Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2012
Out-of-hours medical care for terminally ill patients: A survey of availability and preferences of general practitioners.
Continuity of care is one of the core values of good medical care for terminally ill patients. The availability of one's own general practitioner (GP) out of hours is regarded as important for personal continuity. Few data are available about the extent of out-of-hours care given by GPs to their terminally ill patients. ⋯ The reported out-of-hours availability of GPs for terminally ill patients is still high. GPs' perception of their duty of care might change in the next generations, and the increasing number of salaried GPs, living far from their practice, might threaten out-of-hours availability for terminally ill patients. GPs' perception of their duty of care might change in the next generations, and the increasing number of salaried GPs living far from their practice might threaten out-of-hours availability for terminally ill patients.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2012
Qualitative evaluation of a problem-solving intervention for informal hospice caregivers.
Informal hospice caregivers may experience compromised well-being as a result of significant stress. Although quite limited, problem-solving interventions with this population have garnered empirical support for improved caregiver well-being. ⋯ The study findings provide much needed depth to the field's understanding of problem-solving interventions for informal hospice caregivers and can be used to enhance existing support services.