Public Awareness and Understanding of Palliative Care in the United Arab Emirates: Insights from a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 824
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Familiarity and Understanding of Palliative and Supportive Care as Measured by a Structured Survey
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Palliative care (PC) is essential medical care for improving the quality of life for patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families. There has been substantial evolution of PC services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), yet public awareness regarding PC remains shallow, hindering its utilization and acceptance on a large scale.
Detailed Description
This study aimed to evaluate public perceptions and awareness of PC in the UAE. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in both Arabic and English. This study emphasizes the need of addressing these gaps to integrate PC effectively into the UAE healthcare system, ensuring equitable access and improved quality of life for patients and their families.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Other
- Time Perspective
- Cross Sectional
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 14 Years to — (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •UAE residents
- •Provided informed consent to participate
- •Completed the survey in either Arabic or English
Exclusion Criteria
- •Non-UAE residents
- •Incomplete survey responses (if applicable)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Familiarity and Understanding of Palliative and Supportive Care as Measured by a Structured Survey
Time Frame: Surveys were conducted in Arabic from July 25, 2024, to August 18, 2024, and in English from August 5, 2024, to August 18, 2024.
The study assessed participants' awareness, familiarity, and understanding of palliative and supportive care through a structured questionnaire. The survey includes Likert-scale and multiple-choice questions designed to evaluate: * Self-reported familiarity with palliative and supportive care concepts * Knowledge of available palliative care services * Perceived importance of palliative care in the healthcare system * Disparities in responses between Arabic-speaking and English-speaking groups. Responses were analyzed quantitatively by calculating the proportion of participants at different familiarity levels i.e., Very familiar, somewhat familiar, Neutral/not sure, not very familiar, not familiar at all and comparing trends across language groups. Percentages were calculated and categorical responses were summarized using frequency distributions.
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Humaid O. Al-Shamsi
Chief Executive Officer
Burjeel Cancer Institute