A poll released this week by The National Journal and Regence Foundation found that doctors in the US are overwhelmingly supportive of palliative care interventions for seriously ill patients.

Of the 500 doctors who completed the survey, 96% believed that enhancing the quality of life of seriously ill patients was more important than extending their lives for as long as possible. Another 96% of respondents agreed that making palliative care available to all patients who need it should be a higher priority for American healthcare providers.

When a similar survey was carried out on a random sample of adults earlier this year, only 71% said that quality of life was more important than length of life, indicating a difference of opinion between medical professionals and the general public.

The results also showed that whilst a large proportion of doctors believed that palliative care is important, a quarter stated that they were not sufficiently prepared to discuss options for end of life care with patients; highlighting a possible gap in expertise and training and perhaps also an unwillingness to tackle what is seen as a very sensitive subject.

Read an overview of the results here.