Exploring the factors influencing the perception of palliative care quality in Chinese patients with advanced-stage cancer: a cross-sectional study

The subjectivity of patient quality of life requires patient-centered palliative care, beyond prior provider/family perspectives.The Donabedian Framework and Latent profile analysisProfile Analysis. This cross-sectional study (October 2022-June 2023) assessed 241 patients from two Chinese hospitals, utilizing the Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) and the short-form Quality of Palliative Care Perception (QPP-PC). Data were analyzed using latent profile analysis, chi-square, Kruskal–Wallis, and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Perceptions of palliative care quality were divided into three classes: Class 1 (low, n = 24, 10.0%); Class 2 (moderate, n = 79, 32.8%); and Class 3 (high, n = 138, 57.2%). Compared with Class 3, high scores for “psychological and life” and “care quality” dimensions in POS and males were more likely to be in Class 1. A monthly household income below 1,500 RMB per capita reduced the likelihood of belonging to the low-perception class. Factors associated with Class 2 included high “psychological and life” scores, urban residence, non-married, and a monthly income of 1,500–3,000 RMB per capita. Over half of advanced cancer patients in China held moderate-high palliative care perceptions, shaped by treatment outcomes, demographics, and financial stress. Future research should include diverse diagnoses, caregivers, and providers for comprehensive insights.