Janet L Herman-Bertsch

Publications (2)2.46 Total impact

• Article: Issues in end-of-life care: patient, caregiver, and clinician perceptions.

  Stuart J Farber, Thomas R Egnew, Janet L Herman-Bertsch, Thomas R Taylor, Gregory E Guldin
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  ABSTRACT: Review of published research indicates the need to better incorporate patient and caregiver perceptions when providing end-of-life (EOL) care. Although considerable research regarding patient and caregiver experience of EOL has been done, little research has studied patients, caregivers, and clinicians as a connected system. To study the perceptions of patients, caregivers, and physicians who are already connected with one another in an EOL care experience. Qualitative study consisting of in-depth, open-ended, face-to-face interviews and content analysis. Community family practice residency programs in rural and urban settings in the Affiliated Family Practice Residency Network of the Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Forty-two patients and 39 caregivers facing EOL were interviewed either alone or together after referral by their physicians. Additionally, results of previously published findings from interviews with 39 family practice faculty were included. Perceptions of participants on EOL issues. Participants identified four primary issues related to their experience of EOL care: awareness of impending death, management/coping with daily living while attempting to maintain the management regimen, relationship fluctuations, and the personal experiences associated with facing EOL. Participants expected their physicians to be competent and to provide a caring relationship. Awareness of these crucial patient and caregiver EOL issues and expectations and how they differ from clinician perspectives can assist clinicians to appropriately explore and address patient/caregiver concerns and thereby provide better quality EOL care.
  Journal of Palliative Medicine 03/2003; 6(1):19-31. · 1.85 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Tom Egnew

  Article: Defining effective clinician roles in end-of-life care.

  Stuart J Farber, Thomas R Egnew, Janet L Herman-Bertsch
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  ABSTRACT: Our goal was to determine primary care clinician perceptions of what is important to the provision of quality end-of-life care. We used ethnography, a qualitative research method involving the use of open-ended semistructured interviews. We included 38 family practice residency faculty from 9 community residency programs of the Affiliated Family Practice Residency Network, Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. The roles described by interviewees when discussing their best practices while delivering end-of-life care were compiled. Primary care clinicians organize their delivery of quality end-of-life care predominantly through their relationships with patients and families. They play 3 roles when providing end-of-life care. As consultants, clinicians provide expert medical advice and treatment. As collaborators, they seek to understand the patient and family experience. Seasoned clinicians act as guides, using their personal intuitive knowledge of patient and family to facilitate everyone's growth when providing end-of-life care. Shifting clinician focus from skills and knowledge toward relationship, meaning, and roles provides new opportunities to improve end-of-life care for patients, families, and clinicians.
  The Journal of family practice 03/2002; 51(2):153-8. · 0.61 Impact Factor