Il ruolo del medico di medicina generale nella gestione dei malati terminali oncologici: Indagine svolta tra i medici di medicina generale in friuli venezia giulia

General practitioners play a central role in relation to planning and delivery of primary care and local health services. This paper reports the results from a study aimed to ascertain the views of GPs (N= 1092) from a North-East region of Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) in relation to the care of terminally ill oncological patients. The postal survey was sent out in 1999 and had a 15% response rate (N = 156). GPs who returned the questionnaire were 46±8 year old, 30% were female and, on average, each cared for 1100 patients. Taking a reference period of 6 months each GP cared for 5 terminally ill patient and made 1-2 home visit per week to each terminally ill oncological patient. The availability and adequacy of territorial health services was considered very positively by a high percentage of GPs. The most difficult situations met by GPs dealing with these patients and their families were the psychological burden, pain control, difficulties in communication, and treatment of sore pressure and infections. The majority of GPs thought they were the most suitable person to inform the patient and his relatives about his critical condition.