RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Good concordance between patients and their non-professional carers about factors associated with a ‘good death’ and other important end-of-life decisions
JF BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
JO BMJ Support Palliat Care
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP 340
OP 345
DO 10.1136/bmjspcare-2015-001085
VO 9
IS 3
A1 Andrew Davies
A1 Jennifer Todd
A1 Fiona Bailey
A1 Amanda Gregory
A1 Melanie Waghorn
YR 2019
UL http://spcare.bmj.com/content/9/3/340.abstract
AB Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate concordance between patients and non-professional carers about factors associated with a ‘good death’ and other end-of-life decisions.Methods Patients completed a questionnaire about end-of-life care issues, and were asked to rank the importance of factors linked to a ‘good death’. Carers also completed a questionnaire about end-of-life care issues relating to the patient, and whether or not they agreed with those choices (ie, medical treatments, PPD). Carers were also asked to rank the importance of factors linked to a ‘good death’ to the patient, and to them personally at that point in time.Results Only 69% of patients stated they had discussed their preferences for end-of-life care with their respective carer. The rankings were similar for the patient and the carer's views of what was important for the patient, although the patients ranked ‘to be involved in decisions about my care’ as less important than the carers, while the carers ranked ‘to have sorted out my personal affairs’ as less important than the patients.Conclusions When discussions around end-of-life choices do occur, carers generally appear to agree with the patients' preferences around end-of-life treatment, and preferred place of death.