General practitioners and the death of their patients

Aim: In our current western society the population is ageing and perception of death is changing. With the generalization of palliative care the doctor must be the guarantor of the quality of life until death. This is a new responsibility. Our objective was to examine how general practitioners (GPs) experience their patients’ death: their feeling, their behavior, and their resources.Methods: A qualitative, exploratory study, among an empiric sample of ten GPs in the department of Ille & Vilaine, constituted from the phone book, respecting parity and geographic repartition between different practice zones. Thematic analysis of these interviews.Results: GPs experience mixed feelings at the death of their patients: sorrow, a feeling of injustice, guilt or indifference. They are keenly aware of the importance of end-of-life care and support for the patient and the family. They consider dealing with bereavement to be part of their work but they themselves get little support in these circumstances.Conclusion: A less solitary environment in this respect would benefit GPs. Theme-based training including the sociocultural and psychological aspects of this stage of life would help to professionalize the help and support that the GP brings to the patient and the family.