Palliative care in Latvia: Availability and the role of the family doctor

¹ Rıga Stradiņš University, Faculty of Public Health and Social Welfare, Institute of Public Health, Riga, Latvia
² RISEBA University of Applied Sciences, Postgraduate Study Programme director, Riga, Latvia

Abstract

In line with rapid population aging, palliative care is becoming increasingly important. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the satisfaction with palliative care and its availability in Latvia, as well as identify factors which have a major impact on overall satisfaction with care. The paper describes the situation in Latvia by evaluating the satisfaction with the palliative care and the accessibility to it. The study relies on a quantitative methodology and primary data were obtained using structured online survey conducted during the 30-day period – in March and April 2018. In total 240 questionnaires were collected from which 131 (n = 131) were qualified for further analysis. The survey results indicated that the population of Latvia has insufficient information about the palliative care leading to low availability. The regression analysis showed that overall low assessment of the palliative care is influenced by two factors: 1) low satisfaction with the services provided by the primary care physicians (family doctors), 2) satisfaction with the received palliative care services and the availability of the services. The study indicated that there is no unified and comprehensive palliative care strategy and system in Latvia, however, some state-provided care is available for a limited number of patients. The results highlight the necessary improvements in palliative care in Latvia and may serve as a basis for health and social policymakers for the development of a unified and comprehensive population end-of-life or palliative care strategy.