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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