Abstract
We conducted a questionnaire survey on cancer patients and their family caregivers to reveal their information needs for palliative care. Also we conducted another survey to explore the current situation of information provision on palliative care through the website of cancer medical institutions. The information that the respondents would like to know most was “cost of hospitalization”, followed by “average waiting time” and “facility of ward and hospital rooms”. Regardless of the respondents’ age, 60% of them had accessed the website of the medical institution to get the palliative care information. Thirty percent of them had been dissatisfied with the information due lack of the information and specific contents. Therefore, improving the contents of the information on the website may increase patients’ satisfaction. Regarding the survey of the information provision on palliative care through the website of cancer medical institutions, we found that medical institutions with well-established treatment system such as palliative care team unit were more likely to have further improved information provision than the others. Though the percentage of medical institutions providing the information of medicines used in palliative care was under 30% in 2014, it was higher than that in 2012. Therefore, the situation will be improved in the future.
