Introducing Palliative Care: Family Caregivers’ Knowledge,Exposure,and Preferred Messaging

Abstract

Objective

Most family caregivers have never heard of palliative care, making it challenging for clinicians to introduce the subspecialty. The purpose of this study was to explore family caregivers' palliative care knowledge, exposure, and preferred messaging for an introduction to palliative care.

Methods

Semi-structured phone interviews with family caregivers of patients eligible to receive palliative care were conducted.

Results

Knowledge of palliative care was significantly associated with having heard about and being offered palliative care. Caregiver exposure to palliative care was associated with age and race, with older, White caregivers significantly more likely to have heard about palliative care compared to Hispanic caregivers. Caregivers positively endorsed all message strategies designed for introducing palliative care.

Conclusions

All five introductory messaging strategies in this study were positively received by participants, providing initial direction for clinicians on how to tailor introductory messaging about palliative care.