Development of a Generic Working Definition of ‘Supportive Care’

Context: The term ‘supportive care’, despite everyday and widespread use, remains an ambiguous concept that lacks clarity. A generic definition would underpin the development of services and provide a basis for disease specific approaches to care. Objectives: To develop a generic working definition of supportive care that could be applied to a range of diseases and chronic illnesses. Methods: An indepth review of the literature was carried out to identify existing generic and disease specific definitions and descriptions of supportive care. Following the review, a modified two-phase Delphi study was performed. Participants included experts in the area of supportive care identified during the review in addition to charities or their representatives. A draft definition was developed based upon the outcome of the Delphi study. Results: The literature review identified one brief generic definition of supportive care with no explanation of its origin. A further 17 disease specific definitions were identified, all relating to cancer. The review led to the development of 100 statements for inclusion in phase I of the modified Delphi study. 26 responses were received to phase I of the Delphi study and 17 responses to phase II. General agreement was received during the second stage and a final draft definition subsequently developed. Conclusions: The resulting definition of supportive care might provide a basis for service development and could be further adapted to disease specific contexts. It would benefit from broader consultation to determine acceptability among a wider range of health professionals and service users.