Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27086311›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2016

What are the barriers faced by medical oncologists in initiating discussion of palliative care? A qualitative study in Flanders, Belgium.

M Horlait, K Chambaere, K Pardon, L Deliens, S Van Belle

Abstract read
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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 94 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Timing of prognostic discussions in people with advanced cancer: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: ASCO Guideline.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

M HorlaitEnd-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium. mhorlait@vub.ac.be.
K ChambaereEnd-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
K PardonEnd-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
L DeliensEnd-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
S Van BelleEnd-of-life Care Research Group, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel · BEGhent University · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBefore referring patients to a palliative care service, oncologists need to inform them about disease stage and discuss prognosis, treatment options and possible advantages of specialized palliative care (SPC). They often find this a complex and emotionally difficult task. As a result, they may refer their patients to SPC too late in the disease course or even not at all. This study reports findings from interviews with Belgian medical oncologists identifying the barriers they experience to introduce palliative care to their patients with advanced cancer.

methodsThe interviews were semi-structured with open-ended questions and were supported by a topic list. The transcripts were analysed during an iterative process using the grounded theory principles of open and axial coding until a final coding framework was reached.

resultsThe study identified seven heterogeneous categories of barriers which discourage oncologists from discussing palliative care: oncologist-related barriers, patient-related barriers, family-related barriers, barriers relating to the physician referring the patient to the medical oncologist, barriers relating to disease or treatment, institutional/organizational barriers and societal/policy barriers. These categories are further refined into subcategories. DISCUSSION: These findings provide an explanation for the possible reasons why medical oncologists feel hampered in initiating palliative care and consequently discuss it rather late in the disease trajectory. The exploration and description of these barriers may serve as a starting point for revising the medical education of oncologists. They are also a reminder to hospital management and policy makers to be aware of the impact of these barriers on the daily practice of oncology.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAttitude of Health PersonnelBelgiumCommunicationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsOncologistsPalliative CareQualitative ResearchReferral and ConsultationCommunicationMedical oncologyPalliative careQualitative research

Identifiers

PMID27086311
OpenAlexW2342215728

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.