More on Language Matters: Supportive Care vs Palliative Care

Earlier this month we posted about a study appearing in the Journal of Medical Ethics on the language health care professionals use to discuss end of life care preferences. Last week, Pallimed's Thomas Quinn discusses a study that appeared in Cancer questioning 200 health care professionals on a web-based survey.

The questionnaire was short & straightforward, first asking clinicians if they were more inclined to refer patients for symptom control to a service named Palliative Care vs Supportive Care when patients were in the following groups: newly diagnosed with cancer; undergoing primary treatment for cancer; in remission; receiving active treatment for advanced cancer; advanced cancer no longer receiving active treatment or in transition to end of life. A service named "Supportive Care" was the clear choice of preferred name in all patient categories except the last, which was close to a tie.

When asked what term they preferred using when discussing the referral with patients and families, only 19% preferred 'palliative.'

When asked about perceptions associated with each name, 'palliative care' was considered a barrier to referral; well over 50% said that 'palliative care' is synonymous with hospice; a large percent felt that the term 'palliative' decreases hope in patients and families. 'Supportive care,' on the other hand, was significantly associated with treatment for chemotherapy side effects.

14% of participants reported that using 'palliative care' actually caused them distress, compared to 6% for 'supportive care.'

Despite these findings, participants reported that palliative care services are useful and there was a general willingness to refer, increasing as disease progressed and the patient approached the end of life.