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Knowledge, beliefs, and concerns about opioids, palliative care, and homecare of advanced cancer patients: a nationwide survey in Japan

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Abstract

Purpose

Patients’ knowledge, beliefs, or concerns about opioids, palliative care, and homecare can be potential barriers to providing quality palliative care. The primary aim of this study was to clarify knowledge about opioids, beliefs about palliative care, and concerns about homecare in advanced cancer patients.

Methods

An anonymous questionnaire was sent to 1,619 outpatients with advanced cancer at 25 hospitals in four different regions of Japan. The respondents were asked to report their knowledge about opioids, beliefs about palliative care, and concerns about homecare, in addition to the levels of their sense of security regarding receiving cancer care in the region.

Results

A total of 925 responses were received. In total, 28% believed that opioids are addictive and/or shorten life; 52% believed that palliative care is only for terminally ill patients; 75% agreed that being taken care of at home puts a heavy burden on the family; and 61% agreed that home-visit services cannot respond to sudden changes in a patient’s condition. Levels of patients’ sense of security were significantly higher in those who agreed that “opioids can relieve most pain caused by cancer” “palliative care relieves pain and distress”, “palliative care is provided along with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy”, and “pain can be alleviated as effectively through home-visit services as it can at the hospital”, and those who disagreed with the statements that “home-visit services cannot respond to sudden changes in a patient’s condition” and “being taken care of at home puts a burden on the family”.

Conclusions

Advanced cancer patients frequently had incorrect knowledge about opioids, a belief that palliative care is only for terminally ill patients, and concerns about homecare, especially the family burden and responses to sudden changes. Providing appropriate information about the safety of opioids, the availability of palliative care during the entire course of the disease, and realistic information about homecare is of marked importance to promote patients’ sense of security.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank all staff of the participating institutions. This study was funded by the Third Term Comprehensive Control Research for Cancer Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252–0882, Japan

    Miki Akiyama

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160–8582, Japan

    Toru Takebayashi

  3. Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Palliative Care Team, and Seirei Hospice, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, 3453 Mikatahara-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 433–8558, Japan

    Tatsuya Morita

  4. Department of Palliative Nursing, Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2–1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980–8575, Japan

    Mitsunori Miyashita

  5. Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1–2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565–0871, Japan

    Kei Hirai

  6. Division of Palliative Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104–0045, Japan

    Motohiro Matoba

  7. Psycho-Oncology Division, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba City, Chiba, 260–8717, Japan

    Nobuya Akizuki

  8. Shirahige Clinic, 1-13-28 Katafuchi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki, 850–0003, Japan

    Yutaka Shirahige

  9. Department of Adult Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, School of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113–0033, Japan

    Akemi Yamagishi

  10. Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1, Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173–8606, Japan

    Kenji Eguchi

Authors
  1. Miki Akiyama
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  2. Toru Takebayashi
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  3. Tatsuya Morita
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  4. Mitsunori Miyashita
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  5. Kei Hirai
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  6. Motohiro Matoba
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  7. Nobuya Akizuki
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  8. Yutaka Shirahige
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  9. Akemi Yamagishi
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  10. Kenji Eguchi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miki Akiyama.

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Akiyama, M., Takebayashi, T., Morita, T. et al. Knowledge, beliefs, and concerns about opioids, palliative care, and homecare of advanced cancer patients: a nationwide survey in Japan. Support Care Cancer 20, 923–931 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1161-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1161-5

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