Implementing Outcome Measures Within an Enhanced Palliative Care Day Care Model.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kilonzo, Isae

2015-04-23

Specialist palliative care day care (SPDC) units provide an array of services to patients and their families and can increase continuity of care between inpatient and homecare settings. A multidisciplinary teamwork approach is emphasized, and different models of day care exist. Depending on the emphasis of care, the models can be social, medical, therapeutic, or mixed. We describe our experience of introducing an enhanced therapeutic specialist day care model and using both patient- and carer-rated tools to monitor patient outcomes.

Multiple myeloma in Niger Delta, Nigeria: complications and the outcome of palliative interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Nwabuko, Ogbonna Collins; Igbigbi, Elizabeth Eneikido; Chukwuonye, Innocent Ijezie; Nnoli, Martin Anazodo

2017-01-01

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the hematological malignancies that require palliative care. This is because of the life-threatening nature and the suffering associated with the illness. The aim of this study is to bring to the fore the complications experienced by people living with MM in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and the outcome of various palliative interventions. Methods This was a 10-year multi-center retrospective study of 26 patients diagnosed and managed in three major centers in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria from January 2003 to December 2012. Information on the clinical, laboratory, radiological data, and palliative treatment was obtained at presentation and subsequently at intervals of 3 months until the patient was lost to follow-up. Result The mean duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 13.12 months (95% CI, 6.65–19.58). A total of 16 (61.5%), eight (30.8%), and two subjects (7.7%) presented in Durie–Salmon (DS) stages III, II, and I, respectively. The complications presented by patients at diagnoses included bone pain (84.6%), anemia (61.5%), nephropathy (23.1%), and hemiplegia (35%). All the patients received analgesics, while 50.0% received blood transfusion, 56.7% had surgery performed, 19% had hemodialysis, and 3.8% received radiotherapy. A total of 10 (38%) patients benefited from bisphosphonates (BPs). A total of 57.6% of patients were on melphalan–prednisone (MP) double regimen, while 19% and 8% patients were on MP–thalidomide and MP–bortezomib triple regimens, respectively. A total of 3.8% of patients at DS stage IIIB disease had autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Only 7.6% of the myeloma patients survived up to 5 years post diagnosis. The overall mean survival interval was 39.7 months (95% CI, 32.1–47.2). Conclusion Late diagnosis and inadequate palliative care account for major complications encountered by MM patients in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. This could be responsible for

Standardization and Scaling of a Community-Based Palliative Care Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, Janet; Kamal, Arif H; Harker, Matthew; Taylor, Donald H; Bonsignore, Lindsay; Morris, John; Massie, Lisa; Singh Bhullar, Parampal; Howell, Mary; Hendrix, Mark; Bennett, Deeana; Abernethy, Amy

2017-11-01

Although limited, the descriptions of Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) demonstrates variability in team structures, eligibility, and standardization across care settings. In 2014, Four Seasons Compassion for Life, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care (PC) organization in Western North Carolina (WNC), was awarded a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Health Care Innovation (CMMI) Award to expand upon their existing innovative model to implement, evaluate, and demonstrate CBPC in the United States. The objective of this article is to describe the processes and challenges of scaling and standardizing the CBPC model. Four Season's CBPC model serves patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings using an interdisciplinary team to address symptom management, psychosocial/spiritual care, advance care planning, and patient/family education. Medicare beneficiaries who are ≥65 years of age with a life-limiting illness were eligible for the CMMI project. The CBPC model was scaled across numerous counties in WNC and Upstate South Carolina. Over the first two years of the project, scaling occurred into 21 counties with the addition of 2 large hospitals, 52 nursing facilities, and 2 new clinics. To improve efficiency and effectiveness, a PC screening referral guide and a risk stratification approach were developed and implemented. Care processes, including patient referral and initial visit, were mapped. This article describes an interdisciplinary CBPC model in all care settings to individuals with life-limiting illness and offers guidance for risk stratification assessments and mapping care processes that may help PC programs as they develop and work to improve efficiencies.

Prevalence of hyponatremia in palliative care patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shoba Nair

2016-01-01

Conclusions: Prevalence of hyponatremia is significant in palliative care patients. A prospective study looking at the causes and clinical outcomes associated with hyponatremia in palliative care patients is needed.

The Frequency, Characteristics, and Outcomes Among Cancer Patients With Delirium Admitted to an Acute Palliative Care Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Cruz, Maxine; Ransing, Viraj; Yennu, Sriram; Wu, Jimin; Liu, Diane; Reddy, Akhila; Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Bruera, Eduardo

