title: Information disclosure to terminally ill patients and their relatives: self-reported practice of Belgian clinical specialists and general practitioners.
abstract: Objective of this study is to examine physicians' practices regarding information disclosure to terminally ill patients and to their relatives, without informing the patient. A questionnaire had been sent to a random sample of 3014 Belgian physicians from different specialties frequently involved in end-of-life care. Responses were analysed using weighted percentages, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U-tests and a multivariate ordinal logistic regression. Response rate was 58%. Both clinical specialists and general practitioners (GPs) discuss most topics related to terminal illness with their patients except end-of-life hastening options, spirituality, life expectancy and options to withhold/withdraw life-sustaining treatment. The topics which most physicians always discuss with relatives without informing the patient are the aim of treatment, palliative care and incurability. There is a significant difference between clinical specialists and GPs. Clinical specialists and GPs discuss most end-of-life topics with the patient but omit important issues such as end-of-life hastening options and life-expectancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sociology and Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Michiels
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deschepper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bilsen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mortier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deliens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D003657:Decision Making; D030881:Disclosure / Q000941:ethics; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000941:ethics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*