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Table 3 Gender-specificity in patients’ problems and needs: overview of categories and subcategories

From: Exploring the gender dimension of problems and needs of patients receiving specialist palliative care in a German palliative care unit - the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals

Category Subcategories Gender-specificitya
Patients (N = 10) HCPs (N = 17)
N Yes (n) No (n) N Yes (n) No (n)
1. Physical symptoms, care and body image 1.1 Physical symptoms 8 5 3 11 4 7
1.2 Coping with physical symptoms 2 2 0 14 14 0
1.3 Body image and appearance 2 2 0 5 4 1
1.4 Preference for gender-sensitive physical nursing 10 7 3 10 8 2
2. Psychological symptoms and emotional response 2.1 Psychological symptoms 6 4 2 10 5 5
2.2 Coping with psychological symptoms 7 7 0 13 10 3
3. Interaction with the palliative care team 3.1 Need for communication with the team 9 8 1 18 16 2
3.2 Occasions and themes of conversation 2 0 2 5 4 1
3.3 Choice of contact persons and confidents 4 3 1 12 8 4
3.4 Appreciation of authority and professional expertise 1 1 0 8 7 1
3.5 Trust and cooperation 7 3 4 9 5 4
4. Use of professional supportive measures 4.1 Active demand for support 3 2 1 7 7 0
4.2 Actual utilisation of support 7 5 2 21 20 1
5. Activation of informal social networks 5.1 Delegation of responsibilities and tasks 8 3 5 18 16 2
5.2 Maintaining social relationships 4 3 1 9 6 3
5.3 Care for the dying 4 2 2 6 3 3
6. Decision-making 6.1 Course of decision-making 6 5 1 1 1 0
6.2 Involvement of significant others 1 1 0 7 5 2
6.3 Decisional basis for or against home-based care 4 4 0 10 9 1
6.4 Kind of further care 6 4 2 13 8 5
6.5 End-of-life treatment and wishes 4 1 3 9 1 8
7. Preservation of autonomy and identity 7.1 Need for preserving autonomy and control 10 9 1 14 10 4
7.2 Need for maintaining one’s identity 10 9 1 10 10 0
  1. Abbreviations: HCPs healthcare professionals
  2. aN, Number of patient or HCP interviews in which the subcategory was coded; Yes (n), number of interviews in which the patient or HCP described experience of gender-specificity; No (n), number of interviews in which the patient or HCP described experience of no gender-specificity