Social and structural conditions for the avoidance of advance care planning in neuro-oncology: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Primary brain tumours newly affect >260 000 people each year worldwide. In the UK, every year >10 000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour while >5000 die annually from the disease. Prognoses are poor, cognitive deterioration common and patients have prolonged palliative needs. Advance care planning (ACP) may enable early discussion of future care decisions. Although a core commitment in the UK healthcare strategy, and the shared responsibility of clinical teams, ACP appears uncommon in practice. Evidence around ACP practice in neuro-oncology is limited.

Objectives

We aimed to elicit key social and structural conditions contributing to the avoidance of ACP in neuro-oncology.

Design

A cross-sectional qualitative study design was used.

Setting</

SUBMITTER: Llewellyn H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5878249 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature