Table 5.

Importance of end-of-life care program elements from the patient's perspective

Question	Rating, %
What would you like to see as part of an end-of-life care program for patients dying with kidney disease?
Education and support for patients and their families	47.8
Greater family involvement in end-of-life care discussions and care	45.4
A greater focus on pain and symptom management	42.1
Education and training for all staff on end-of-life care for kidney failure patients	35.1
Greater physician involvement in end-of-life care discussions and care	32.4
Routine discussions with patients regarding their end-of-life preferences	31.7
Resources available on palliative care options (e.g., pastoral, hospice care)	27.2
Greater involvement of nursing and social work staff in end-of-life care discussions and care	22.6
Use of a palliative care team	19.9
Greater emphasis on spiritual care	13.4
Greater access to hospice services	10.6
Othera	2.8
Annual memorial service for patients who have died	2.7
What issues surrounding end-of-life care would you like to know more about?
Information about the end-of-life process	42.3
Information about palliative care services	39.7
Symptom management (e.g., alleviation of pain)	39.2
Information about hospice	29.1
Financial support for individuals in need	25.5
Availability of services such as counselling, support groups	23.8
Availability of resources specifically in your community	21.9
Conflicting beliefs about care when a cure is no longer possible	15.8

Results do not include responses that were not applicable or were missing but percentage was calculated from N = 584.

^aOther end-of-life care aspects specified by patients were burial options and plans, wills, and better emotional and spiritual support.