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Medical oncologist's commitment in end-of-life care of cancer patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2013

Romeo Bascioni ,
Francesca Giorgi ,
Barbara Esperide ,
Manuela Brugni ,
Farnoosh Basirat ,
Francesca Rastelli ,
Giorgio De Signoribus  and
Lucio Giustini
Romeo Bascioni*
Affiliation:
Ospedale Augusto Murri, Fermo, Hospice di Montegranaro, Italy
Francesca Giorgi
Affiliation:
Ospedale Madonna del Soccorso, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Barbara Esperide
Affiliation:
Ospedale Augusto Murri, Fermo, Hospice di Montegranaro, Italy
Manuela Brugni
Affiliation:
Ospedale Madonna del Soccorso, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Farnoosh Basirat
Affiliation:
Ospedale Augusto Murri, Fermo, Hospice di Montegranaro, Italy
Francesca Rastelli
Affiliation:
Ospedale Augusto Murri, Fermo, Hospice di Montegranaro, Italy
Giorgio De Signoribus
Affiliation:
Ospedale Madonna del Soccorso, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Lucio Giustini
Affiliation:
Ospedale Augusto Murri, Fermo, Hospice di Montegranaro, Italy
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Romeo Bascioni, Unità di Oncologia Medica, Ospedale Murri, 63900 Fermo, Italy. E-mail romeofran@alice.it
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Abstract

Objective:

Cancer patients and family members can feel abandoned by their oncologist at the transition to end-of-life (eoL) care. In this study, we evaluated the level of satisfaction of family caregivers when the oncology team assisted the patient until death.

Methods:

Two oncology units were reorganized to ensure continuity of care; oncologists trained in palliative care medicine assisted patients until death. Relatives who assisted the patient at home or at an inpatient hospice underwent a semi-structured phone interview >1 month after the patient's death. Satisfaction was measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied (score 0) to very satisfied (score 100).

Results:

Relatives of 65 patients were contacted, 55 accepted the interview. Patients were followed at home (41) or at an inpatient hospice (14), for 1–24 weeks (median 3 weeks). A specific question on the relevance of the oncologist having a role in EoL care produced a score of 82. The overall satisfaction score was higher than in our previous study in which a continuity of care model was not adopted, with a score improvement from 55/100 to 84/100 (p < 0.001).

Significance of results:

A care program where the oncologist is involved in EoL management improved the satisfaction of caregivers of cancer patients. When a longstanding and trusting relationship has been established, the connection between the patient and the oncologist should not be lost.

Keywords

medical oncologist's trainingpalliative care in oncologysimultaneous care
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 12 , Issue 5 , October 2014 , pp. 351 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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References

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