Cognition of Palliative Care and Experience of Palliative Sedation in Chinese Anesthesiologists: A National Cross-sectional Survey

  Objective  This study aimed to investigate Chinese anesthesiologists' comprehension of palliative care and their experiences with palliative sedation for patients in the end-stage of life.

  Methods  From October to December 2021, a national cross-sectional survey was conducted among anesthesiologists in China distributed by the Chinese Society of Anesthesiology, Chinese Medical Association with convenient sampling. The survey questionnaire encompassed general information, professional experience, familiarity with palliative care, emotional responses to end-stage cases, experience with sedation for critically ill or end-stage patients, and preferences for sedation medication.

  Results  A total of 2536 anesthesiologists from 29 provinces in China completed valid questionnaires. Among them, 572 anesthesiologists(22.6%, 572/2536) reported familiarity with palliative medicine. Male anesthesiologists, as well as those with prior experience in caring for critically ill or end-stage patients, involved in pain management and practicing in hospitals with established institutional palliative care teams, demonstrated greater familiarity with palliative care concepts(all P<0.05). Over 40% of respondents felt powerless, helpless, and indecisive when confronted with end-stage patients. Anesthesiologists knowledgeable about palliative care exhibited greater confidence in managing critically ill or end-stage patients(9.8% vs. 4.4%, P=0.001). Among the anesthesiologists surveyed, 734 had administered sedation to end-stage patients, with 151 of them(20.6%, 151/734) inappropriately relying solely on opioids for sedation.

  Conclusions  The understanding of palliative care and palliative sedation medication choice among anesthesiologists in China is still very limited. The establishment of palliative care teams, provision of education and training in palliative care, and enhancement of familiarity with palliative principles may bolster anesthesiologists' confidence when encountering critically ill or end-stage patients and subsequently enhance the quality of care for patients in the terminal stages of life.