While advance directives (ADs) are considered to be part of government’s healthcare agenda, there has not been any public consultation for legislation, nor investigation regarding the public’s views about ADs in the Chinese culture of Macao. The current study explored the Macao Chinese people’s willingness to make ADs. Data were collected from 724 residents aged 18 years and above. Results showed that 533 respondents (73.6%) claimed that they were willing to complete an AD if the document was recognized legally. The experience of caring for relatives or friends with terminal illnesses, palliative care as the preferred end-of-life treatment option, and scoring higher in the Hospice Care Attitude Scale were the predictors of willingness to make ADs. Results of the study suggested that there was a relatively high number of people who would consider setting up ADs. Our study recommends that healthcare professionals should equip themselves to raise ADs-related discussions with patients. Moreover, the Macao Government is responsible for facilitating the introduction and implementation of ADs in order to improve overall end-of-life care quality in Macao.
Background Since the establishment of a hospice in the year 2000 and the development of a palliative care ward in 2019, there is no study examining public’s knowledge of palliative care, nor preference of end of life care in Macao. Aim Targeting Chinese residents of Macao, the current study has 3 goals: i) to understand the level of knowledge of palliative care, ii) to explore the preference of end of life treatments, and iii) to identify the associated factors of the preference of end of life treatments. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The study employed non-probability quota sampling through which Macao residents aged 18 and above were recruited between July and September 2020. Results A total of 737 responses were valid. The average correct rate of palliative care knowledge ranged from 40.4% to 85.5%. Pertaining to end of life treatments, 62.0% of the respondents chose comfort care. However, almost half of the respondents agreed that life-sustaining treatments should not be stopped under any circumstances. Respondents who scored higher in palliative care knowledge and those with secondary and tertiary education were associated factors of choosing comfort care rather than life-sustaining treatments. In addition, respondents who agreed that futile life-sustaining treatments should be stopped were also associated with preference for comfort care. Conclusion The understanding of palliative care amongst Macao residents is inadequate. Despite the public’s inclination towards comfort care, it is generally believed that life-sustaining treatments should not be stopped at the end of life. The study results suggest that not only the knowledge of palliative care should be enhanced amongst the general public in Macao, but information about life-sustaining treatments should also be offered to patients and families by healthcare professionals, in aiding end of life treatment decision making.
Background The modern hospice movement is often recognised as a social movement. However, such understanding is primarily based on historic reflection and this approach has lacked theoretical exploration. There is a lack of systematic examination of the modern hospice movement by way of social movement theories. Aim Focusing on the Chinese socio-cultural context of Macao, this study aimed to understand the EoLC movement by applying the social movement theory, the Framing Perspective, as proposed by Snow and Benford in 1988. Methods A case study approach was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were held between 2012 and 2013, with pioneers (n = 11) of the EoLC in Macao. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the interviews. Results The Framing Perspective analysis illuminated that there was both growth and stagnation of the EoLC movement. Three themes emerged: 1) the suffering of people at the end of their lives was considered as a social problem needed to be addressed urgently, 2) the incoherent EoLC strategies developed by pioneers indicated the lack of internal ideological cohesion within the movement, 3) external constraints contributed to the stagnation of the movement. Conclusions The EoLC development in Macao can be understood as a social movement. The Framing Perspective provided a theoretical way to understand the emergence of EoLC; offering a novel perspective to conceptualise the modern hospice movement. This sociological and theoretical lens opened up new ways for future research to study the emergence of EoLC in different socio-cultural contexts.
Background The modern hospice movement is often recognised as a social movement. However, such understanding is primarily based on historic reflection and this approach has lacked theoretical exploration. The modern hospice movement has not been examined by way of any social movement theory. Aim This study addressed the theoretical gap in understanding the end of life care (EoLC) development in Macao China. Focusing on the Chinese socio-cultural context, this study explored the EoLC movement through the social movement theory, the Framing Perspective, as proposed by Snow and Benford in 1988. Methods A case study approach was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were held between 2012 and 2013, with pioneers (n = 11) of the EoLC in Macao. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the interviews. Results The EoLC development in Macao can be understood as a social movement. The Framing Perspective analysis illuminated that there was both growth and stagnation of the EoLC movement. Three themes emerged: 1) the suffering of people at the end of their lives was considered as a social problem needed to be addressed urgently, 2) the incoherent EoLC strategies developed by pioneers indicated the lack of internal ideological cohesion within the movement, 3) external constraints contributed to the stagnation of the movement. Conclusions The Framing Perspective provided a theoretical way to understand the emergence of EoLC; offering a novel perspective to conceptualise the modern hospice movement. This sociological and theoretical lens opened up new ways for future research to study the emergence of EoLC in different socio-cultural contexts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.