Physicians' Confidence in Primary Palliative Care and Preferred Methods of Responding: A Sequential Mixed-Methods Survey.

Abstract

Background: Collaborative methods are necessary to meet patient palliative care (PC) needs because of the inadequate supply of PC specialists.

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a needs assessment and determine primary care, emergency, and hospital physicians' general attitudes about primary PCs, confidence in managing common PC scenarios, and preferences for interaction with specialty PCs.

Design: A sequential mixed-methods study design was used, whereby individual qualitative interviews informed the content of a quantitative survey. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted by a member of the study team with expertise in qualitative research methods.

Setting/subjects: The quantitative survey, delivered to primary care, emergency, and hospital physicians across four distinct geographic locations of a large health system, solicited impressions on common clinical PC scenarios that might pose challenges.

Measurements: Survey data included demographic information, clinician confidence levels, preferences for support in managing PC scenarios, and likelihood to refer to PC.

Results: The quantitative survey was completed by 126 physicians (response rate, 13.9%). Overall mean (standard deviation) confidence levels were lowest for a scenario about handling pain (5.57 [2.35] out of 10) and highest for goals-of-care conversations with the patient (7.80 [2.02]). Spearman correlations between mean confidence and likelihood to refer to PC demonstrated weak to moderate inverse correlations. Respondents with previous training in PC had higher mean confidence in managing symptoms and goals-of-care conversations.

Conclusions: Continuing efforts are needed to help improve physicians' confidence in primary PC skills and develop innovative methods to provide collaborative support of specialty PCs across various specialties and PC needs.