Challenges of Palliative Care in Advanced Cancer Patients in the Chinese Mainland: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

As cancer has become the second most common cause of death in the world today, how to allow advanced cancer patients to die with dignity has gotten gradually more and more taken paid attention. The study aims to explore the current status and challenges of palliative care for advanced cancer patients in the Chinese Mainland. This study used a semi-structured interview approach by interviewing 14 respondents. The respondents involved patients, family members and relevant practitioners in two regions in China in discovering and summarizing the current status of palliative care implementation for advanced cancer patients in the Chinese Mainland. The study found three challenges of palliative care in the Chinese Mainland: the development of theory and practice being out of sync, the dilemma of operation and promotion, and multiple challenges between different characters. The government should devote multi-dimensional developments and put advanced cancer patients in a central position to respond to patients' needs. The study suggests that the government should promote specialization, enlarge publicity, improve policy, and advocate death education and living wills to respond to the challenges.