Two days after Barbara Bush’s death in 2018, the family spokesperson said the former First Lady decided not to seek medical treatment and focus instead on comfort care. This statement caused a spike in the number of Google searches for “what is comfort care?”

1. Studies on Public Perception of
Hospices Reveals Misconceptions
and Stigma on Palliative Care
Center for Hospice Care

2. Twodays after Barbara Bush’s death in 2018, the family spokesperson said the former First Lady decided
not to seek medical treatment and focus instead on comfort care. This statement caused a spike in the
number of Google searches for “what is comfort care?” This finding reveals the lack of public knowledge
on palliative-related services and the benefits of comfort care for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

3. Lack of Awareness and Accompanying Misconceptions
A study surveyed 800 New Yorkers regarding their knowledge and opinions. The participants gave their
definitions of hospice care and palliative care. Twenty-six percent associated palliative care with
symptom management, but they were unaware that it also included spiritual and psychosocial support
for the patients and bereavement services and support for family and caregivers. Sixty percent defined
hospice care as end-of-life care, which also shows a lack of awareness for its other benefits.
Out of all the participants, 37.3 percent had misconceptions about hospice care, and 53.2 percent had
misconceptions on palliative care. These findings suggest a low public awareness about palliative care
and its benefits, which in turn indicates that patients are underexposed to these services.

4. Disproving the Misconceptions
The goal of palliative care is to improve a patient’s quality of life by attending to the physical, emotional,
and psychosocial challenges of life-limiting illnesses. Studies have shown that medical treatment
combined with palliative care for patients with malignant tumors have positive outcomes, such as
improved quality of life, better symptom management, and reduced burden on caregivers.
For some, early admission to palliative care services prolongs their life and allows for a more
appropriate hospice referral. This is relevant for patients who have strong preferences for where they
will spend their final days.
Moreover, no current studies suggest that palliative care can be harmful to patients. Efforts to promote
public awareness on palliative care must be increased for the benefit of people with life-limiting
illnesses. One of the existing campaigns is the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s website and YouTube
channel, which produces videos about palliative care, what it is, how to obtain the service, and
narratives from patients who received care.

5. Sources:
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(18)30756-3/fulltext
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049909117715215
https://www.cfhcare.org/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4938707/