Provision of end-of-life care in primary care: a survey of issues and outcomes in the Australian context
General practitioners (GPs) face many challenges in delivering palliative care, particularly within patients’ last year of life. This overview covers the context and qualities of end-of-life care in primary care. In this study, 63 GPs across three Australian states shared their experiences of end-of-life care in general practice settings. The principal diagnoses for these patients varied, with cancer leading significantly. The authors found that around a third of GPs had formal palliative care training, and over 90% of GPs regarded their role as important in the last year of care. To add to this, GPs were highly engaged in end-of-life care through home visits, phone consultations, and family meetings. GPs communicated that care could have been improved for around a third of patients during their last year of life. In particular, within the last week of care, GPs reported that patients’ physiological and psychological issues were the most challenging to address. As the sample size of this study was small, further insights into the scope of primary care management of end-of-life patients are needed. These findings highlight the significance of the role of GPs in end-of-life care.
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