Table 1 The identified themes and descriptions
Theme | Description |
|---|---|
Patients’ need for treatment | How the patient’s need for a treatment affects decisions to withdraw or withhold treatments |
Treatment effect in relation to alternative treatments | How the treatment’s effects affect withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Patient–professional communication | How communication between patients and professionals affects withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Patient–professional relationship | How relational factors between the patient and physician affect withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Healthcare responsibility | The responsibilities of the healthcare system and its physicians when withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Ethical values | Ethical values and their relative importance when withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Professional support | The need for and attributes of supporting tools for physicians when withdrawing and withholding treatments |
Reimbursement system | Factors which describe the context in which decisions are made about withdrawing and withholding treatments |