Intercountry and intracountry variations in opinions of palliative care specialist physicians in Germany, Italy, Japan and UK about continuous use of sedatives: an international cross-sectional survey.

Tatsuya MoritaTakuya KawaharaPatrick StoneNigel SykesGuido MiccinesiCarsten KleinStephanie StielDavid HuiLuc DeliensMadelon T HeijltjesMasanori MoriMaria HeckelLenzo RobijnLalit KrishnaJudith Rietjens

Published in: BMJ open (2022)

Variations in use of sedatives is due to both physician- and country-related factors, but palliative care physicians consistently agree on the value of sedatives to aid symptom control. Future research should focus on (1) whether sedatives should be used in patients with longer survival or with primarily psychoexistential suffering, (2) understanding physicians' intentions and treatment goals, (3) efficacy of different drugs and (4) understanding the actual experiences of patients receiving CUS.

Keyphrases

palliative care
primary care
advanced cancer
emergency department
mental health
cross sectional
current status
public health
patient reported