Table 5 Differences on survey items by aggregated geographic areas of Canada (5-point Likert Scale)

Education Measures

Healthcare professionals trained in palliative care

32

3.2(1.2) 4.0 (3.0 -4.8)

23

3.6 (.7) 4.0 (3.3 -4.8)

37

3.5 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

27

3.6 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.397

Healthcare students trained in palliative care

20

3.7(.9) 4.0 (4.0 -4.0)

20

3.4 (.7) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

32

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

23

3.2 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

0.211

Education for palliative family caregivers

30

3.3 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.2 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

33

3.4 (.8) 3.0 (3.0 -3.0)

28

3.1 (.9) 3.0 (2.8–3.0)

0.391

Health care professionals’ awareness of the need for early integration of palliative care

31

3.2 (1.1) 4.0 (3.3–4.8)

23

3.4 (.7) 4.0 (4.0–4.0)

36

3.5 (.3) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

27

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.497

Interdisciplinary opportunities for palliative care education

30

3.1 (1) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

24

3.2 (.8) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

36

3.5 (.3) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

26

3.2 (.9) 3.0 (2.8–4.0)

0.383

Family Caregiver measures

Formal assessments of family caregiver needs and capacities

27

3.0 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

35

3.0(.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

27

3.0 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.3)

0.864

Involvement of family in care planning

31

3.2 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

23

3.6 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.8)

37

3.4(.8) 3.0 (2.0–4.0)

25

3.4 (.8) 3.0 (2.8–4.0)

0.392

Use of technology to support family caregivers

27

3.5 (.9) 4.0 (3.0–4.8)

24

3.4(.6) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

36

3.5 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.6 (.6) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.569

In-home supports for family caregivers

26

2.9 (1) 3.0 (2.3–4.0)

20

3.1 (1.2) 3.5 (3.0–4.8)

36

2.6 (1.1) 2.0 (1.0–3.0)

25

3 (1) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

0.488

Respite for family caregivers

28

2.6 (.9) 3.0 (2.3 -3.8)

22

2.7 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

36

2.5(1) 2.0 (1.0–3.0)

27

2.9 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.3)

.0461

Access to Bereavement Services

30

3.1 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

23

3.1 (1) 3.0 (3.0 -3.8)

36

3.1(1.2) 2.0 (1.5–4.0)

28

3.0 (1) 3.0 (2.0–4.0)

0.943

Community Capacity Measures

Broad-based community participation in palliative care

27

3.2 (.9) 3.0 (3.0 -3.8)

24

3.2 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

35

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

25

3.3 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–4.00)

0.758

Culturally appropriate palliative services and resources

28

3.5 (.8) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

24

3.3 (.8) 3.5 (3.-4.0)

35

3.3 (.5) 3.0 (3.0–3.5)

26

3.3(.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.419

Public awareness of available palliative services and supports

30

3.3 (1) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

23

3.4 (.7) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

36

3.3 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

26

3.4 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.852

Use of technology to communicate between specialist and community-based palliative care providers

25

3.6 (.9) 4.0 (3.0–4.8)

20

3.3 (.6) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

35

3.5 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.6 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

0.328

Access Measures

Development of navigation models

26

3.3 (.9) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.4 (.5) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

32

3.4 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.5)

25

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (2.8–3.0)

0.529

24/7 access to palliative care expertise

27

3.0 (1) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

22

3.2 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

33

3.1 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

26

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (2.0–4.0)

0.781

Death and dying awareness in non-medical settings

26

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.2 (.6) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

33

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

20

3 (.8) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

0.467

Uptake of advance care planning

29

3.7 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

23

3.5(.7) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

37

3.6 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.2 (1) 3.0 (2.0–3.3)

0.270

Strategies to integrate palliative care into other healthcare services

28

3.4 (1) 4.0 (3.3 -4.0)

24

3.3 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

36

3.4 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.4 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.841

Partnerships between healthcare providers, volunteers, and community

28

3.2 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

23

3.4 (.9) 3.5 (3.0–4.8)

35

3.5 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

26

3.5 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.392

Integration of lay and spiritual counselors into palliative care

27

2.8 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

22

3.0 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

32

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.2 (.9) 3.0 (2.8–4.0)

0.067*

Places to die when home is not preferable/feasible

29

3.2 (1) 4.0 (4.0–4.8)

23

3.0 (.9) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

37

3.4 (1) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

28

3.6 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.124

Services for children living with palliative needs

16

3.1 (.5) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

19

3.3 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

28

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.5)

22

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

0.879

Awareness of the gaps in palliative care that exist in your community

28

3.3 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

23

3.6 (.7) 4.0 (3.3 -4.0)

33

3.4 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

25

3.3 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.3)

0.515

Research and Data Collection

Evidence-based guidelines for non-medical aspects of palliative care

17

3.4 (.8) 4.0(3.0–4.0)

19

3.3 (.6) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

28

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

0.568

Dissemination of palliative care evidence

19

3.4 (.8) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

20

3.4 (.6) 4.0 (3.3–4.0)

27

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.5)

22

3.1 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.3))

0.611

Use of standardized patient and family reported outcome measures

19

3.5 (.7) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

19

3.3 (.6) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

27

2.9 (.7) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

22

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.056*

Development of palliative care indicators to monitor progress

18

3.3 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

19

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.8)

30

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.5)

21

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.513