Morphine prescription to terminally ill patients with lung cancer and dyspnea: French physicians' attitudes.
This study aimed to investigate factors associated with analgesic use of morphine in end-of-life care. French general practitioners (GPs) and oncologists (N = 719) were asked whether they would prescribe morphine as first-line therapy to patients with terminal lung cancer suffering from dyspnea associated with cough and great anxiety. Overall, 54 percent of oncologists and 40 percent of GPs stated that they would prescribe morphine in the presented case. This prescriptive attitude correlated with physicians' age, professional background, communication skills, and attitude toward terminally ill patients. The findings of this study indicate that improving analgesic use of opioids in end-of-life care is not only a matter of enhancing technical skills acquired through training or experience but also a matter of improving communication and empathy between physicians and patients.
Bendiane
Marc K
MK
Regional Centre for Disease Control of South-Eastern France.
Peretti-Watel
Patrick
P
Pegliasco
Herve
H
Favre
Roger
R
Galinier
Anne
A
Lapiana
Jean-Marc
JM
Obadia
Yolande
Y
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019452:Terminally Ill
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine