[Status of terminal care in family practice]

The changing paradigm in the health care system to focus stronger on community care also effects the care of the dying. In consequence, general practitioners are confronted with changing tasks and challenges. In an exploratory oriented study 80 general practitioners, who were recruited in one rural and one urban area were interviewed with regard to different variables of the care of the dying such as self concept, different aspects of burden, pain management, education and vocational training as well as cooperation with third parties. Main results show that age of the general practitioners and amount of burden experienced are interrelated. Further, the subject "death and dying" is hardly considered in education and training and the cooperation between the general practitioner and other health care professionals has to be extended and improved.