Determining factors and implications of aggressiveness of care towards the end of life of cancer patients from a caregiver's perspective

导言：癌症患者临终前最后几周的攻击性护理的盛行率在没有显著延长生存时间或更高生活质量的情况下不断增加。目的：由于在德国，一般但特别是从照顾者的角度对临终关怀的攻击性调查很少，这项描述性研究确定了1)从照顾者的角度对患病率的数据，以及2)患者死亡后照顾者的悔恨程度。此外，典型的卫生服务研究将从照顾者的角度描述临终治疗的过程质量、日常医疗常规的周围条件以及与护理相关的决策过程。方法：描述性横断面设计与混合方法方法，包括对N=230名照顾者的调查和与MAX组的访谈。N=20名照顾者，最多一组。N=20名患者仍在接受治疗的照顾者：这项研究将提供关于癌症患者临终关怀实践的初步结果，并特别考虑照顾者的观点。如果有证据表明攻击性护理的盛行率很高，将结合具有代表性的流行病学样本对结果进行审查。

Introduction: Prevalence of aggressiveness of care in the last weeks towards the end of life of cancer patients is constantly increasing without significant prolongation of survival time or higher quality of life.Objectives: As aggressiveness of care towards the end of life in general but especially from caregiver's perspective has been scarcely investigated in Germany, this descriptive studie identifies 1) first data on the prevalence from caregiver's perspective, and 2) measures caregivers' regret after the death of the patient. Moreover, typical for health services research the process quality of therapy towards the end of life, surrounding conditions of daily medical routine togehter with care-related decision-making processes will be described from a caregiver's perspective.Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional desgin with mixed methods approach which comprises a survey of N=230 caregivers and interviews with a group of max. N=20 caregivers and with a group of max. N=20 caregivers whose patients are still undergoing therapy.Perspecive: This study will provide first results on care practice towards the end of life of cancer patients with particular consideration of the caregiver's perspecitve. In case of evidence for a high prevalence of aggressiveness care the results will be reviewed with a representative epidemiological sample.