|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Difficulty of symptom control and general practitioners' knowledge of patients' symptoms
GE Grande
Cambridgeshire Family Health Services Authority, Cambridge
Sig Barclay
General Practitioner, East Barnwell Health Centre, Cambridge
CJ Todd
Department of Community Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
The purpose of this study was to investigate barriers to adequate symptom control in palliative care within primary care by surveying health professionals' perceptions of their ability to control symptoms and awareness of their patients' symptoms.
General practitioners (GPs) and district nurses were surveyed about general views of symptom control. Interviews with terminally ill patients were conducted, and GPs completed questionnaires about these specific patients.
GPs and district nurses differed greatly in the symptoms they felt confident in controlling. There was generally low agreement between patients' and GP's reports of patients' symptoms. GPs were most likely to miss symptoms which were perceived to be difficult to control and which were less prevalent in the patient sample.
As GPs and district nurses differ in the symptoms they feel confident in controlling, close teamwork between the two professions may enhance the prospects for adequate control of some symptoms. Perceived ability to control symptoms and the prevalence of symptoms may both influence which symptoms come to the attention of the GP Unless GPs ask directly about symptoms, many symptoms are likely to be missed.
Key Words: communication • palliative care • primary health care • symptom control (non-MESH)
Palliative Medicine, Vol. 11, No. 5,
399-406 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/026921639701100511
 CiteULike  Complore  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
D. Marshall, D. Howell, K. Brazil, M. Howard, and A. Taniguchi
Enhancing family physician capacity to deliver quality palliative home care: An end-of-life, shared-care model
Can Fam Physician,
December 1, 2008;
54(12):
1703 - 1703.e7.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Charlton and A. Currie
A UK Perspective on Worldwide Inadequacies in Palliative Care Training: A Short Postgraduate Course Is Proposed
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,
March 1, 2008;
25(1):
63 - 71.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. P. Alvarez and Y. Agra
Systematic review of educational interventions in palliative care for primary care physicians
Palliative Medicine,
October 1, 2006;
20(7):
673 - 683.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. M Groot, M. J. Vernooij-Dassen, B. J. Crul, and R. P. Grol
General practitioners (GPs) and palliative care: perceived tasks and barriers in daily practice
Palliative Medicine,
March 1, 2005;
19(2):
111 - 118.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. L. Beck
Abstract: Symptom Clusters: Impediments and Suggestions for Solutions
J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs,
July 1, 2004;
2004(32):
137 - 138.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Lloyd-Williams and Y. H Carter
General practice vocational training in the UK: what teaching is given in palliative care?
Palliative Medicine,
October 1, 2003;
17(7):
616 - 620.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Shipman, J. Addington-Hall, M. Thompson, A. Pearce, S. Barclay, I. Cox, J. Maher, and D. Millar
Building bridges in palliative care: evaluating a GP Facilitator programme
Palliative Medicine,
October 1, 2003;
17(7):
621 - 627.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. K Mitchell
How well do general practitioners deliver palliative care? A systematic review
Palliative Medicine,
September 1, 2002;
16(6):
457 - 464.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Hotopf, J Chidgey, J Addington-Hall, and K L. Ly
Depression in advanced disease: a systematic review Part 1. Prevalence and case finding
Palliative Medicine,
March 1, 2002;
16(2):
81 - 97.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Shipman, J. Addington-Hall, S. Barclay, J. Briggs, I. Cox, L. Daniels, and D. Millar
Educational opportunities in palliative care: what do general practitioners want?
Palliative Medicine,
April 1, 2001;
15(3):
191 - 196.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J Pollard
Can euthanasia be safely legalized?
Palliative Medicine,
January 1, 2001;
15(1):
61 - 65.
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M S Rogers and C J Todd
The 'right kind' of pain: talking about symptoms in outpatient oncology consultations
Palliative Medicine,
June 1, 2000;
14(4):
299 - 307.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
