Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making
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Multicenter Study
The Understanding of Terminal Cancer and Its Relationship with Attitudes toward End-of-Life Care Issues.
Although terminal cancer is a widely used term, its meaning varies, which may lead to different attitudes toward end-of-life issues. The study was conducted to investigate differences in the understanding of terminal cancer and determine the relationship between this understanding and attitudes toward end-of-life issues. ⋯ The understanding of terminal cancer varied among the 4 participant groups. It was associated with different preferences regarding end-of-life issues. Standardization of these terms is needed to better understand end-of-life care.
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The trend for terminally ill patients to receive much of their end-of-life care at home necessitates the design of services to facilitate this. Care at home also requires that informal care be provided by family members and friends. This study investigated informal carers' preferences for support services to aid the development of end-of-life health care services. ⋯ The most valued services are those that support carers in their caregiving role; however, supportive care preferences vary with the different circumstances of patients and carers.