• Mette Asbjoern Neergaard, Frede Olesen, Anders Bonde Jensen, and Jens Sondergaard.
• Palliative Team, Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. man@alm.au.dk
• J Palliat Med. 2010 Sep 1;13(9):1071-7.

BackgroundLittle is known about the existing barriers to cooperation among health professionals in basic level palliative care for terminally ill patients with cancer in primary health care.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze health professionals' views on interprofessional cooperation in basic level palliative home care for terminally ill cancer patients.MethodThis study was a qualitative, descriptive study based on 7 semistructured group interviews conducted in the former Aarhus County, Denmark. Forty-three health professionals (23 family physicians, 5 chief physicians, and 15 home care nurses) were interviewed.ResultsTwo main categories of problems were identified: (1) the organization of palliative home care (need for proactive planning from the start of the palliative trajectory, clear distribution of tasks, advancement of more efficient communication pathways, and improved accessibility to all health professionals) and (2) interaction between health professionals (increased knowledge of and respect for the competencies of other health occupations and individuals).ConclusionThe study indicates problems with respect to both the organization of the basic level palliative home care and the working culture among health professionals. The main issues: distribution of tasks, information exchange, availability, respect, and personal acquaintance are pivotal to improve the delivery of palliative home care, to training in palliative care and warrant future research.

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