Public interest in palliative care in Latin America: A Google Trends analysis

TL;DR

This study uses Google Trends to show growing public interest in palliative care in Latin America, with regional differences.

Contribution

The study provides a novel use of Google Trends to analyze public interest in palliative care across Latin American countries.

Findings

Global interest in palliative care increased, peaking in December 2022 due to Pelé's death.

Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia showed rising interest, while Argentina and Peru did not.

Public interest in palliative care is growing in Latin America but varies by region.

Abstract

The demand for palliative care is increasing globally, yet a notable lack of awareness continues to present a significant obstacle to its widespread adoption. The use of digital tools like Google Trends can help gauging public interest in specific topics. We used Google Trends to conduct a systematic search of terms related to palliative care from January 1, 2010, to May 10, 2023. The results were filtered by location, including worldwide and Latin American countries. We found a global increase in searches for terms related to palliative care, with a peak in December 2022 associated with the death of Brazilian footballer Pelé. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia mirrored this trend, while others like Argentina and Peru did not. Interest in palliative care is on the rise in Latin America, albeit with notable regional variations.

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