Mary Joanne Verhoef

Non-specialist palliative care - question prompt list preparation 149 Table 2. Topics from the question prompt list that patients (n=25) selected and that were addressed during their consultation with palliative care consultants. (continued) Topic Selected in the QPL Addressed during the consultation Selected and addressed Initiator of topic Patient or family Palliative care consultant % n % n % n % n % n Side effects of medication 24 6 56 14 100 6 43 6 57 8 Medication intake times 20 5 48 12 100 5 17 2 83 10 Next steps medication 32 8 60 15 75 8 13 2 87 13 Medication for worsening complaints 44 11 48 12 64 11 8 1 92 11 Types of morphine-like medication 32 8 60 15 100 8 33 5 67 10 Choice of whether or not to treat the disease 44 11 48 12 64 11 50 6 50 6 Choice between treatment and quality of life 64 16 52 13 75 16 39 5 62 8 Category: Social or meaning 40 10 68 17 100 10 53 9 53 9 Help or information for children 28 7 44 11 100 7 27 3 73 8 Help or information for relatives 32 8 32 8 88 8 25 2 75 6 Meaning of life 4 1 20 5 0 1 80 4 20 1 Category: Organization of care 68 17 100 25 100 17 68 17 96 24 Home care 44 11 80 20 91 11 30 6 70 14 Household care 8 2 20 5 100 2 0 0 100 5 Hospice care 44 11 52 13 91 11 46 6 54 7 Volunteers 8 2 20 5 100 2 40 2 60 3 Point of contact for complaints 44 11 60 15 82 11 33 5 67 10 Role of the general practitioner 40 10 100 25 100 10 24 6 76 19 Possibilities of care 44 11 36 9 36 11 22 2 78 7 Category: Last phase of life 56 14 88 22 99 14 91 20 77 17 Palliative sedation 24 6 48 12 67 6 8 1 92 11 Euthanasia 40 10 68 17 100 10 47 8 53 9 Fluids and nutrition 16 4 24 6 50 4 50 3 50 3 Practical matters of the end of life 24 6 40 10 67 6 90 9 10 1 Course of the last phase of life 36 9 48 12 44 9 75 9 25 3 Patients and family were asked to select the topics they wanted to discuss during their consultation with a palliative care consultant. Their selections of topics were compared with the topics that were addressed during their actual consultation and who initiated the topic during the consultation. The totals of topics may exceed the total of addressed categories, since a category was considered selected, addressed, or initiated if one of the underlying topics was. 7

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