Exploring Education and Training Needs in Palliative Care among Family Physicians in Mumbai: A Qualitative Study

CONTEXT: Patients with chronic life-limiting conditions on palliative care (PC) prefer to be treated at home. Medical care by family physicians (FPs) reduces demand on costly and busy hospital facilities. Working of PC team in collaboration with FPs is thus helpful in home-based management of patients. AIMS: This study aimed at exploring the extent of knowledge of FPs about PC and the need for additional training. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten FPs from two suburbs of Mumbai, currently served by home care services of a tertiary cancer care center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using exploratory analysis followed by content analysis to develop thematic codes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: FPs perceive PC as symptom control and psychological support helpful in managing patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses. Further training would help them in PC provision. Such training programs should preferably focus on symptom management and communication skills. There is a need for further research in designing a training module for FPs to get better understanding of the principles of PC.