Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Palliative Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Medical Students
Background: As the population ages, the demand for palliative care is growing. At Kawasaki Medical School, 4th-year medical students receive lectures on palliative care; nonetheless, the educational effectiveness of these lectures is still uncertain. This study assesses the effect of these lectures on students’ understanding and perceptions of palliative care, along with the role of demographic factors and experiences with bereavement. Methods: A cross-sectional survey involved third-year medical students (pre-lecture group) and fourth-year medical students (post-lecture group). Knowledge was measured using Nakazawa’s Palliative Care Knowledge Test (20 items), while attitudes were evaluated with the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD)-Form B-J (30 items). Associations with age, gender, and bereavement experiences were also explored. Results: A total of 23 students attended pre-lecture sessions, while 17 attended post-lecture sessions. The post-lecture group showed a significant increase in knowledge test scores (mean = 11.9, Standard Error [SE] = 0.7) when compared to the pre-lecture group (mean = 6.4, SE = 0.6; P < 0.0001). However, no significant differences were found in the FATCOD-Form B-J scores between the two groups (pre-lecture: mean = 109, SE = 1.8; post-lecture: mean = 109, SE = 2.1; P = 0.9). Additionally, factors such as age, gender, and bereavement experiences did not have a significant impact on knowledge or understanding attitudes. Conclusion: Lectures on palliative care enhanced understanding but did not notably affect attitudes towards it. Factors such as age, gender, and bereavement experiences showed no significant correlation with knowledge or attitudes.
