Indian journal of palliative care
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Indian J Palliat Care · Jan 2019
A Qualitative Study on Palliative Needs of Stroke Patients in an Indian Tertiary Care Setting - Doctors' Perspective.
Stroke is the development of a focal neurological disturbance lasting >24 h, of vascular origin. In India, stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Most stroke patients, during their duration of treatment and posthospitalization, want relief of suffering, a sense of control and minimized burden on the family. ⋯ From the interviews of the clinicians, we can conclude that care of a stroke patient is more than medical management and rehabilitation, as several other aspects of the patient's life are affected by the condition. The quality of life aspect has to be looked upon as an area that requires active intervention in a setting of stroke. Physical disabilities were viewed as the most significant factor in reducing the quality of life. Spiritual needs have a low priority in comparison to other physical needs. Due to high patient load and time constraints, many of the needs are unaddressed. Two important areas where palliative medicine has a major role in a setting of stroke are counseling and alleviating caregiver burden. However, referral of stroke patients to palliative medicine is low and further research to identify barriers to specialist palliative care of stroke patients will help in promoting the referrals to palliative medicine.