Issues in rural palliative care: views from the countryside.
BACKGROUND
Growing concern exists among health professionals over the dilemma of providing necessary health care for Canada's aging population. Hospice palliative services are an essential need in both urban and rural settings. Rural communities, in particular, are vulnerable to receiving inadequate services due to their geographic isolation.


OBJECTIVE
To better understand experiences and issues related to rural palliative care.


METHODS
Focus groups were held for health professionals, family members and volunteers in 3 rural British Columbia communities. A coding schema was developed and the data were then thematically analyzed using a constant comparison technique.


RESULTS
Three themes in rural palliative care were established: nature of palliative health care services, nature of rural relationships, and competencies required for rural palliative care. Findings indicated that the diversity in rural communities requires tailored approaches to palliative care that consider the geographic, cultural and health aspects of residents in order to optimize care.


CONCLUSIONS
Tailored approaches to palliative care developed in conjunction with rural communities are needed in order to optimize care.
Robinson
Carole A
CA
Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Pesut
Barbara
B
Bottorff
Joan L
JL
D000375:Aging; D001955:British Columbia; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017144:Focus Groups; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013637:Tape Recording