More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners
Background: Although general practitioners (GPs) are among the preferred contact persons for discussing end-of-life issues including advance directives (ADs), there is little data on how GPs manage such consultations. Objectives: This postal survey asked German GPs about their counselling for end-of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of General Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1421938 |
| _version_ | 1818541799649574912 |
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| author | Rieke Schnakenberg Lukas Radbruch Christine Kersting Friederike Frank Stefan Wilm Denise Becka Klaus Weckbecker Markus Bleckwenn Johannes M. Just Michael Pentzek Birgitta Weltermann |
| author_facet | Rieke Schnakenberg Lukas Radbruch Christine Kersting Friederike Frank Stefan Wilm Denise Becka Klaus Weckbecker Markus Bleckwenn Johannes M. Just Michael Pentzek Birgitta Weltermann |
| author_sort | Rieke Schnakenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Although general practitioners (GPs) are among the preferred contact persons for discussing end-of-life issues including advance directives (ADs), there is little data on how GPs manage such consultations. Objectives: This postal survey asked German GPs about their counselling for end-of-life decisions. Methods: In 2015, a two-sided questionnaire was mailed to 959 GPs. GPs were asked for details of their consultations on ADs: frequency, duration, template use, and whether they have own ADs. Statistical analysis evaluated physician characteristics associated with an above-average number of consultations on AD. Results: The participation rate was 50.3% (n = 482), 70.5% of the GPs were male; the average age was 54 years. GPs had an average of 18 years of professional experience, and 61.4% serve more than 900 patients per three months. Most (96.9%) GPs perform consultations on living wills (LW) and/or powers of attorney (PA), mainly in selected patients (72.3%). More than 20 consultations each on LWs and PAs are performed by 60% and 50% of GPs, respectively. The estimated mean duration of consultations was 21 min for LWs and 16 min for PAs. Predefined templates were used in 72% of the GPs, 50% of GPs had their ADs. A statistical model showed that GPs with ADs and/or a qualification in palliative medicine were more likely to counsel ≥20 patients per year for each document. Conclusion: The study confirmed that nearly all German GPs surveyed provide counselling on ADs. Physicians with ADs counsel more frequently than those without such documents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:13:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c0bb26fa83a4eed9eb85d2bc61ac882 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1381-4788 1751-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:13:54Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of General Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c0bb26fa83a4eed9eb85d2bc61ac8822022-12-22T00:48:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of General Practice1381-47881751-14022018-01-0124113113710.1080/13814788.2017.14219381421938More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitionersRieke Schnakenberg0Lukas Radbruch1Christine Kersting2Friederike Frank3Stefan Wilm4Denise Becka5Klaus Weckbecker6Markus Bleckwenn7Johannes M. Just8Michael Pentzek9Birgitta Weltermann10University of BonnUniversity Hospital BonnTeaching Area RWTH Aachen UniversityHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfRuhr University of BochumUniversity of Duisburg-EssenUniversity of BonnUniversity of BonnUniversity of BonnRuhr University of BochumTeaching Area RWTH Aachen UniversityBackground: Although general practitioners (GPs) are among the preferred contact persons for discussing end-of-life issues including advance directives (ADs), there is little data on how GPs manage such consultations. Objectives: This postal survey asked German GPs about their counselling for end-of-life decisions. Methods: In 2015, a two-sided questionnaire was mailed to 959 GPs. GPs were asked for details of their consultations on ADs: frequency, duration, template use, and whether they have own ADs. Statistical analysis evaluated physician characteristics associated with an above-average number of consultations on AD. Results: The participation rate was 50.3% (n = 482), 70.5% of the GPs were male; the average age was 54 years. GPs had an average of 18 years of professional experience, and 61.4% serve more than 900 patients per three months. Most (96.9%) GPs perform consultations on living wills (LW) and/or powers of attorney (PA), mainly in selected patients (72.3%). More than 20 consultations each on LWs and PAs are performed by 60% and 50% of GPs, respectively. The estimated mean duration of consultations was 21 min for LWs and 16 min for PAs. Predefined templates were used in 72% of the GPs, 50% of GPs had their ADs. A statistical model showed that GPs with ADs and/or a qualification in palliative medicine were more likely to counsel ≥20 patients per year for each document. Conclusion: The study confirmed that nearly all German GPs surveyed provide counselling on ADs. Physicians with ADs counsel more frequently than those without such documents.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1421938Medical consultationgeneral practice/family medicineadvance directive/living willcross-sectional survey |
| spellingShingle | Rieke Schnakenberg Lukas Radbruch Christine Kersting Friederike Frank Stefan Wilm Denise Becka Klaus Weckbecker Markus Bleckwenn Johannes M. Just Michael Pentzek Birgitta Weltermann More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners European Journal of General Practice Medical consultation general practice/family medicine advance directive/living will cross-sectional survey |
| title | More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners |
| title_full | More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners |
| title_fullStr | More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners |
| title_full_unstemmed | More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners |
| title_short | More counselling for end-of-life decisions by GPs with own advance directives: A postal survey among German general practitioners |
| title_sort | more counselling for end of life decisions by gps with own advance directives a postal survey among german general practitioners |
| topic | Medical consultation general practice/family medicine advance directive/living will cross-sectional survey |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1421938 |
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