title: New Zealanders' knowledge of palliative care and hospice services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This project investigated New Zealanders' views about palliative care and local hospice services.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative population-based sample of 1011 New Zealanders completed an online survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age, gender, and geographic region of the 1011 participants were broadly representative of the New Zealand population. Varying awareness of hospice services and palliative care were displayed among respondents, with age and gender influencing awareness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a reasonably good understanding of the concept of palliative care. However, participants could not always identify local hospices, with younger people and males more unaware of accessible hospice services. Low levels of understanding point to the need for continued public education so that the holistic nature of palliative care is understood and accessible hospice services are sought when required.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. rd.macleod@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Rod D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: MacLeod
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: Nathan W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010166:Palliative Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires