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General practitioners’ perspective on timely interprofessional case conferences on non-cancer patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative study (KOPAL)
Gabriella Marx, Sven Schwabe, Sarah E. Kuba, Jan Philip Weber, Nadine Janis Pohontsch, Franziska Schade, Martin Scherer, Nils Schneider. BMJ Open, 2025-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Findings show that GPs have practice-specific routines when caring for people with CNMD. Interprofessional case conferences may lead to more awareness regarding gaps in primary palliative care, one's own care routines or a lack of psychosocial support. Although gaining new insights, GPs follow three different strategies following the case conferences: (1) Maintain routines of care and disregard added value, (2) extend routines of care according to SPHC advice and (3) integration and partial change of care routines caused by SPHC support. These strategies are influenced by GPs' perception of SPHC teams (eg, ambivalence towards SPHC). Interprofessional case conferences to timely discuss care options could improve healthcare for patients with advanced CNMD by revealing gaps in care. Promoting a regular process of exchange between GPs and SPHC teams (such as through round tables) may improve a trusting cooperation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKSS00017795.
Key findings
- Findings show that GPs have practice-specific routines when caring for people with CNMD.
- Interprofessional case conferences may lead to more awareness regarding gaps in primary palliative care, one's own care routines or a lack of psychosocial support.
- Although gaining new insights, GPs follow three different strategies following the case conferences: (1) Maintain routines of care and disregard added value, (2) extend routines of care according to SPHC advice and (3) integration and partial change of care routines caused by SPHC support.
- These strategies are influenced by GPs' perception of SPHC teams (eg, ambivalence towards SPHC).
- Interprofessional case conferences to timely discuss care options could improve healthcare for patients with advanced CNMD by revealing gaps in care.
Why it matters
This qualitative study found that after interprofessional case conferences, general practitioners followed three different strategies, some maintaining their usual routines and others changing them. It concerns cooperation in palliative care for non-cancer patients, not treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMJ Open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | BMJ Open: journal h-index 240 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Nils Schneider: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Göttingen: institution h-index 934 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40854848) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Marx, G., Schwabe, S., Kuba, S. E., Weber, J. P., Pohontsch, N. J., Schade, F., et al. (2025). General practitioners’ perspective on timely interprofessional case conferences on non-cancer patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative study (KOPAL). BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097181
Vancouver
Marx G, Schwabe S, Kuba SE, Weber JP, Pohontsch NJ, Schade F, et al. General practitioners’ perspective on timely interprofessional case conferences on non-cancer patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative study (KOPAL). BMJ Open. 2025. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097181. PMID: 40854848.
BibTeX
@article{marx2025-40854848,
author = {Marx, Gabriella and Schwabe, Sven and Kuba, Sarah E. and Weber, Jan Philip and Pohontsch, Nadine Janis and Schade, Franziska and Scherer, Martin and Schneider, Nils},
title = {{General practitioners’ perspective on timely interprofessional case conferences on non-cancer patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative study (KOPAL)}},
journal = {BMJ Open},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097181},
pmid = {40854848},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097181}
}