Table 1 The demographic information about the participants and their perception of the patients’ condition (N = 285)
From: Hospice preference of the family decision-makers for cancer patients in China: an exploratory study
Variables | Mean | SD |
|---|---|---|
Age | 53.47 | 13.38 |
n | % | |
The person making medical decisions | ||
Patient’s child | 110 | 38.6 |
Patient | 71 | 24.9 |
Patient spouse | 87 | 30.5 |
Patient’s parents/siblings/grandchildren | 17 | 6.0 |
Educational background of the participants | ||
Primary school (6 years of schooling) | 20 | 7.1 |
Middle/high school (9–12 years) | 142 | 49.8 |
College/University (15–17 years) | 109 | 38.2 |
Postgraduate (at least 18 years) | 14 | 4.9 |
Working status of participants | ||
Retired | 121 | 42.6 |
Full-time job, frequent absence | 57 | 19.7 |
Full-time job, no absence | 50 | 17.6 |
Part-time job | 21 | 7.4 |
Other (unemployed/freelance) | 36 | 12.7 |
Participants’ perception of the patients’ QOL | ||
No quality | 36 | 12.7 |
Poor quality | 56 | 19.6 |
Moderate quality | 144 | 50.5 |
High/very high quality | 49 | 17.2 |
Participants’ satisfaction with the patients’ QOL | ||
Totally dissatisfied | 38 | 13.3 |
Very dissatisfied | 43 | 15.1 |
Satisfied | 124 | 43.5 |
Very satisfied/Totally satisfied | 80 | 28.1 |
Participants’ perception of the disease progression | ||
Being cured | 53 | 18.6 |
Becoming better | 97 | 34.0 |
No change | 55 | 19.3 |
Deteriorating | 45 | 15.8 |
At terminal stage | 35 | 12.3 |
Having heard of hospice care | ||
Yes | 131 | 46.0 |
No | 154 | 54.0 |
Doctor introduced hospice care before | ||
Yes | 41 | 14.4 |
No | 223 | 78.2 |
Not sure | 21 | 7.4 |