Patients’ Perceptions Of The Quality Of Palliative Care And Satisfaction – A Cluster Analysis

Figures & data

Table 1 Cluster Description

Cluster	1	2	3
Description	Best Perception Of Care Quality And More Satisfied	Better Perceptions Of Care Quality And Most Satisfied	Worst Perceptions Of Care Quality And Less Satisfied
n (%)	57 (41)	48 (34)	35 (25)	P*
	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)
Medical–technical competence (PR)	3.65 (0.35)	2.74 (0.54)	2.61 (0.66)	<0.001
Physical–technical conditions (PR)	3.82 (0.33)	3.59 (0.33)	2.78 (0.63)	<0.001
Identity-oriented approach (PR)	3.68 (0.32)	3.34 (0.43)	2.87 (0.40)	<0.001
Socio-cultural atmosphere (PR)	3.67 (0.33)	3.37 (0.40)	2.77 (0.47)	<0.001
Medical care (single item) (PR)	4.00 (0.00)	3.69 (0.51)	2.83 (0.89)	<0.001
ESRQ	5.49 (11.42)	−5.21 (9.71)	12.71 (15.14)	0.008
Significant Tukey Post Hoc test	QoC:1>2 and 3	QoC:1>2 >3	QoC:1>2 >3
	ESRQ: 1>3	ESRQ: 2>3	ESRQ: 1 and 2 >3

Notes: *P-value describes significant differences between the three clusters measured by ANOVA. Level of significance <0.05. Tukey Post Hoc test: All variables in the clusters differed significantly except Medical–Technical competence between Clusters 2 and 3.

Table 2 Cluster Comparison: Person-Related Conditions (n = 140)

Cluster	1	2	3
Description	Best Perception Of Care Quality And More Satisfied n (%) 57 (41)	Better Perceptions Of Care Quality And Most Satisfied n (%) 48 (34)	Worst Perceptions Of Care Quality And Less Satisfied n (%) 35 (25)	P*	Tukey Post Hoc Test
Age, mean (SD) Missing	61.89 (10.55) 3	67.47 (12.58) 1	65.66 (10.72) 1	0.061
Gender, n (%)				0.443
Female	29 (53)	23 (49)	22 (63)
Male	26 (47)	24 (51)	13 (37)
Missing	2	1	0
Education, n (%)				0.284
Compulsory school/high school or equivalent	29 (54)	33 (69)	21 (64)
University/university college	25 (46)	15 (31)	12 (36)
Missing	3	0	2
Type of diagnosis, n (%)				0.052
Malignant illness (cancer)/Mixed malignant and non-malignant illnesses	51 (91)	39 (81)	25 (71)
Non-malignant illness (eg, COPD, HF, MS, ALS, Parkinson’s disease)	5 (9)	9 (19)	10 (29)
Missing	1	0	0
Psychological wellbeing, mean (SD)	3.66 (0.82)	3.44 (0.94)	3.31 (1.12)	0.259
Missing	0	0	0
EQ-VAS, mean (SD) Missing	48.06 (19.85) 0	50.91 (21.63) 0	43.06 (17.55) 0	0.239
SOC, mean (SD) Missing	65.49 (9.98) 7	61.69 (9.64) 3	57.63 (12.38) 2	0.006	1>3
Time in care, n (%)  3–7 days  8–30 days  31–182 days (1–6 months)  >183 (6 months)  Missing	11 (21) 17 (33) 17 (33) 7 (13) 5	9 (19) 14 (29) 10 (21) 15 (31) 0	3 (9) 9 (28) 9 (28) 11 (35) 3	0.256
Subjective importance scale QPP-PC, mean (SD)
Medical–technical competence	3.45 (0.58)	3.03 (0.57)	2.91 (0.66)	<0.001	1 >2 and 3
Physical–technical conditions	3.64 (0.46)	3.51 (0.57)	3.26 (0.58)	0.009	1>3
Identity-oriented approach	3.71 (0.35)	3.40 (0.48)	3.37 (0.51)	0.001	1 >2 and 3
Socio-cultural atmosphere	3.59 (0.38)	3.32 (0.48)	3.27 (0.55)	0.004	1 >2 and 3
Medical care (single item)	3.94 (0.25)	3.80 (0.51)	3.47 (0.62)	<0.001	1 and 2 >3

Notes: *P-value describes significant differences between the three clusters measured by ANCOVA and Pearson Chi-Square Test as appropriate. Level of significance <0.05.

Table 3 Cluster Comparison: Organization-Related Conditions (n = 140)

Cluster	1	2	3
Description	Best Perception Of Care Quality And More Satisfied	Better Perceptions Of Care Quality And Most Satisfied	Worst Perceptions Of Care Quality And Less Satisfied
n (%)	57 (41)	48 (34)	35 (25)	P*
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Organizational model for nursing care				0.559
Team nursing	19 (33)	20 (42)	11 (31)
Primary nursing	38 (67)	28 (58)	24 (69)
Settings with physicians who have achieved palliative medicine as a subspecialty				0.014
Settings with physicians having subspecialty in palliative medicine	37 (65)	23 (48)	12 (34)
Settings without physicians having subspecialty in palliative medicine	20 (35)	25 (52)	23 (66)
Settings of care				0.021
Hospice inpatient care	27 (47)	16 (33)	7 (20)
Hospice day care	18 (32)	15 (31)	9 (26)
Palliative care units in nursing homes	8 (14)	9 (19)	7 (20)
Homecare	4 (7)	8 (17)	12 (34)

Notes: *P-value describes significant differences between the three clusters measured by Pearson Chi-Square Test. Level of significance <0.05.