Survey Finds Californians Seek Support Around Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care

Nine in 10 would want as much information as possible about what to expect if they faced a serious illness.

Living with a serious illness impacts all facets of a person’s life. Results from a statewide survey released by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) show that the vast majority of people with serious illness want the kinds of supportive services provided by palliative care, which focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatment.

Californians also express a desire for as much information as possible about what they can expect with their illness now and in the future. This sentiment poses a challenge to the current health care system, where such conversations are not the norm and the majority of people with serious illness do not receive palliative care.

Help Wanted: Californians’ Views and Experiences of Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care reports selected findings from the new survey and highlights key differences by race/ethnicity and income level. The survey is a follow-up to the foundation’s influential Final Chapter report released in 2012.

“Californians overwhelmingly want their health care provider to address the physical, emotional and practical stresses of serious illness,” said Sandra R. Hernández, MD, president and CEO of CHCF. “While many people do receive services, like palliative care, it tends to happen toward the end of life. These services could make a much bigger difference if they were delivered earlier.”