Morphine prescription to terminally ill patients with lung cancer and dyspnea: French physicians’ attitudes

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with analgesic use of morphine in end-of-life care. French general practitioners (GPs) and oncologists (N = 719) were asked whether they would prescribe morphine as first-line therapy to patients with terminal lung cancer suffering from dyspnea associated with cough and great anxiety. Overall, 54 percent of oncologists and 40 percent of GPs stated that they would prescribe morphine in the presented case. This prescriptive attitude correlated with physicians' age, professional background, communication skills, and attitude toward terminally ill patients. The findings of this study indicate that improving analgesic use of opioids in end-of-life care is not only a matter of enhancing technical skills acquired through training or experience but also a matter of improving communication and empathy between physicians and patients.