End-of-life care decisions for haemodialysis patients - 'We only tend to have that discussion with them when they start deteriorating'.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Haemodialysis patients receive very little involvement in their end-of-life care decisions. Issues relating to death and dying are commonly avoided until late in their illness. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of doctors and nurses in nephrology for involving haemodialysis patients in end-of-life care decisions.

Methods

A semi-structured qualitative interview study with 15 doctors and five nurses and thematic analysis of their accounts was conducted. The setting was a large teaching hospital in Wales, UK.

Results

Prognosis is not routinely discussed with patients, in part due to a difficulty in estimation and the belief that patients do not want or need this information. Advance care planning is rarely carried out, and end-of-life

SUBMITTER: Lazenby S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5354044 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature