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Clients often have misconceptions about hospice and these misconceptions may create barriers to enrolling in hospice care. Such misconceptions may be related to the way providers communicate about hospice to clients and patients. Insights into these topics can help providers recognize the nuance that exists within commonly used language in end-of-life conversations, as well as help to explore and clarify potential misconceptions about hospice care.
Brereton and colleagues (2022) conducted a research study to better understand the language used by older adults to describe hospice care and to explore what language reveals regarding knowledge about, and attitudes toward hospice.
The research team asked 266 adults aged 65 years or older, “In your own words please describe what hospice care is”. No further instructions or parameters were provided to participants. Transcripts of the responses were coded by the research team.
Six codes emerged demonstrating the most frequently used language by participants:
- Comfort – A state of easement and contentedness, relief from discomfort, the cause of relief, or to be comforted, factors that make life easier or more pleasurable
- Family – Support for family and friends, coping with loss, treatment/care decisions
- Care – care or services provided to patient, goal of hospice
- End of Life – eligibility, describing that hospice services were for those who were nearing end of life
- Medical Care – services provided
- Pain Support – relief from pain/suffering, medications
When assessing responses for knowledge, the participant transcripts were coded as either correct, incorrect or not determinable. Most participants demonstrated an understanding of hospice eligibility, services, and goals of care. There was inconsistency in correctly identifying the location of hospice care services, with only 21 participants correctly describing location.
The results of this study underscore the importance of examining how we talk about hospice care and the language we use with patients and their families.
Source: Brereton, E., Harger, G., Matlock, D. D., Holliman, B. D., & Tate, C. E. (2022). How Do Patients Describe Hospice Care? A Qualitative Analysis of the Language Used by Older Adults to Describe Hospice Care. Journal of Palliative Medicine.
