Analysis on the willingness and influencing factors of choosing hospice care service institutions among among older people in Wuhu, China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inclination and determinants influencing the selection of hospice care service institutions among elderly individuals in China.

Design

The study conducted has a cross-sectional design.

Setting

The study was conducted at four urban community centres in Wuhu, Anhui Province, China.

Participants

The sample consisted of 642 older adults, with ages ranging from 60 to over (mean age=71.03 years, SD=7.18).

Method

This study, based on the Anderson model, developed a questionnaire after conducting a preliminary survey and engaging in several group discussions. The final questionnaire encompassed the basic information, health status, attitude towards hospice care, choice of hospice care institutions and reasons of the older people. A regional population study was conducted using the Logistic regression model to estimate the ORs (OR) of influencing factors selected by hospice services.

Results

38.5% of respondents expressed their willingness to receive hospice care, while 22.3% were unwilling and 39.3% felt ambivalent towards it. The acceptance rate of older people in hospice care increases with higher levels of education and monthly income. 47.0% of older people opted for hospice care in a general hospital ward, indicating that demand for hospice services among older people in Wuhu City is primarily focused on such wards. The univariate analysis revealed significant differences in the willingness of older individuals to accept hospice care services based on gender, age, educational attainment and income levels. Regardless of the location of hospice care, older men had a lower likelihood of being willing to use hospice services compared with older women. The proportion of older women choosing a hospice ward or general hospital was 53.8%, which was higher than that of older men at 42.0%. The proportion of older men choosing a community health service institution was 31.6%, higher than 23.3% of women. The educational level differences significantly influence the older people’s inclination towards receiving hospice care.

Conclusion

With the ageing population of Wuhu City on the rise, there is an increasing demand for hospice services. In their final journey, older individuals require multilevel hospice care services, which necessitates equipping general hospitals with hospice wards and using community health service centres to meet their specific needs.