AWARENESS OF PALLIATIVE CARE RECIPIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES ABOUT MOBILE NURSING TEAMS

Significance. Demographic ageing is affecting an increasing number of countries around the world, and one of its consequences is the increase in the number of patients requiring palliative care. In turn, advances in medical science make it possible to prolong the lives of terminally ill patients, including children, resulting in an increase in the number of people requiring palliative care. In Russia, the situation with palliative care is improving annually, partly due to the use of outreach services such as mobile medical and nursing teams, as well as increased public awareness of palliative care issues. Purpose. To analyze awareness of palliative care recipients, their relatives and legal representatives about mobile teams providing palliative care. Material and methods. The study used a sociological method involving a specially designed questionnaire. The survey included three groups of respondents: adult palliative care recipients, and relatives and legal representatives of adult patients and children. The study was conducted from September to October 2024 through personal interviews with the representatives of these groups at their places of residence and at medical organizations that provide palliative medical care. The survey sample consisted of 900 respondents, 300 per study group. Only those respondents, who permanently resided in the Russian region where the survey was conducted, were enrolled. Results. The study showed that in the three groups under study, the need for mobile teams providing palliative and other medical care is assessed differently. The majority of the respondents showed a high awareness of the activities of mobile medical teams in palliative care delivery. It is also shown that the majority of the respondents, would turn to a qualified and certified medical psychologist in a medical organization, if needed. Conclusion. Despite a rather high awareness of the patients of the three groups under study about the activities and functions of the departments of mobile nursing palliative care, there is a need for a deeper analysis of the work of the departments of mobile nursing palliative care for adults and children. Keywords: palliative care; sociological survey; specialized mobile medical teams; mobile forms of palliative care delivery.