Butters E, Higginson I, George R, McCarthy M; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21; 7: 403 (abstract no. W.D.4062).

Department of Community Medicine, University College London, UK

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the problems of terminally-ill HIV/AIDS patients; discover their views on care; and compare patient, carer and team assessments of problems. METHODS: Patients and their carers, under Bloomsbury Community Care Team (BCCT), a multidisciplinary support team, were interviewed at home, 3-4 weeks after referral. Patients and carers rated 9 current problems and their satisfaction with services on ordinal scales. BCCT made separate fortnightly assessments, using the same scales. RESULTS: 19 patients and 8 carers were interviewed. Symptom control was identified as the most serious current problem by patients, carers and BCCT; 18 patients had problems with symptom control. Patients and carers also frequently identified pain control, patient and family anxiety, and communication from professionals (not BCCT) as other serious problems; BCCT frequently identified patient and family anxiety as other serious problems. Agreement between matched patient, carer and BCCT assessments was reasonable; however, patients assessed pain as significantly more severe than did BCCT (p less than 0.05, Wilcoxon Z - 2.45). Care by BCCT was rated by all patients and 7 carers as good or excellent. General Practitioners' (GPs) care was rated good or excellent by 6 patients and 4 carers; 9 patients and 2 carers received no care from their GP. There were negative comments about communication: discussion of diagnosis and prognosis with professionals other than BCCT; and lack of clarification as to BCCT's role in care. DISCUSSION and CONCLUSIONS: BCCT appeared to meet most needs of patients and carers. Communication needs to be improved. Agreement between patient, carer and BCCT assessments suggests that providers' views are a reasonable record of patient and carer experiences.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Case-Control Studies
• Communication
• Family
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Health Services Needs and Demand
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Professional-Family Relations
• Referral and Consultation
• Terminal Care

Other ID:

• 3406291

UI: 102193504

From Meeting Abstracts