Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement: Caregiver decision making in Taiwan

Background/PurposeTo explore Taiwanese caregivers' decision making experiences of accepting a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube for their family member.MethodsA phenomenological approach was used for the interview and analysis. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 26 caregivers of patients who had percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube in southern Taiwan.ResultsFive themes were recognized to reflect caregivers' decision making experiences with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: awareness of suffering, awareness of options, uncertainty, opportunity, and contentment with the decision.ConclusionCaregivers' decisions to proceed with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedure were mediated by desires to relieve patients' suffering. To empower caregivers to make enteral feeding decisions, nurses must provide sufficient information about percutaneous gastrostomy tubes and their care, support decision making and help to identify an opportunity for gastrostomy tube placement.