Why People Accept Opioids: Role of General Attitudes Toward Drugs, Experience as a Bereaved Family, Information From Medical Professionals, and Personal Beliefs Regarding a Good Death

Abstract Context Many surveys have evaluated patient-related barriers to pain management. Objectives To explore associations between a preference for opioids and general attitudes toward drugs, the experience and information received as a bereaved family, and beliefs regarding a good death. Methods A cross-sectional survey, performed in 2010, of bereaved families of patients with cancer in palliative care units across Japan. Questionnaires were sent to 997 families. Results A total of 66% of families responded. Of these, 224 responses were excluded because the family declined to participate in the study ( n = 38), the patient was not receiving any opioid analgesics, and there were missing data ( n = 164), or data were missing for the primary end points ( n = 22). Thus, 432 responses were finally analyzed (43%). In total, 26%, 41%, and 31% of family members stated that they strongly want to receive, want to receive, or slightly want to receive opioids if needed in the future, respectively. Determinants associated with a preference for receiving opioid treatment were the following: a general appreciation of the drugs ( P = 0.005), witnessing an improvement in the patient's quality of life as a result of pain relief ( P = 0.003), information provided by medical professionals that the opioid could be discontinued if side effects developed ( P = 0.042), and the belief that a good death was one that was free from pain and physical distress ( P