Table 1 Care support needs from general practitioners compared to actual support by importance (answer categories: Very/moderately important or completely agree/somewhat agree)
| It’s important to me that the general practitioner... |
Very important/ Moderately important (N = 612) | The general practitioner I consult in care matters... |
Completely agree/ Somewhat agree (N = 438) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... is familiar with everyday life and challenges of caring for family members. | 85% | ... is familiar with everyday life and challenges of caring for family members. | 72% |
| … is familiar with my personal situation as a caregiver. | 80% | … is familiar with my personal situation as a caregiver. | 71% |
| … feels responsibility for the issues facing people caring for family members and provides advice and assistance. | 85% | … feels responsibility for the issues facing people caring for family members and provides advice and assistance. | 82% |
| … does not wait for me to raise issues with the GP but proactively addresses issues. | 68%** | … does not wait for me to raise issues but proactively addresses them. | 18%** |
| … provides emotional support such as encouragement during care. | 57%* | … provides emotional support such as by giving encouragement during care. | 23%* |
| … makes decisions with me on caring for the person in my care. | 74%* | … makes decisions with me on caring for the person requiring care. | 48%* |
| … sees not only the needs of the person in my care but also my opinions, needs and stresses. | 76% | … sees not only the needs of the person in my care but also my opinions, needs and stresses. | 60% |
| … includes the person in my care in decisions and responds to his or her requests. | 83% | … considers the person in my care in decisions and responds to his or her requests. | 82% |
| … encourages me to raise my own health concerns. | 32% | … encourages me to address my own health concerns. | 23% |
| … has enough time for me. | 85%** | … has enough time for me. | 29%** |
| … performs home visits to relieve me and get to know the person in my care in our home environment. | 75%** | … performs home visits to relieve me and get to know the person in my care in our home environment. | 23%** |
| … gives me time to consider important decisions on care. | 59% | … gives me time to consider important decisions on care. | 81% |
| … tells me about local support and assistance services. | 85%* | … tells me about local support and assistance services. | 55%* |
| … makes arrangements for support and assistance services for me. | 83%** | … makes arrangements for support and assistance services for me. | 6%** |
| … advises me on legal aspects such as power of attorney, care assistance, and driving. | 80%** | … advises me on legal aspects such as power of attorney, care assistance, and driving. | 13%** |
| … conducts regular follow-up observations. | 70%* | … conducts regular follow-up observations. | 41%* |
| … makes diagnoses early. | 78%* | … makes diagnoses early. | 51%* |
| … manages and provides medical treatment to my family member. | 52% | … manages and provides medical treatment to my family member. | 45% |
| … arranges doctors specialised in the field for us. | 85% | … arranges doctors specialised in the field for us. | 95% |
| … explains the situation to the person in my care in ways that he or she can understand, therefore supporting me. | 85% | … explains the situation to the person in my care in ways that he or she can understand, therefore supporting me. | 85% |
| … is early to acknowledge me as the caregiver with the awareness that I am responsible for caring for my family member. | 85%** | … is early to acknowledge me as the caregiver with the awareness that I am responsible for my family member’s care from the beginning. | 42%** |