There is widespread recognition of the need to improve end-of-life care in America. As part of a three-year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to address this complex issue in the state of Nevada, we have undertaken a general public survey on end-of-life care issues to better understand the public's experiences of the end-of-life and where improvement is specifically needed. At the time of this abstract submission the survey was well underway, scheduled for completion in spring 2000. The survey is a telephone survey of 800 households, randomly selected. Interviewees may also choose to complete portions of the survey by mail. Administered by trained interviewers, the survey explores each interviewee’s experience (whether of his/her own illness or that of a loved one) through questions that, for example, explore: what the comfort level in talking about terminal illness and end-of-life issues is/was, how information about end-of-life issues was obtained, whether an advance directive had been completed, who was most helpful during this experience, how well pain and non-pain symptoms were handled, whether there were discussions about physical, emotional, and/or spiritual issues and how adequate these were, where care was provided, whether hospice was used and, if so, the adequacy of care provided, and whether ancillary methodologies (meditation, massage, music therapy, etc.) were utilized. In addition, open-ended questions ask interviewees to detail the most positive and most negative aspects of this experience.
Learning Objectives: 1. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to better describe the public's experience with and understanding of end-of-life care. 2. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to identify specific aspects of end-of-life care that are, at least from the public's perspective, in need of improvement
Keywords: End-of-Life Care, Survey
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.