ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2011
Palliative care or end-of-life care in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective community survey.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Support needs of patients with COPD: a systematic literature search and narrative review.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2018Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The inverse palliative care law in advanced lung disease: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- Patient-Caregiver Dyads in Severe and Advanced COPD: Relationships, Caregiving Burden, and Intervention Support: A Narrative Review.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026Review
- Differences in symptoms and problems experienced by patients with a life-threatening disease in specialized palliative care and basic palliative care-a nationwide cross-sectional study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Development and Validation of a Risk Prediction Model to Identify Women With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for Proactive Palliative Care.Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2025Article
- Chronic Pain in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross Sectional Study.Tanaffos · 2022Article
- Palliative care for people with non-malignant respiratory disease and their carers: a review of the current evidence.Journal of research in nursing : JRN · 2019Article
- Systematic Review of Pain in Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of COPD: A Case for Including Chronic Pain?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Review
- Do patients and carers agree on symptom burden in advanced COPD?International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2018Article
- Palliative and end-of-life care conversations in COPD: a systematic literature review.ERJ open research · 2017Review
- Differences in place of death between lung cancer and COPD patients: a 14-country study using death certificate data.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2017Article
- Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Innovative and Integrated Management Approaches.Chinese medical journal · 2015Review
- Experience of anxiety among patients with severe COPD: A qualitative, in-depth interview study.Palliative & supportive care · 2014Article
- Coordination of end-of-life care for patients with lung cancer and those with advanced COPD: are there transferable lessons? A longitudinal qualitative study.Primary care respiratory journal : journal of the General Practice Airways Group · 2014Article
- The complexity of managing COPD exacerbations: a grounded theory study of European general practice.BMJ open · 2013Article
- The pharmacological approach to the elderly COPD patient.Drugs & aging · 2013Review
- Article
- Palliative care for chronic respiratory diseases in low- and middle-income countries: a narrative review.Therapeutic advances in respiratory diseaseReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCalls for better end-of-life care for advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reflect the large number who die from the disease and their considerable unmet needs.
aimTo determine palliative care needs in advanced COPD.
designCross-sectional interview study in patients' homes using structured questionnaires generated from 44 south London general practices.
methodOne hundred and sixty-three (61% response) patients were interviewed, mean age 72 years, 50% female, with diagnosis of COPD and at least two of: forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) <40% predicted, hospital admissions or acute severe exacerbations with COPD, long-term oxygen therapy, cor pulmonale, use of oral steroids, and being housebound. Patients with advanced cancer, severe alcohol-related or mental health problems, or learning difficulties, were excluded; 145 patients were included in the analysis.
resultsOne hundred and twenty-eight (88%) participants reported shortness of breath most days/every day, 45% were housebound, 75% had a carer. Medical records indicated that participants were at least as severe as non-participants. Eighty-two (57%) had severe breathlessness; 134 (92%) said breathlessness was their most important problem; 31 (21%) were on suboptimal treatment; 42 (30%) who were severely affected had not been admitted to hospital in the previous 2 years; 86 of 102 who had been admitted would want admission again if unwell to the same extent. None expressed existential concerns and few discussed need in terms of end-of-life care, despite severe breathlessness and impairment.
conclusionNeeds in advanced COPD were considerable, with many reporting severe intractable breathlessness. Palliation of breathlessness was a priority, but discussion of need was seldom in terms of 'end-of-life care'.
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