BACKGROUND: People with a terminal illness and their families who live in rural or remote areas of Australia face difficulties in accessing palliative care services as a result of physical isolation. This leads to rural general practitioners (GPs) carrying the burden of care, which is often exacerbated by a lack of support staff. OBJECTIVE: This research addressed the following questions: What are GPs' attitudes to palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? What factors contribute to GPs' attitudes to palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? What are the perceived barriers to the provision of palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? DESIGN: A qualitative in-depth research design was used for this study due to the exploratory nature of the research. A model of attitudes that considers an attitude as a summary evaluation of an issue based on: cognitive information, (thoughts and beliefs), affective or emotional information, and information concerning behavior, was used. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 10 registered GPs located within the Greater Bunbury Division of General Practice in Western Australia. RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the research: maintaining patients' quality of life, providing continuity of care, experiencing emotional issues, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, acknowledging the need for education and training, and dealing with the wider context. CONCLUSION: Education and training for rural GPs needs to be relevant to the local context and needs to focus on emotions and beliefs.
BACKGROUND:People with a terminal illness and their families who live in rural or remote areas of Australia face difficulties in accessing palliative care services as a result of physical isolation. This leads to rural general practitioners (GPs) carrying the burden of care, which is often exacerbated by a lack of support staff. OBJECTIVE: This research addressed the following questions: What are GPs' attitudes to palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? What factors contribute to GPs' attitudes to palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? What are the perceived barriers to the provision of palliative care in a rural center of Western Australia? DESIGN: A qualitative in-depth research design was used for this study due to the exploratory nature of the research. A model of attitudes that considers an attitude as a summary evaluation of an issue based on: cognitive information, (thoughts and beliefs), affective or emotional information, and information concerning behavior, was used. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 10 registered GPs located within the Greater Bunbury Division of General Practice in Western Australia. RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the research: maintaining patients' quality of life, providing continuity of care, experiencing emotional issues, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, acknowledging the need for education and training, and dealing with the wider context. CONCLUSION: Education and training for rural GPs needs to be relevant to the local context and needs to focus on emotions and beliefs.
Authors: Saber Azami-Aghdash; Morteza Ghojazadeh; Mir Hossein Aghaei; Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad; Zoleikha Asgarlo Journal: Indian J Palliat Care Date: 2015 Sep-Dec
Authors: Marco Bennardi; Nicola Diviani; Claudia Gamondi; Georg Stüssi; Piercarlo Saletti; Ivan Cinesi; Sara Rubinelli Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2020-04-13 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Anne Herrmann; Mariko L Carey; Alison C Zucca; Lucy A P Boyd; Bernadette J Roberts Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2019-10-31 Impact factor: 3.234