End-of-Life Care in Belgium. A nationwide study via the representative sentinel network of general practitioners.

Epidemiologic shifts in mortality and developments in demography and medicine have led to a sharp rise in the attention being paid to end-of-life care as an important clinical and public health concern. Without doubt it will remain one of the major and urgent societal challenges for the 21st century.

Using the nationwide representative Belgian Sentinel Network of General Practitioners as primary method of investigation, this research will provide insight into the dying process and the care people received at the end of their lives in terms of medical care and communication processes, and clinical status and symptom distress at the very end of life.

This book hopes to make a contribution by provide valuable information for patients, families, health care professionals, and policy makers in pursuit of a better end-of-life care for everyone.

Koen Meeussen is psychologist and researcher at the End-of-Life Care Research Group Ghent University & Vrije Universiteit Brussel.