Observational studyBMC palliative care2025
Palliative care needs and quality of life among adults with advanced chronic illnesses in low-income communities of Bangladesh.
Observational study in BMC palliative care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Oral health care challenges in individuals with severe mental illness: a qualitative meta-synthesis.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Pooled it
- Assessment of end-of-life care needs among patients with incurable diseases in Bangladesh: A multicenter study.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Choices and challenges in end-of-life care and decision-making: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Bangladesh.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Coastal residency and its association with diagnosed hypertension based on findings from a cross-sectional study in rural Bangladesh.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesPalliative care (PC) is an interdisciplinary approach aimed at improving the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of patients and families affected by life-threatening diseases. This study aimed to investigate the need for PC among critically ill patients and their quality of life (QOL) in low-income groups in Bangladesh.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at four healthcare facilities from March to April 2023, involving 553 registered patients with advanced chronic conditions. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 183 patients in the advanced stage of illness were included. We collected data on sociodemographic, comorbidities, disabilities, and the 10-item African Palliative Outcome Scale (APOS). The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) was used to identify individuals requiring PC. The study investigated patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 3-4, indicating significant functional impairment, and explored QOL across four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental factors.
resultsThe mean age of the 183 patients was 53.8 (± 14.53) years, with 69.5% being female. We found that 10.3% of patients with chronic illness required PC, particularly cancer patients (87%) and those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (53.3%). The APOS scores indicated that family anxiety (48.6%) was the most burdensome issue, followed by severe pain (15.5%), severe worry about illness (22.4%), and feelings of life being unworthy (9.4%). Patients with severe functional limitations (ECOG 3-4) were significantly more likely to need PC (58%) compared to those with moderate or no limitations (ECOG 0-2) (24%). Among those requiring PC, 70.1% rated their QOL as poor or very-poor, while only 23.8% of patients not needing PC reported similar ratings. Female patients had poorer QOL than males across all domains, and those facing financial hardships also experienced significantly lower QOL.
conclusionIn Bangladesh's low-income communities, a significant proportion of patients with chronic illnesses require palliative care (PC) due to advanced conditions. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating PC early in the treatment process for cancer and CKD patients, as it can greatly improve their QOL and provide essential support for both patients and families. The results advocate for a holistic approach to PC that addresses physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors affecting patients' QOL.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.