Abstract

Understanding how socioeconomic characteristics such as age, deprivation, and ethnicity relate to the symptoms and concerns of patients with terminal illnesses is essential for planning more fair treatment delivery. The older population and widening socioeconomic disparities make this work even more important. According to the "Korea Declaration" on hospice/palliative care, hospice and palliative care shall be provided in accordance with equitable principles, regardless of color, gender, sexual orientation, race, faith, social position, national origin, or ability to pay for treatments. Despite demands for improved resources, very minor progress has been made in transforming access to resources for vulnerable populations for palliative care, particularly those living in poverty on the edge of society. Several patient-related factors are connected to the likelihood of obtaining a referral for or using palliative care services. According to research, there is a high correlation between socioeconomic position and comprehension of palliative care. Various research from across the world showed that socioeconomic and demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education level, race, disease type and severity, financial capacity, religion, and marital status may influence access to palliative care services. Furthermore, studies have revealed that significant barriers to utilizing palliative care may include insufficient knowledge, training, and views of palliative care, inadequately trained professionals in the area, insufficient funds for therapy, and regulatory restrictions. According to studies, individuals from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly those with low educational attainment, and men are less likely to get palliative care (PC) or hospice care and are more likely to receive "curative" chemotherapy weeks before death. In many countries, older patients and their families may have less access to palliative care than younger patients. According to research, differences in palliative care access have frequently been the focus of socioeconomic disparities studies as individuals age older. A significant number of older individuals die in hospitals while undergoing expensive, ineffective care for illnesses that may be better treated with a compassionate approach. There is evidence that cultural change is essential to eliminate ageist perspectives and lower financial barriers to healthcare access, which can improve health outcomes. Thus, efficient implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) palliative care regulations might be a solution to lowering socioeconomic barriers to accessing palliative and geriatric palliative care services