2015-12-01

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric condition seen in patients with severe illness, such as advanced cancer. Few published studies are available of the frequency, course, and outcomes of standardized management of delirium in advanced cancer patients admitted to acute palliative care unit (APCU). In this study, we examined the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of delirium in patients with advanced cancer admitted to an APCU. Medical records of 609 consecutive patients admitted to the APCU from January 2011 through December 2011 were reviewed. Data on patients' demographics; Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) score; palliative care specialist (PCS) diagnosis of delirium; delirium etiology, subtype, and reversibility; late development of delirium; and discharge outcome were collected. Delirium was diagnosed with MDAS score ≥7 and by a PCS using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition, Text Revision criteria. All patients admitted to the APCU received standardized assessments and management of delirium per best practice guidelines in delirium management. Of 556 patients in the APCU, 323 (58%) had a diagnosis of delirium. Of these, 229 (71%) had a delirium diagnosis on admission and 94 (29%) developed delirium after admission to the APCU. Delirium reversed in 85 of 323 episodes (26%). Half of patients with delirium (n = 162) died. Patients with the diagnosis of delirium had a lower median overall survival than those without delirium. Patients who developed delirium after admission to the APCU had poorer survival (p ≤ .0001) and a lower rate of delirium reversal (p = .03) compared with those admitted with delirium. More than half of the patients admitted to the APCU had delirium. Reversibility occurred in almost one-third of cases. Diagnosis of delirium was associated with poorer survival. ©AlphaMed Press.

Improving palliative care outcomes for Aboriginal Australians: service providers' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Shaouli; Bessarab, Dawn; van Schaik, Katherine D; Aoun, Samar M; Thompson, Sandra C

2013-07-23

Aboriginal Australians have a lower rate of utilisation of palliative care services than the general population. This study aimed to explore care providers' experiences and concerns in providing palliative care for Aboriginal people, and to identify opportunities for overcoming gaps in understanding between them and their Aboriginal patients and families. In-depth, qualitative interviews with urban, rural and remote palliative care providers were undertaken in inpatient and community settings in Western Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers with QSR NVivo 10 software used to help manage data. Data analysis was informed by multiple theoretical standpoints, including the social ecological model, critical cultural theories and the 'cultural security' framework. Thematic analysis was carried out that identified patterns within data. Fifteen palliative care providers were interviewed. Overall they reported lack of understanding of Aboriginal culture and being uncertain of the needs and priorities of Aboriginal people during end-of-life care. According to several participants, very few Aboriginal people had an understanding of palliative care. Managing issues such as anger, denial, the need for non-medical support due to socioeconomic disadvantage, and dealing with crises and conflicts over funeral arrangements were reported as some of the tensions between Aboriginal patients and families and the service providers. Early referral to palliative care is important in demonstrating and maintaining a caring therapeutic relationship. Paramount to meeting the needs for Aboriginal patients was access to appropriate information and logistical, psychological and emotional support. These were often seen as essential but additional to standard palliative care services. The broader context of Aboriginal history and historical distrust of mainstream services was seen to impinge on Aboriginal people's willingness and

Improving palliative care outcomes for Aboriginal Australians: service providers’ perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Aboriginal Australians have a lower rate of utilisation of palliative care services than the general population. This study aimed to explore care providers’ experiences and concerns in providing palliative care for Aboriginal people, and to identify opportunities for overcoming gaps in understanding between them and their Aboriginal patients and families. Methods In-depth, qualitative interviews with urban, rural and remote palliative care providers were undertaken in inpatient and community settings in Western Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers with QSR NVivo 10 software used to help manage data. Data analysis was informed by multiple theoretical standpoints, including the social ecological model, critical cultural theories and the ‘cultural security’ framework. Thematic analysis was carried out that identified patterns within data. Results Fifteen palliative care providers were interviewed. Overall they reported lack of understanding of Aboriginal culture and being uncertain of the needs and priorities of Aboriginal people during end-of-life care. According to several participants, very few Aboriginal people had an understanding of palliative care. Managing issues such as anger, denial, the need for non-medical support due to socioeconomic disadvantage, and dealing with crises and conflicts over funeral arrangements were reported as some of the tensions between Aboriginal patients and families and the service providers. Conclusion Early referral to palliative care is important in demonstrating and maintaining a caring therapeutic relationship. Paramount to meeting the needs for Aboriginal patients was access to appropriate information and logistical, psychological and emotional support. These were often seen as essential but additional to standard palliative care services. The broader context of Aboriginal history and historical distrust of mainstream services was seen to

Health-related quality-of-life outcome measures in paediatric palliative care: A systematic review of psychometric properties and feasibility of use

Science.gov (United States)

Coombes, Lucy H; Wiseman, Theresa; Lucas, Grace; Sangha, Amrit; Murtagh, Fliss EM

2016-01-01

Background: The number of children worldwide requiring palliative care services is increasing due to advances in medical care and technology. The use of outcome measures is important to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. Aim: To systematically identify health-related quality-of-life outcome measures that could be used in paediatric palliative care and examine their feasibility of use and psychometric properties. Design: A systematic literature review and analysis of psychometric properties. Data sources: PsychInfo, Medline and EMBASE were searched from 1 January 1990 to 10 December 2014. Hand searches of the reference list of included studies and relevant reviews were also performed. Results: From 3460 articles, 125 papers were selected for full-text assessment. A total of 41 articles met the eligibility criteria and examined the psychometric properties of 22 health-related quality-of-life measures. Evidence was limited as at least half of the information on psychometric properties per instrument was missing. Measurement error was not analysed in any of the included articles and responsiveness was only analysed in one study. The methodological quality of included studies varied greatly. Conclusion: There is currently no ‘ideal’ outcome assessment measure for use in paediatric palliative care. The domains of generic health-related quality-of-life measures are not relevant to all children receiving palliative care and some domains within disease-specific measures are only relevant for that specific population. Potential solutions include adapting an existing measure or developing more individualized patient-centred outcome and experience measures. Either way, it is important to continue work on outcome measurement in this field. PMID:27247087

