A Qualitative Study on Rural Chinese Residents’ Perceptions and Demands for Palliative Care within the Framework of “Rural Good Death Belief”

Background The development of palliative care in China exhibits a pattern of “urban priority and rural lag”. Older adults in rural areas face low quality of life and a lack of professional care during the end-of-life stage. Objective This study aims to explore rural Chinese residents’ awareness of and demands for palliative care, along with their underlying decision-making logic. The objective is not only to provide theoretical insights for formulating localized development strategies in rural China but also to contribute Chinese perspectives and experiences to addressing palliative care accessibility challenges in similar resource-limited settings worldwide. Methods Purposive sampling was used to select 43 rural residents for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Thirty-nine interview transcripts were ultimately obtained and analyzed using grounded theory. Results Eight axial codes were extracted: “Views on Life and Death” “Awareness of Quality of Life and Dignity” “Perceptions of Medical Care” “Customs for Handling Post-Death Matters” “Attitudes Toward Palliative Care” “Influence of Economic Status on Acceptance of Palliative Care” “Demands for Palliative Care Services” and “Expectations for Government Support and Promotion Policies”. The selective coding was identified as “Rural Chinese Residents’ Perceptions and Demands Regarding Palliative Care within the ‘Rural Good Death Belief’ Framework”. Conclusion Rural Chinese residents’ perceptions and demands regarding palliative care are deeply embedded in the logical framework of “Rural Good Death Belief”. They demonstrate a strong need to maintain quality of life and dignity, emphasize the economic accessibility of services and the vital role of families as informal caregivers, and express high expectations for government leadership and involvement.