PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mousing, Camilla A.
AU  - Timm, Helle
AU  - Kirkevold, Marit
AU  - Lomborg, Kirsten
TI  - Patients with COPD wish to discuss palliative care with health professionals
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1410
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - https://publications.ersnet.org//content/44/Suppl_58/1410.short
4100  - https://publications.ersnet.org//content/44/Suppl_58/1410.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience palliative care needs in early, late, and terminal phase of the disease. Health professionals experience several barriers in their work with identifying, initiating, and evaluating palliative interventions aimed at patients with COPD in primary care. Mayor barriers to a palliative care approach are the fear of destroying patients' hopes and difficulties in deciding the right time to initiate discussions about palliative care.Aim: To explore the preferences of home-living patients suffering from COPD in relation to conversations about palliative care needs and interventions.Methods: In the period 2013-2014, twelve patients diagnosed with COPD were interviewed individually in their homes. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in three homecare districts in Denmark and were analyzed descriptively.Results: Patients reported that they rarely initiated discussions about palliative interventions, as they would not bother the staff with their concerns. Unless they knew the staff very well, they would not open these serious conversations. Several patients explained that they did not discuss their worries with their immediate families either, as they would not cause concern. The analysis showed that patients worry about the future and they would like to discuss: the disease; worries about the future; and management of symptoms with health professionals.Conclusion: Patients expressed that professionals should not be afraid to initiate conversations about palliative care. The patients knew that COPD was a serious illness and they did not fear that discussions about palliation could destroy their hopes for the future.