Open AccessPatient Navigator and Community Health Worker Attitudes Toward End-of-Life Care
Author(s) -
Kimberley Lee,
Andrew D. Zale,
Chidinma A. Ibe,
Fabian M. Johnston
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of palliative medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.986
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-6218
pISSN - 1557-7740
DOI - 10.1089/jpm.2021.0115
Subject(s) - medicine , palliative care , demographics , ethnic group , family medicine , community health workers , health care , end of life care , nursing , african american , scale (ratio) , positive attitude , affect (linguistics) , population , psychology , health services , social psychology , ethnology , physics , demography , environmental health , communication , quantum mechanics , sociology , economic growth , anthropology , economics , history
Background: There are racial/ethnic disparities in hospice use and end-of-life (EOL) care outcomes in the United States. Although the use of community health workers (CHWs) and patient navigators (PNs) has been suggested as a means of reducing them, CHW/PNs' attitudes toward a palliative care philosophy remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine how personal attributes affect a CHW/PN's attitude toward EOL care. Methods: CHWs/PNs were recruited from two state-wide organizations and invited to complete an online survey. We collected information on demographics, attitudes toward the palliative care philosophy, and comfort with caring for patients at the EOL. Results: Of the 70 CHWs/PNs who responded to the survey, 82.5% identified as female, 56.4% identified as black, and 56.2% had a four-year college degree or higher. The mean score on a validated scale to assess attitudes toward EOL care was 33.5 (SD = 4.9; possible range, 8-40). Eighty percent strongly agreed or agreed with being open to discussing death with a dying patient. Higher self-efficacy scores were associated with more favorable attitudes toward hospice ( r = 0.306, p = 0.016). Conclusions: CHWs/PNs have an overall favorable attitude toward the palliative care philosophy and may be inclined to providing EOL care.