Assessment of Palliative Care Awareness among Undergraduate Healthcare Students
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research - Year 2017, Vol 11, Issue 9
Abstract
Introduction: Palliative care knowledge is being given meager importance in the curriculum of medical and other allied medical sciences. It is vital that all health care practitioners including medical, pharmacy, physiotherapy and nursing are aware and apply the best principles of palliative care. Aim: To assess the awareness of palliative care among undergraduate students of medical, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy. Materials and Methods: The study population included total of 200 students. Among 200 students, 50 were from each of the colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy. After obtaining informed consent, questionnaire was given. The questionnaire contained the sociodemographic profile and 35 statements under nine groups, for which the respondents were expected to answer one out of the three options (Yes, No, Don’t know). The groups of statements deal with palliative care definition, its philosophy, communication issues, nonpain symptoms, medications use and context of application of palliative care. Results: It was found that less than 20% of nursing students were unaware of palliative care. Among the undergraduates of college of pharmacy, more than 50% had no knowledge of palliative care. More than 80% of physiotherapy, nursing and medical students agree that death should occur without any pain or symptoms. The need of palliative care was well understood by more than 70% of students of physiotherapy, pharmacy, nursing and medical colleges. Conclusion: Basic knowledge about palliative care was inadequate among the undergraduate students related to healthcare.
Authors and Affiliations
Rajaragupathy Sujatha, Karthikeyan Jayagowri
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP362964
- DOI 10.7860/JCDR/2017/29070.10684
- Views 57
- Downloads 0
Antiretroviral Therapy under the National Program: Experience of a Single Large Centre in Southern India
ABSTRACT Introduction: The National Aids Control Organization (NACO) has been providing free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in India since 2004. Several concerns exist regarding functional outcome, possible low rates of tr...
Comparative Assessment of the Antibacterial Efficacy of Natural Products and Chlorhexidine Mouthwash against Streptococcus Mutans: A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT Introduction: Dental caries is still an existing challenge worldwide and continues to be the most prevalent of all oral infectious diseases. Mutans streptococci have been identified as the causative organism for...
Burden of Proteinuria and Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Adult Population in Urban Puducherry, India
Introduction: In the recent times, Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKDs) are emerging as a serious problem all over the world along with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The presence of proteinuria is considered as an indica...
Clinical Significance of the Forsaken aVR in Evaluation of Tachyarrhythmias: A Reminder
Introduction: Mechanism of a regular, monomorphic Wide QRS Complex Tachycardia (WCT) is an important diagnostic challenge in day to day practice for the clinicians and affects further management and prognosis. Many of th...
A Review on Association of Air Pollution and Biomass Fumes on Respiratory System
ABSTRACT World Health Organization (WHO) reported that indoor air pollution is one of the ten avoidable risk factors. People believe that air pollution is an outside urban phenomenon, but some of the uppermost concentra...