Schooling and knowledge of patients attending chronic disease outpatient clinics about palliative care

Introduction: The increasing elderly population worldwide is the result of the continuous advancements in healthcare technologies and resources, leading to a rise in life expectancy for the global population. This growing number of elderly individuals has brought forth several issues to be discussed within the healthcare sector. Among these are the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases, with the occurrence of multiple morbidities associated with aging, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Many of these conditions have already reached an advanced stage of progression. Consequently, Palliative Care has emerged with the intention of enhancing the quality of life and providing comfort to patients facing life-threatening illnesses, regardless of diagnosis, prognosis, age, or stage of the disease. Palliative care addresses intense pain, physical symptoms, emotional, and spiritual suffering. However, the provision of Palliative Care services is not yet widely structured and disseminated in hospital units and healthcare facilities. Studies demonstrate a lack of knowledge about palliative care among both healthcare professionals and the general society. Objective: To analyze the knowledge of patients treated at a teaching hospital regarding Palliative Care. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Data is being collected at the outpatient clinics of a teaching hospital located in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Patients above 40 years old, who have been attended in these clinics, are being interviewed using a questionnaire adapted with sociodemographic information and questions about their knowledge of palliative care. The data obtained is currently being analyzed based on descriptive statistics. Partial Results: So far, 138 patients have been interviewed. Among them, 57 (41,3%) are aged between forty and fifty years, 41 (29,7%) are between fifty-one and sixty years, 29 (21,0%) are between sixty-one and seventy years, and 11 (8,0%) are above seventy-one years old. 76 (55,0%) are female, and 62 (45,0%) are male. Regarding education level, 64 patients (46,3%) did not complete elementary school, and five (3,6%) completed elementary school; 43 have completed high school (31,6%), 12 did not complete high school (8,5%), and five have some college education but did not complete it (3,6%). Only one participant has completed college (0,7%). A notable finding is that 12 of the participants in this study are illiterate (5,7%). 95 (68,8%) reported having heard about palliative care, while 43 (31,2%) stated that they had never heard about this topic. Partial conclusions: The low education level of the study population may hinder the dissemination and understanding of what palliative care is, leading to the propagation of misconceptions and distorted concepts about the subject. Additionally, effective health education actions are of utmost importance and should be carefully planned and executed to reach this target audience.