General practitioners’ engagement in end-of-life care: a semi-structured interview study

What is it about?

Early identification of approaching end of life provides an opportunity for the patient, family and doctor to plan ahead. However it is known that many people are identified at risk of dying very close to death, thereby risking unstructured, ineffective end of life care. 
This study explores if and when general practitioners (GPs) recognise when a patient is approaching the end of life, and what their response is. 
We found that GPs frequently do identify approaching end of life. How they approach it depends on whether the patient articulates it or not. Deliberated care planning in conjunction with the patient is possible when the patient can acknowledge their situation. GPs whose patients cannot or will not acknowledge their impending death still change treatment to maximise comfort, but without an overt discussion with the patient.

Featured Image