Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Provision of Palliative Care in Patients with COPD: A Survey Among Pulmonologists and General Practitioners
Johanna M C Broese1,2, Rianne M J J van der Kleij1, Els M L Verschuur2
1Public Health & Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Introduction:
Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience significant symptom burden, leading to poor quality of life. Although guidelines recommend palliative care for these patients, this is not widely implemented and prevents them from receiving optimal care.
Objective:
A national survey was performed to map the current content and organization of palliative care provision for patients with COPD by pulmonologists and general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands.
Methods:
We developed a survey based on previous studies, guidelines and expert opinion. Dutch pulmonologists and GPs were invited to complete the survey between April and August 2019.
Results:
130 pulmonologists (15.3%; covering 76% of pulmonology departments) and 305 GPs (28.6%) responded. Median numbers of patients with COPD in the palliative phase treated were respectively 20 and 1.5 per year. 43% of pulmonologists and 9% of GPs reported some formalized agreements regarding palliative care provision. Physicians most often determined the start of palliative care based on clinical expertise or the Surprise Question. 31% of pulmonologists stated that they often or always referred palliative patients with COPD to a specialist palliative care team; a quarter rarely referred. 79% of the respondents mentioned to often or always administer opioids to treat dyspnea. The topics least discussed were non-invasive ventilation and the patient's spiritual needs. The most critical barrier to starting a palliative care discussion was difficulty in predicting the disease course.
Conclusion:
Although pulmonologists and GPs indicated to regularly address palliative care aspects, palliative care for patients with COPD remains unstructured and little formalized. However, our data revealed a high willingness to improve this care. Clear guidance and standardization of practice are needed to help providers decide when and how to initiate discussions, when to involve specialist palliative care and how to optimize information exchange between care settings.
More Related Videos
04:03Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Moving Cupping Along Meridians for Acute Exacerbation of COPD
Published on: September 27, 2024
05:19Author Spotlight: An Effective Traditional Chinese Medicinal Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Abdominal Distension
Published on: September 1, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:29Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Management
Smoking Cessation
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
01:26COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
01:30Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Nursing Management
Assessment