Patient and family members' perceptions of palliative care in heart failure

PurposeTo describe patients with HF and their family members' (FMs) experiences with, and perceptions of, inpatient PC consultations.Methods40 semi-structured interviews were completed with 24 patients with late-stage HF and/or 16 designated FMs. Content analysis was used to derive themes from the data.ResultsFour main themes resulted. Participants: 1) were generally ill-prepared for the PC consult; 2) pursued a plan that reflected their own understanding of patient prognosis, rather than that of the clinician; 3) described a primarily supportive role for PC; 4) often rejected or deferred PC services if they viewed hospice and PC as synonymous.ConclusionLack of awareness of PC and the conflation of PC and hospice were barriers to PC, and many participants felt that PC services are needed to fill the gaps in their care. A collaborative model of care may best meet the complex needs of this group.