Palliative care in the Eastern Mediterranean: comparative analysis using specific indicators

Psychological distress and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Omani nurses: Strategies for nursing practice

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the psychological distress and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Oman's nurses, highlighting the importance of changing negative attitudes toward mental health among healthcare professionals. Nurses face difficult circumstances and serve as role models. Creating supportive environments can improve treatment quality and public awareness and reduce social stigma, ultimately contributing to better care and quality of life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional design with a convenience sampling approach. A sample of 205 nurses working in Oman completed the study questionnaires, including a sociodemographic questionnaire, the attitude toward seeking professional psychological distress scale, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The survey was distributed between May and June 2023.

RESULT

The study found that most participants had moderate psychological distress (43.22%, n = 67) and a low attitude toward seeking professional psychological help (66.67%, n = 48). There were significant differences in distress based on gender (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), and working department (F = 3.140, P = 0.004), while attitude had significant differences based on gender (P < 0.001) and marital status (P < 0.001). The study also found no significant correlation between psychological distress and attitudes toward seeking help among Oman's nurses (T (1, 204) = 0.019, P = 0.985), with a r2 of 0.005.

CONCLUSION

Nurses must be trained to handle stress and job strain from terminally ill patients, complex cases, and difficult situations. They should prioritize psychological assistance as a sign of strength and self-awareness as it demonstrates stability and self-awareness in nursing. This can be promoted by obtaining education, enhancing healthcare accessibility, and providing a support system.

Public Awareness of Palliative Care: A Nationally Representative Sample of Jordanian Adults

CONTEXT

Internationally, studies suggest that inadequate comprehension of the concept of palliative care and misconceptions about it hinder the effective use of palliative care, especially in developing nations.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the awareness of the adult population in Jordan regarding palliative care.

METHODS

The study used a cross-sectional design and an online self-administered questionnaire survey. The recruitment method was convenience snowball sampling of three thousand nine hundred forty-two Jordanian adults covering 12 governorates. Participants were recruited through social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. The process of gathering data commenced in October -December 2023. Descriptive statistics were computed.

RESULTS

A study of 3942 respondents in Jordan found that 45% have some knowledge of palliative care, with 31% being pretty knowledgeable. Most respondents (89%) strongly agree that patients with incurable illnesses should receive palliative care, with cancer patients showing the highest level of agreement (96%). The most agreed-upon aspect of palliative care is controlling pain and symptoms at home, while the least agreed-upon aspect is providing information on benefits and financial matters. The study also highlighted the link between palliative care and mortality, suggesting the need for increased awareness and education.

CONCLUSION

The demand for palliative care in Jordan is increasing, requiring increased access, a holistic approach, open discussions, and easily accessible information. Challenges include integrating palliative care into non-malignant progressive diseases, ensuring comprehensive end-of-life care, promoting societal receptiveness towards mortality, enhancing information accessibility, and health promotion efforts. The study's results indicate the importance of implementing educational strategies and engaging families and communities in policymaking to change public knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care.

Knowledge and Attitude of the General Public Toward Palliative Care in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Palliative care is directed to relieve the symptoms of serious and life-threatening illnesses. Unfortunately, it's usually provided lately in the disease course in developing countries due to a lack of awareness about its concept, which deprives many patients of its benefits. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitude of the Jordanian general public toward palliative care. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnaire via social media platforms. Knowledge about palliative care was measured using the "Palliative Care Knowledge Scale" (PaCKS), whereas the attitude was measured using an edited version of the "Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying -B(FATCOD-B)" tool. The inclusion criteria were adults older than 18 years old who live in Jordan. Any subject who was younger than 18 years old, refused to give informed consent, and working or studying in a healthcare-related profession was excluded. 329 respondents filled out the survey (females = 214 (65%), mean age = 32.7 ± (13.63) years). Only 67 respondents (20.4%) heard about palliative care previously. The average knowledge score (out of 13) was 6.8 (±4.2). The average attitude score (out of 5) was 3.0 (±.4). Higher knowledge self-evaluation, older age, and higher income were factors associated with a higher level of knowledge and favorable attitude toward palliative care. Our study showed a moderate knowledge and neutral attitude toward palliative care. Further awareness campaigns should be conducted to raise the awareness of the Jordanian society regarding the objectives of palliative care.

Effectiveness of an Educational Workshop on Palliative Care Knowledge in Lebanese Nurses

Background

Lebanon is one of the world's smallest countries, with an area of 10,452 square kilometers. Life expectancy in Lebanon presently stands at about 76.6 years for men and 79.3 years for women. It is well known that with long life comes chronic disease, serious illness, and increased resource utilization. With a rapidly aging population and ever-increasing life expectancy, an increase in illnesses that affect the elderly is expected to follow, including non-communicable diseases and cancer. Nurses are the largest workforce in Lebanon and are thus in a prominent position to influence the quality of palliative care (PC) delivery throughout the course of illness.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational workshop on PC knowledge, attitude, and skills for practicing nurses at a Lebanese university medical center.

Design

A mixed-method approach comprising a quasi-experimental and a qualitative process evaluation was followed to assess the nurses' knowledge, attitude, and skills about PC before and after the workshop and to evaluate the process itself. A convenience sample of 45 registered nurses working at the university medical center from multiple clinical units participated in the workshop that took place over one day in a referral medical center in Beirut. Inferential statistical analysis was used.

Results

Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 for Windows. The paired t test showed a significant increase between the pre-and post-test scores t (39) = 11.07, p < 0.001 with a 95% confidence interval for the mean difference of (17.58-25.45). Thirty-eight participants (90.5%) did not pass the pre-test exam whereas only 12 participants (30.0%) did not pass the post-test exam.

Recommendations

It is highly recommended to follow up with the participants of this workshop to determine the immediate and long-term outcomes of this educational workshop as well as offer workshops for a wider population of nurses in Lebanon and the region.

Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perception Toward Pediatric Palliative Care in Saudi Arabia: A National Exploratory Survey

Background

Pediatric palliative care (PPC) helps maintain the quality of life for both children and their families. It has been identified as an important goal within the global health agenda. In Saudi Arabia, the discipline remains in its infancy, as illustrated by the absence of PPC programs in academic and health care institutions.

Aim

The aim was to conduct a pilot study assessing physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward PPC.

Method

Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire sent to physicians working in Saudi Arabia.

Results

One hundred twelve completed the survey (male 54.2%, n = 50). A total of 40.8% (n = 42) had 20 years or more of experience, 42.9% (n = 48) were from the hematology-oncology specialty, and 68.5% (n = 74) received no training in PPC. Half suggested that children should be informed of their condition but mostly when reaching 12 or 15 years of age. Various physicians reported that the most appropriate time to discuss a transition to palliative care goals is when diagnosing an incurable condition or when despite all efforts, a condition continues to progress and death is expected.

Conclusion

Multiple gaps were identified. PPC basic concepts should be included in the formal medical curriculum (e.g., pain management, communication, and ethical considerations at the end of life). There is also a significant need to develop further both primary and specialized palliative care.