Palliative Care Knowledge and Attitudes Among Patients With Neuroinflammatory Diseases

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Palliative Care
• Neuroimmunology

Background:

• Neuroinflammatory diseases cause progressive disability.
• Palliative care (PC) utilization is low in neurology despite global increases.
• Understanding patient knowledge is key to improving PC integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess knowledge and attitudes towards palliative care (PC) in patients with neuroinflammatory diseases.
• To identify factors influencing PC knowledge in this population.
• To inform strategies for better PC integration in neurological care.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 86 patients with neuroinflammatory diseases.
• Utilized Palliative Care Knowledge Scale (PaCKS) and PC Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).
• Guided by Murray's transition theory, focusing on decision-making, communication, and coordinated care.

Main Results:

• 42% of patients had never heard of PC; 46% knew little.
• 50% understood PC goals and services.
• Higher education correlated with greater PC knowledge; memory loss impacted PaCKS scores.

Conclusions:

• Patients with neuroinflammatory diseases possess partial knowledge of palliative care.
• There is a significant need for early and ongoing patient education regarding PC.
• Integrating PC services effectively requires addressing knowledge gaps and patient-specific factors.