Table 2 Interview guide
From: Ethical challenges around thirst in end-of-life care –experiences of palliative care physicians
1. Have you thought about whether end-of-life patients can be thirsty? If so, how? |
2. Do you think end-of-life patients suffer from thirst? Justify! |
3. Do you have a policy in your unit regarding thirst? Why/why not? |
4. What are your colleagues’ views on thirst in patients at the end of life? |
5. Can there be any ethical problems with patients who are thirsty? |
6. Do you check whether a patient at the end of life is thirsty? How do you assess whether a patient is thirsty? If yes, what checks do you make? If not, why not? |
7. Do you do anything to quench the patient’s thirst? What do you do? What do you think works best/worst? |
8. Have you ever discussed thirst with relatives of patients at the end of life? Tell me! |
9. How do you think one could work to quench thirst? |
10. Is there anything I have not asked about thirst that you think is important to share? |