Effort to Explore Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Palliative Care Among Physicians

Integrating innovative palliative care models into primary care empowers patients and families to tailor their goals throughout a life-threatening illness, not merely at the end stage.15 Physicians' awareness of their patients' needs, especially when they decline aggressive interventions like mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is vital for achieving these goals.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Therefore, this study aims to assess the attitudes, knowledge, and understanding of physicians in Jaipur to evaluate the current state of physicians, a crucial component of primary healthcare systems, regarding the effective integration of palliative care.Integrating palliative care into healthcare systems brings numerous benefits, both for patients and the healthcare system as a whole: IntroductIonThe field of palliative care is rapidly evolving in response to shifting disease patterns in developing nations.Chronic illnesses and injuries are increasingly recognized as the primary causes of disability and death.As the prevalence of these chronic conditions rises, coupled with an aging population and increasing cancer cases, the demand for palliative care in society is evidently growing.According to the 2015 white paper released by The Economist Intelligence Unit and Lien Foundation in Singapore, India ranked 67th out of 80 countries in the quality of death index. 1 This poor ranking is attributed to a lack of knowledge and awareness, insufficient availability of opioids, and the influence of defensive medical practices stemming from unclear legal guidelines on end-of-life care.Medical and nursing educational institutions in India offer minimal training on palliative medicine and end-of-life care, creating a significant gap between the need for palliative care and the understanding of it among healthcare professionals.[2][3][4] Empowering nurses with knowledge is essential for enhancing the development of palliative care, which primarily aims to improve the quality of life for patients and their families coping with lifethreatening illnesses.Palliative care services represent an effective and feasible way to enhance these patients' quality of life.[5][6][7] Physicians are pivotal in delivering palliative care, as they are often the most accessible healthcare providers and typically foster strong relationships with patients and their families while managing their care and being familiar with the resources available.[8][9][10] Given these aspects, it is both ethically and medically necessary to incorporate palliative care into primary healthcare systems.10