title: Good end-of-life care according to patients and their GPs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients prefer to die at home, where a GP provides end-of-life care. A few previous studies have been directed at the GPs' values on good end-of-life care, yet no study combined values of patients and their own GP.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the aspects valued by both patients and GPs in end-of-life care at home, and to reflect upon the results in the context of future developments in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews with patients and their own GP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs and 30 of their patients with a life expectancy of less than 6 months, and cancer, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as underlying disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients and GPs had comparable perceptions of good end-of-life care. Patients and GPs identified four core items that they valued in end-of-life care: availability of the GP for home visits and after office-hours, medical competence and cooperation with other professionals, attention and continuity of care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future developments in the organisation of primary care such as the restriction of time for home visits, more part-time jobs and GP cooperatives responsible for care after office hours, may threaten valued aspects in end-of-life care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.borgsteede@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Sander D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Borgsteede
authors.forename: Corrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graafland-Riedstra
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deliens
authors.forename: Anneke L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Francke
authors.forename: Jacques Thm
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: van Eijk
authors.forename: Dick L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Willems
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000592:standards*