PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sander D Borgsteede
AU  - Corrie Graafland-Riedstra
AU  - Luc Deliens
AU  - Anneke L Francke
AU  - Jacques ThM van Eijk
AU  - Dick L Willems
TI  - Good end-of-life care according to patients and their GPs
DP  - 2006 Jan 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 20--26
VI  - 56
IP  - 522
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/56/522/20.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/56/522/20.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2006 Jan 01; 56
AB  - Background Most patients prefer to die at home, where a GP provides end-of-life care. A few previous studies have been directed at the GPs' values on good end-of-life care, yet no study combined values of patients and their own GP.Aim To explore the aspects valued by both patients and GPs in end-of-life care at home, and to reflect upon the results in the context of future developments in primary care.Design of study Interviews with patients and their own GP.Setting Primary care in the Netherlands.Method Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs and 30 of their patients with a life expectancy of less than 6 months, and cancer, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as underlying disease.Results Patients and GPs had comparable perceptions of good end-of-life care. Patients and GPs identified four core items that they valued in end-of-life care: availability of the GP for home visits and after office-hours, medical competence and cooperation with other professionals, attention and continuity of care.Conclusions Future developments in the organisation of primary care such as the restriction of time for home visits, more part-time jobs and GP cooperatives responsible for care after office hours, may threaten valued aspects in end-of-life care.