ABSTRACT
<b>Purpose</b>: Palliative care is an essential part of integrated cancer treatment. This study aimed to identify general practitioner (GPs)' perceptions of palliative care and the difficulties they encounter in providing care to terminally ill cancer patients. <b>Methods</b>: Japanese GPs in a rural area where palliative care resources were inadequate were surveyed by questionnaire. Using the questionnaire, researchers visited 62 clinics in the area and carried out semi-structured interviews to identify problems and to investigate possible ways to promote the provision of palliative care by GPs. The transcripts were manually coded into descriptive and interpretive categories. <b>Results</b>: Seventy seven out of 95 responded to the questionnaire (effective response rate: 81%). Experience of pain control was inversely related to the extent of the GPs' perceived difficulties in providing palliative care. Lack of hospital support and understanding of patients and their families were also barriers to the provision by the GPs of palliative care to terminally ill cancer patients at home. The suggested solutions were: to provide seminars for doctors in the area to improve their pain control and other clinical skills; to build up good relations between the doctors in hospitals and clinics in the area; and to educate patients, families and the community at large in the necessity of palliative care. <b>Conclusion</b>: Our study indicated that building up good inter-organizational relations among physicians and educating the community were important in order to promote GPs' participation in palliative care. Palliat Care Res 2009; 4(2): 112-122