A Pilot Study of Oncology Staff Perceptions of Palliative Care and Psycho-oncology Services in Rural and Community Settings in Indiana

Although there has been an increased interest in health care delivery for rural community populations, concerns remain regarding the lack of access to primary health care and specialty services (such as palliative care), particularly in rural areas that are medically underserved (MU). This survey was conducted to examine the perceptions of palliative care services in rural communities and toward identifying perceived barriers that interfere with accessing palliative care services. In conducting the study, personnel from various disciplines throughout the Community Cancer Care (CCC) network (the largest private provider of oncology services in Indiana) completed a survey that assessed their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the available palliative care services in their communities. These responses, which indicate discrepancies in perceptions among staff within sites, suggest problems of integration of palliative care in given locations. Results revealed three particularly problematic areas: accessing pain control, accessing psychological or psychiatric services or both, and overcoming barriers to hospice care. Although no significant differences were found for any variables between MU and adequately medically served (AMS) areas, in general palliative care is limited and unintegrated into oncology care. Confusion among staff at a particular oncology program likely contributes to the haphazard delivery and poor integration of palliative care. Conclusions are tempered by important study limitations but the results suggest the need for programs that improve delivery of palliative care in rural Indiana.