Palliative Care Needs and Integration of Palliative Care Support in COPD

Background The provision of palliative care for severe COPD remains low, resulting in unmet needs in patients and carers. Research Questions What are the palliative care needs of patients living with severe COPD and their caregivers? What views of accessing and providing palliative care and factors influence these experiences. To what extent have palliative care and COPD services been integrated? Study Design and Methods A multicentre qualitative study was undertaken in COPD services and specialist palliative care in the United Kingdom involving patients with severe COPD, their carers, and health professionals. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and were analyzed using fram…