Hospice and palliative care experiences as expressed on the r/hospice and r/palliative subreddits

Hospice and palliative care experiences as expressed on the r/hospice and r/palliative subreddits
American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Riley Shin, Ashley Shin, Elizabeth K. Nugent; 6/25
Reddit, an anonymous online community forum, provides space for sharing medical information, seeking emotional support, and facilitating open communication. This qualitative study examined the most popular questions on the r/hospice and r/palliative communities on Reddit. Seven primary themes emerged from question and advice-seeking r/hospice comments: (1) the dying process (24%), (2) coping and emotional support for patients and caregivers (22%), (3) logistics of hospice and palliative care (22%), (4) medication treatments and side effects (13%), (5) negative hospice experiences (10%), (6) support for hospice providers (7%), and (7) other less related material (2%). Assessment of posts on the r/hospice and r/palliative subreddits revealed gaps in communication between patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers in several important areas, most importantly in demystifying the dying process and providing patient and caregiver support.