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Published on: August 24, 2019
Palliative care services for those with chronic lung disease
M R Partridge1, A Khatri, L Sutton
1Imperial College London, NHLI, Division at Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK. m.partridge@imperial.ac.uk
Chronic Respiratory Disease
|January 30, 2009
Summary
Patients with advanced nonmalignant respiratory disease have limited access to specialist palliative care compared to lung cancer patients. Many hospitals lack formal end-of-life care processes for chronic respiratory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Respiratory Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Palliative care is well-established for advanced lung cancer.
- Access to similar services for nonmalignant respiratory diseases is less understood.
- Chronic respiratory diseases significantly impact quality of life and require specialized support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the availability and accessibility of specialist palliative care services for patients with advanced nonmalignant respiratory disease in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- To compare palliative care provision for nonmalignant respiratory conditions with that for malignant lung disease.
- To identify gaps in end-of-life care planning and support for patients with chronic respiratory illnesses.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to 210 respiratory physicians in major hospitals across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- The survey assessed the scope of palliative care services, availability of specialist nurses, access to hospice care, and formal policies for end-of-life care.
- Response rate was 51.0% (107 physicians).
Main Results:
- While physicians managed various chronic lung diseases, only a third had responsibility for cystic fibrosis patients.
- Specialist lung cancer nurses were common, but only 20.3% extended care to nonmalignant respiratory patients.
- Access to hospice inpatient or day care was limited for most respondents.
- Formal policies for end-of-life care for chronic respiratory disease were present in only 21.5% of departments.
- A significant majority (87.9%) lacked formal processes for initiating end-of-life discussions.
Conclusions:
- Patients with advanced nonmalignant respiratory disease experience less consistent access to specialist palliative care compared to those with malignant lung disease.
- There is a notable absence of formalized end-of-life care approaches in most hospitals for patients with chronic lung conditions.
- Improvements in palliative care integration and end-of-life communication strategies are needed for nonmalignant respiratory diseases.
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