Palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Summary Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. For many patients, maximal therapy for COPD produces only modest relief of disabling symptoms and these symptoms result in a significantly reduced quality of life. Despite the high morbidity and mortality, patients with COPD do not receive adequate palliative care. One reason these patients may receive poor quality palliative care is that patient–physician communication about palliative and end-of-life care is unlikely to occur. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent research regarding patient–physician communication about palliative care for patients with COPD. Understanding the barriers to this communication may be an important step to improving communication about end-of-life care and improving patient-centered outcomes. Further research is needed to develop and test interventions that can enhance patient–physician communication about palliative and end-of-life care for patients with COPD.