explored associations among levels of exposure, perceptions, knowledge, and the sense of security achieved.

Methods

Over a period of 3 years, we provided flyers, booklets, posters, and public lectures about palliative care in four regions of Japan, and carried out pre- and post-intervention surveys with repeated cross-sectional samplings of cancer patients (pre 859, post 857), bereaved family members (1110, 1137), and the general public (3984, 1435). The levels of exposure to the provided information were measured by a multiple-choice questionnaire after intervention. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for perceptions of palliative care, knowledge about opioids, and sense of security among the exposure groups.

Results

Overall perceptions of palliative care, opioids, and receiving care at home improved significantly among the general public and families, but not among the patients at the community level. However, multiple regression revealed that patients of extensive exposure category had significantly more positive perceptions of palliative care to those of non-exposure category (p = 0.02). The sense of security regarding cancer care of all patients, family members, and the general public improved. Among others, the respondents who reported extensive exposure in the general public and family members scored significantly higher sense of security.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that providing palliative care information via small media and lectures in the community is effective in improving perceptions of palliative care and knowledge about opioids among the community dwellers, especially for caregivers of the patients. The acquisition of adequate knowledge about palliative care from various information sources may improve people’s sense of security regarding cancer.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank all staff of the participating institutions.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

This trial was registered with UMIN Clinical Trial Registry, Japan (UMIN000001274). Ethical and scientific validity was confirmed by the institutional review boards of all participating hospitals.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by the Third Term Comprehensive Control Research for Cancer Health and Labor Sciences Research Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, 2355 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan

    Miki Akiyama

  2. Center for the Study of Communication Design, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Kei Hirai

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Toru Takebayashi & Ayano Takeuchi

  4. Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Palliative Care Team, and Seirei Hospice, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan

    Tatsuya Morita

  5. Department of Palliative Nursing, Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Mitsunori Miyashita

  6. Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan

    Akemi Yamagishi

  7. Department of Palliative Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital, East Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan

    Hiroya Kinoshita

  8. Shirahige Clinic, Nagasaki, Japan

    Yutaka Shirahige

  9. Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Kenji Eguchi

Authors
  1. Miki Akiyama
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  2. Kei Hirai
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  3. Toru Takebayashi
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  4. Tatsuya Morita
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  5. Mitsunori Miyashita
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  6. Ayano Takeuchi
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  7. Akemi Yamagishi
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  8. Hiroya Kinoshita
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  9. Yutaka Shirahige
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  10. Kenji Eguchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miki Akiyama.

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Akiyama, M., Hirai, K., Takebayashi, T. et al. The effects of community-wide dissemination of information on perceptions of palliative care, knowledge about opioids, and sense of security among cancer patients, their families, and the general public. Support Care Cancer 24, 347–356 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2788-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2788-4

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