Knowing patients' preferences for place of death: how possible or desirable?

摘要

In their paper in this issue of the BJGP, Meeussen ef a/1 report that GPs knew the preferred place of death for 46% of their patients with non-sudden deaths. This information came from the patient alone for 40%, from significant others alone for 36% and from both for 22%. Patients whose GP knew their preferences were more likely to achieve their wish, and GP knowledge was associated with greater GP involvement in end-of-life care. The authors call for improvement in GPs' knowledge of patients' preferences for place of death, suggesting this to be a marker of end-of-life care quality.