Table 6 Differences on survey items by aggregated urban and rural areas (5-point Likert Scale)

Education Measures

Healthcare professionals trained in palliative care

91

3.4 (.9) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.6 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.3)

0.279

Healthcare students trained in palliative care

76

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

14

3.6 (.7) 3.5 (2.8–4.0)

0.093*

Education for palliative family caregivers

85

3.2 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

22

3.4 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.332

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

89

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.3 (1.0) 4.0 (2.8–4.8)

0.912

Interdisciplinary opportunities for palliative care education

89

3.2 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.4 (.7) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.389

Family Caregiver measures

Formal assessments of family caregiver needs and capacities

81

3.0 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.2 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.162

Involvement of family in care planning

88

3.3 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.7 (.7) 4.0 (3.8–4.3)

0.095*

Use of technology to support family caregivers

85

3.5 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

20

3.6 (.5) 4.0 (4.0–4.0)

0.972

In-home supports for family caregivers

80

2.8 (1.0) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

22

3 (1.0) 4.0 (2.0–4.3)

0.543

Respite for family caregivers

85

2.6 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

22

2.7 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–4.0)

0.744

Access to Bereavement Services

88

3.0 (1.1) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

23

3.3 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.331

Community Capacity Measures

Broad-based community participation in palliative care

84

3.1 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.2 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–3.3)

0.969

Culturally appropriate palliative services and resources

87

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.4 (.8) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.969

Public awareness of available palliative services and supports

88

3.2 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.6 (.7) 4.0 (4.0–4.0)

0.085*

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

82

3.5 (.8) 3.0(3.0–4.0)

19

3.6 (.6) 4.0 (3.8–4.0)

0.458

Access Measures

Development of navigation models

82

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

18

3.5 (.6) 4.0 (3.0–4.3)

0.272

24/7 access to palliative care expertise

84

3.1 (.9) 3.0 (2.0–3.0)

21

3.2 (.7) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.451

Death and dying awareness in non-medical settings

77

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

20

3.3 (.6) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.218

Uptake of advance care planning

86

3.5 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.7 (.6) 4.0 (3.8–4.0)

0.252

Strategies to integrate palliative care into other healthcare services

88

3.4 (.8) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

22

3.6 (.7) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.242

Partnerships between healthcare providers, volunteers, and community

87

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.4 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.3)

0.629

Integration of lay and spiritual counselors into palliative care

85

3.0 (.9) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

18

3.2 (.7) 4.0 (3.8–4.0)

0.368

Places to die when home is not preferable/feasible

89

3.4 (1.0) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

23

3.1 (.8) 3.5 (2.8–4.3)

0.091*

Services for children living with palliative needs

64

3.1 (.6) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

18

3.4 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.139

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

83

3.3 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

21

3.4 (.8) 4.0 (3.0–4.3)

0.877

Research and Data Collection

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

66

3.2 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

13

3.5 (.5) 4.0 (3.8–4.0)

0.062*

Dissemination of palliative care evidence

68

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

15

3.5 (.5) 4.0 (3.8–4.0)

0.027*

Use of standardized patient and family reported outcome measures

70

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–3.0)

13

3.4 (.5) 3.5 (3.0–4.0)

0.208

Development of palliative care indicators to monitor progress

69

3.1 (.7) 3.0 (3.0–4.0)

14

3.4 (.5) 4.0 (3.0–4.0)

0.102