Medical oncologist's commitment in end-of-life care of cancer patients.
Palliat Support Care
; 12(5): 351-4, 2014 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23768912
OBJECTIVE: Cancer patients and family members can feel abandoned by their oncologist at the transition to end-of-life (eoL) care. In this study, we evaluated the level of satisfaction of family caregivers when the oncology team assisted the patient until death. METHODS: Two oncology units were reorganized to ensure continuity of care; oncologists trained in palliative care medicine assisted patients until death. Relatives who assisted the patient at home or at an inpatient hospice underwent a semi-structured phone interview >1 month after the patient's death. Satisfaction was measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied (score 0) to very satisfied (score 100). RESULTS: Relatives of 65 patients were contacted, 55 accepted the interview. Patients were followed at home (41) or at an inpatient hospice (14), for 1-24 weeks (median 3 weeks). A specific question on the relevance of the oncologist having a role in EoL care produced a score of 82. The overall satisfaction score was higher than in our previous study in which a continuity of care model was not adopted, with a score improvement from 55/100 to 84/100 (p < 0.001). SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: A care program where the oncologist is involved in EoL management improved the satisfaction of caregivers of cancer patients. When a longstanding and trusting relationship has been established, the connection between the patient and the oncologist should not be lost.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Cuidados Paliativos
/
Relações Profissional-Família
/
Assistência Terminal
/
Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde
/
Cuidadores
/
Oncologia
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article