Telling the truth: what do general practitioners say to patients with dementia or terminal cancer?

Abstract

A questionnaire was sent to all general practitioners (GPs) in Cambridgeshire asking them about their practice in telling patients with dementia or terminal cancer their diagnosis. Although the majority of GPs would always or often tell patients of a diagnosis of terminal cancer, this was not the case in dementia; uncertainty of diagnosis was cited as the most important factor in not giving the diagnosis. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the GP's role in dementia and the development of new anti-Alzheimer's drugs.