The approach of internal medicine healthcare personnel to palliative care

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers in internal medicine wards often encounter challenges while providing palliative care due to a lack of training, emotional support, and organizational resources. Existing studies have explored attitudes toward palliative care in specialized teams, but less is known about internal medicine workers' perspectives. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the attitudes of internal medicine staff, analyzing demographic and professional factors, and assessing specific features, including knowledge of the legal aspects of palliative care.

Methods: A novel, 20-item questionnaire was distributed to 106 healthcare workers from six internal medicine departments at a tertiary care hospital in Israel. The questionnaire assessed participants' demographic and professional data, attitudes toward palliative care, self-perceived knowledge, emotional support needs, and organizational support. Responses were scored on a 0-10 Likert scale, with higher scores indicating stronger agreement. Data analysis included one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA), chi-square tests, and descriptive statistics.

Results: Participants included nurses (61%), medical doctors (32.4%), and other healthcare personnel (6.7%). Perceived knowledge and training were rated as moderately adequate (6.0/10 and 5.6/10, respectively), while organizational support was rated similarly (6.0/10). Emotional support from family and friends (6.5/10) was deemed higher than from institutions (4.8/10). Nurses and medical doctors reported insufficient time for palliative conversations (4.8/10 and 4.18/10). Healthcare workers disagreed that palliative care should be restricted to terminally ill patients (2.89/10). Statistically significant differences were observed in attitudes toward palliative care across professions, marital status, and years of experience. Ethnic and religious affiliations did not influence attitudes towards palliative care.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for targeted training, enhanced organizational support, and mentorship programs to address gaps in palliative care delivery within internal medicine departments. Addressing these needs can improve healthcare workers' preparedness and ultimately raise the quality of care for terminally ill patients.

Keywords: End-of-life patients (EOL patients); internal department; staff attitudes.