Table 2.

Interview guide

1. Have you thought about whether end-of-life patients can be thirsty? If so, how?

2. Do you think end-of-life patients suffer from thirst? Justify!

3. Do you have a policy in your unit regarding thirst? Why/why not?

4. What are your colleagues’ views on thirst in patients at the end of life?

5. Can there be any ethical problems with patients who are thirsty?

6. Do you check whether a patient at the end of life is thirsty? How do you assess whether a patient is thirsty? If yes, what checks do you make? If not, why not?

7. Do you do anything to quench the patient’s thirst? What do you do? What do you think works best/worst?

8. Have you ever discussed thirst with relatives of patients at the end of life? Tell me!

9. How do you think one could work to quench thirst?

10. Is there anything I have not asked about thirst that you think is important to share?