title: Do Korean Doctors Think a Palliative Consultation Team Would Be Helpful to Their Terminal Cancer Patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospice and palliative care services (HPC) are not commonly utilized in Korea; however, palliative care teams (PCTs) have been found to be effective at addressing the shortcomings in HPC. In this study, we attempted to outline unmet palliative care needs of terminal cancer patients and the potential benefits of PCTs as perceived by doctors in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 474 doctors at 10 cancer-related academic conferences from June to November 2014 with a self-report questionnaire to assess their perceptions of end-of-life care needs and the expected effects of PCTs on caring for terminal cancer patients. Among those surveyed, 440 respondents who completed the entire questionnaire were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all domains, fewer participants reported satisfaction with palliative care services than those reporting needs (p < 0.001). The surveyed participants also reported difficulties with a shortage of time for treatment, psychological burden, lack of knowledge regarding hospice care, lengths of stay, and palliative ward availability. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female doctors (odds ratio [OR], 2.672; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.035 to 6.892), doctors who agreed that referring my patients to a HPC means I must give up on my patient (OR, 3.075; 95% CI, 1.324 to 7.127), and doctors who had no experience with HPC education (OR, 3.337; 95% CI, 1.600 to 7.125) were associated with higher expected effectiveness of PCT activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PCT activities were expected to fill the doctor's perceived unmet HPC needs of terminal cancer patients and difficulties in communications.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Hye-Young
authors: HY
authors: Shim
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Yoon Jung
authors: YJ
authors: Chang
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Kiu-Sang
authors: KS
authors: Kawk
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Tran Thi Xuan
authors: TT
authors: Mai
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Jin Young
authors: JY
authors: Choi
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Eun Mi
authors: EM
authors: Ahn
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Hyun Jung
authors: HJ
authors: Jho
authors: Hospice & Palliative Care Branch, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: So-Jung
authors: SJ
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D010820:Physicians; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hospices; Neoplasms; Palliative care; Referral and consultation