Clinicians' Views of Educational Interventions for Carers of Patients With Breathlessness Due to Advanced Disease: Findings From an Online Survey

Context. Carers' needs in advanced disease, and specifically in relation to breathlessness, are well evidenced. Publications on educational interventions for carers of patients with advanced disease that focus on symptoms are scarce and absent for breathlessness. Objectives. To establish current education provided by clinicians for carers of patients with breathlessness in advanced disease, views about educating carers about breathlessness, and relevant outcomes for a future randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention for carers. Methods. An online survey was completed by 365 clinicians: medical, nursing, and allied health professionals from primary care, hospital, and hospice. Descriptive statistics summarized respondent characteristics and survey responses, and the Chisquared test was applied. Content analysis of free-text comments was conducted. Results. Most clinicians reported educating carers by educating patients at clinical contacts with patients. Carer involvement was largely an ` add-on'; an active carer education strategy, where all carers were invited to attend, was not currently apparent. Clinicians endorsed the importance of educating carers about breathlessness through increasing carer confidence and/ or control, helping patients' better self-manage breathlessness and potentially reducing admissions. Joint education with patients, giving practical advice, and strategies for helping patients were advised. To inform a future trial, clinicians identified improvement in patient outcomes, particularly patient quality of life as very important in enhancing clinician adoption of an educational intervention for carers. Conclusion. This survey revealed an appetite among clinicians for an educational intervention for carers of patients with breathlessness in advanced disease and provided important insights to underpin a future Phase II randomized controlled trial. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. All rights reserved.