Implementation of Primary Palliative Care in five Belgian regions: A qualitative study on early identification of palliative care needs by general practitioners

Background:To deliver optimal palliative care, a Care Pathway for Primary Palliative Care(CPPPC) was developed. This CPPPC was implemented by general practitioners (GPs) in territo-ries of five Belgian palliative care networks (2014–2016). Belgian doctors have much therapeuticfreedom, and do not commonly follow guidelines.Objectives:To assess how palliative care was provided by GPs before the CPPPC and its imple-mentation project were presented publicly.Methods:Between 2013 and 2015, seven focus groups with GPs were conducted. Participantsincluded 15 GPs in three French-speaking focus groups a... Mehr ...