Palliative care in primary care: a study to determine whether patients and professionals agree on symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Difficulties in managing symptoms of palliative care patients at home have been identified, yet there has been no investigation of agreement on symptom assessment in primary care. Lack of agreement between patients' and primary care professionals' symptom assessments may be contributing to difficulties in symptom control.

Aim

To investigate agreement on symptom assessments between patients at home and GPs and district nurses.

Design of study

Prospective, self-completed, structured symptom assessments.

Setting

Routine contacts with adult palliative care patients estimated to be in their last year of life.

Method

Patient and professional symptom assessments were obtained using CAMPAS-R, a comprehensive and reliable measure validated for palliati

SUBMITTER: Ewing G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1821417 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature