RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Important treatment aims at the end of life: a nationwide study among GPs
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP e121
OP e126
DO 10.3399/bjgp12X625184
VO 62
IS 595
A1 Susanne JJ Claessen
A1 Michael A Echteld
A1 Anneke L Francke
A1 Lieve Van den Block
A1 Gé A Donker
A1 Luc Deliens
YR 2012
UL http://bjgp.org/content/62/595/e121.abstract
AB Background Little is known about treatment aims during the last 3 months of life.Aim To investigate important treatment aims in the last 3 months of patients’ lives in cases of non-sudden death.Design and setting Mortality follow-back study in the Netherlands.Method Data were collected retrospectively in 2009 within the representative Sentinel Network of GPs in the Netherlands. GPs completed a standardised registration form.Results Data for 279 patients were studied. Of these, 55% died of cancer and 45% of another disease. Treatment was aimed at palliation for 73% of the patients in months 2 and 3 before death, and for 95% of the patients in the last week of life. Seven per cent received treatment aimed at cure in the last week of life. In a minority of patients, cure/life prolongation and palliation were simultaneously important treatment aims. In the last week of life and in the 2–4 weeks before death, cure was more frequently reported as an important treatment aim in patients with a non-cancer disease than in patients with cancer. In the 2–4 weeks before death, palliation was an important treatment aim for a larger proportion of patients with cancer than patients with other diseases.Conclusion Registration by GPs show that, in the last weeks and days of life, cure was more frequently reported as an important treatment aim in patients with a non-cancer disease than in patients with cancer. For a small number of patients, palliation and cure/life prolongation were simultaneously important treatment aims.