Barriers to end-of-life discussions among hematologists: A qualitative study

Integrated palliative care is correlated with earlier end-of-life discussion and improved quality of life. Patients with haematological malignancies are far less likely to receive care from specialist palliative or hospice services compared to other cancers.

The main goal of this study was to determine hematologists' barriers to end-of-life discussions when potentially fatal hematological malignancies recur.

Qualitative grounded theory study using individual interviews.

Hematologists ( n = 10) from four hematology units were asked about their relationships with their patients and their attitudes toward prognosis and end-of-life discussions at the time of recurrence.

As long as there are potential treatments, hematologists fear that end-of-life discussions may undermine their relationship and the patient's trust. Because of their own representations, hematologists have great difficulty opening up to their patients' end-of-life wishes. When prognosis is uncertain, negative outcome, that is, death, is not fully anticipated. Persistent hope silences the threat of death.

This study reveals some of the barriers clinicians face in initiating early discussion about palliative care or patients' end-of-life care plan. These difficulties may explain why early palliative care is little integrated into the hematology care model.