TY - JOUR
T1 - Physicians "missing in action"
T2 - Family perspectives on physician and staffing problems in end-of-life care in the nursing home
AU - Shield, Renée R.
AU - Wetle, Terrie
AU - Teno, Joan
AU - Miller, Susan C.
AU - Welch, Lisa
PY - 2005/10
Y1 - 2005/10
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To understand the roles of physicians and staff in nursing homes in relation to end-of-life care through narrative interviews with family members close to a decedent. DESIGN: Qualitative follow-up interviews with 54 respondents who had participated in an earlier national survey of 1,578 informants. SETTING: Brown University interviewers conducted telephone interviews with participants throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS: The 54 participants agreed to a follow-up qualitative interview and were family members or close to the decedent. MEASUREMENTS: A five-member, multidisciplinary team to identify overarching themes taped, transcribed, and then coded interviews. RESULTS: Respondents report that healthcare professionals often insufficiently address the needs of dying patients in nursing homes and that "missing in action" physicians and insufficient staffing create extra burdens on dying nursing home residents and their families. CONCLUSION: Sustained efforts to increase the presence of physicians and improve staffing in nursing homes are suggested to improve end-of-life care for dying residents in nursing homes.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To understand the roles of physicians and staff in nursing homes in relation to end-of-life care through narrative interviews with family members close to a decedent. DESIGN: Qualitative follow-up interviews with 54 respondents who had participated in an earlier national survey of 1,578 informants. SETTING: Brown University interviewers conducted telephone interviews with participants throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS: The 54 participants agreed to a follow-up qualitative interview and were family members or close to the decedent. MEASUREMENTS: A five-member, multidisciplinary team to identify overarching themes taped, transcribed, and then coded interviews. RESULTS: Respondents report that healthcare professionals often insufficiently address the needs of dying patients in nursing homes and that "missing in action" physicians and insufficient staffing create extra burdens on dying nursing home residents and their families. CONCLUSION: Sustained efforts to increase the presence of physicians and improve staffing in nursing homes are suggested to improve end-of-life care for dying residents in nursing homes.
KW - End-of-life care in nursing homes
KW - Family perceptions of nursing home care
KW - Physicians in nursing homes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=30944445579&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=30944445579&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53505.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53505.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16181162
AN - SCOPUS:30944445579
SN - 0002-8614
VL - 53
SP - 1651
EP - 1657
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
IS - 10
ER -