Palliative Care Needs in Advanced Non-Malignant Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Study of Greek Patients' and Caregivers' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Palliative care (PC) has traditionally focused on patients with cancer and their families. However, individuals living with advanced non-malignant chronic diseases and their caregivers face comparable challenges that significantly affect their quality of life. This study aimed to explore the PC needs of patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions through the lived experiences of both patients and their informal caregivers.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight patients and nine caregivers recruited via the Municipality of Katerini "Help at Home" program (Jan-Mar 2025). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim (in Greek), and analyzed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the International Hellenic University (Ref. No. 18/22.12.2022), and official consent was gained from the Municipality of Katerini (Approval Ref. No. 7803-/30/01/2025).

RESULTS

Five themes emerged: (1) basic daily care and physical support; (2) psychosomatic and emotional impact; (3) social withdrawal and role change; (4) support systems and coping resources; and (5) experience with the healthcare system and organized care. Participants highlighted urgent needs for home-based physiotherapy/nursing, caregiver respite, and psychological support. Coping and resilience-related resources-expressed through family support, familiarity of the home environment, and spirituality-were described as essential mechanisms that helped dyads sustain home care and shaped how needs were experienced across multiple domains, particularly amid service gaps.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings document complex, interlinked needs among patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions and their caregivers and support the development of community-based, integrated PC services. Larger, multicenter studies and the development/validation of a needs-assessment tool are recommended.