Do guidelines influence breathlessness management in advanced lung diseases? A multinational survey of respiratory medicine and palliative care physicians

Table 1 Respondent characteristics

	RM (n = 348)	PC (n = 102)	Specialties compared (χ²) p value
Age
25–35	55 (16%)	19 (19%)	p = 0.181
36–45	123 (35%)	33 (32%)
46–55	86 (25%)	33 (32%)
> 56	84 (24%)	16 (16%)
Grade
Consultant/specialist	312 (90%)	81 (79%)	p = 0.006
Doctor in specialist training	36 (10%)	21 (21%)	p = 0.006
Years in specialty
< 5	41 (12%)	21 (21%)	p = 0.001
6–10	75 (22%)	23 (23%)
11–20	101 (29%)	40 (39%)
> 21	131 (38%)	18 (18%)
Settings of practice
Hospital inpatient	295 (85%)	54 (53%)	p < 0.001
Outpatient	218 (63%)	37 (36%)	p < 0.001
Home care	11 (3%)	39 (38%)	p < 0.001
Private practice	56 (16%)	4 (4%)	p = 0.001
Hospice/palliative care unit	4 (1%)	68 (67%)	p < 0.001
Other	8 (2%)	5 (5%)	p = 0.167
No. of severe COPD patients seen/year
None	12 (3%)	7 (7%)	p < 0.001
1–10	87 (25%)	43 (42%)
11–50	162 (47%)	43 (42%)
51–100	57 (16%)	7 (7%)
> 101	30 (9%)	2 (2%)
No. of severe fILD patients seen/year
None	24 (7%)	15 (15%)	p = 0.001
1–5	118 (34%)	48 (47%)
6–10	97 (28%)	22 (22%)
11–20	58 (17%)	12 (12%)
> 20	51 (15%)	5 (5%)
No. of advanced LC patients seen/year
None	48 (14%)	–	p < 0.001
1–10	123 (35%)	11 (11%)
11–50	131 (37%)	42 (41%)
51–100	28 (8%)	33 (32%)
> 101	18 (5%)	16 (16%)

Percentages > or < 100% are due to rounding
COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; fILD, Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease; LC, Lung Cancer; PC, Palliative Care; RM, Respiratory Medicine

ISSN: 1471-2466