Multiple myeloma in Niger Delta, Nigeria: complications and the outcome of palliative interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nwabuko OC

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Ogbonna Collins Nwabuko,1,2 Elizabeth Eneikido Igbigbi,3 Innocent Ijezie Chukwuonye,4 Martin Anazodo Nnoli5 1Department of Haematology, Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, 2Department of Haematology, College of Health Science, Abia State University, Aba, Abia State, 3Department of Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Immunology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, 4Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, 5Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria Background: Multiple myeloma (MM is one of the hematological malignancies that require palliative care. This is because of the life-threatening nature and the suffering associated with the illness. The aim of this study is to bring to the fore the complications experienced by people living with MM in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and the outcome of various palliative interventions.Methods: This was a 10-year multi-center retrospective study of 26 patients diagnosed and managed in three major centers in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria from January 2003 to December 2012. Information on the clinical, laboratory, radiological data, and palliative treatment was obtained at presentation and subsequently at intervals of 3 months until the patient was lost to follow-up.Result: The mean duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 13.12 months (95% CI, 6.65–19.58. A total of 16 (61.5%, eight (30.8%, and two subjects (7.7% presented in Durie–Salmon (DS stages III, II, and I, respectively. The complications presented by patients at diagnoses included bone pain (84.6%, anemia (61.5%, nephropathy (23.1%, and hemiplegia (35%. All the patients received analgesics, while 50.0% received blood transfusion, 56.7% had surgery performed, 19% had hemodialysis, and 3.8% received radiotherapy. A total of 10 (38% patients benefited from bisphosphonates (BPs. A total of 57.6% of patients were on melphalan�

Development of a Patient-Reported Palliative Care-Specific Health Classification System: The POS-E.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzingina, Mendwas; Higginson, Irene J; McCrone, Paul; Murtagh, Fliss E M

2017-06-01

Generic preference-based measures are commonly used to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) to inform resource-allocation decisions. However, concerns have been raised that generic measures may be inappropriate in palliative care. Our objective was to derive a health-state classification system that is amenable to valuation from the ten-item Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS), a widely used patient-reported outcome measure in palliative care. The dimensional structure of the original POS was assessed using factor analysis. Item performance was assessed, using Rasch analysis and psychometric criteria, to enable the selection of items that represent the dimensions covered by the POS. Data from six studies of patients receiving palliative care were combined (N = 1011) and randomly split into two halves for development and validation. Analysis was undertaken on the development data, and results were validated by repeating the analysis with the validation dataset. Following Rasch and factor analyses, a classification system of seven items was derived. Each item had two to three levels. Rasch threshold map helped identify a set of 14 plausible health states that can be used for the valuation of the instrument to derive a preference-based index. Combining factor analysis and Rasch analysis with psychometric criteria provides a valid method of constructing a classification system for a palliative care-specific preference-based measure. The next stage is to obtain preference weights so the measure can be used in economic evaluations in palliative care.

Variations in the quality and costs of end-of-life care, preferences and palliative outcomes for cancer patients by place of death: the QUALYCARE study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koffman Jonathan

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Emerging trends and new policies suggest that more cancer patients might die at home in the future. However, not all have equal chances of achieving this. Furthermore, there is lack of evidence to support that those who die at home experience better care and a better death than those who die as inpatients. The QUALYCARE study aims to examine variations in the quality and costs of end-of-life care, preferences and palliative outcomes associated with dying at home or in an institution for cancer patients. Methods/Design Mortality followback survey (with a nested case-control study of home vs. hospital deaths conducted with bereaved relatives of cancer patients in four Primary Care Trusts in London. Potential participants are identified from death registrations and approached by the Office for National Statistics in complete confidence. Data are collected via a postal questionnaire to identify the informal and formal care received in the three months before death and the associated costs, relatives' satisfaction with care, and palliative outcomes for the patients and their relatives. A well-established questionnaire to measure relatives' views on the care integrates four brief and robust tools - the Client Service Receipt Inventory, the Palliative Outcome Scale, the EQ-5 D and the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief. Further questions assess patients and relatives' preferences for place of death. The survey aims to include 500 bereaved relatives (140 who experienced a home death, 205 a hospital death, 115 a hospice death and 40 a nursing home death. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will explore differences in place of death and place of end-of-life care, in preferences for place of death, patients' palliative outcomes and relatives' bereavement outcomes, in relation to place of death. Factors influencing death at home and the costs of end-of-life care by place of death will be identified. Discussion Collecting data on end

Palliative self-expandable metal stents for acute malignant colorectal obstruction: clinical outcomes and risk factors for complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jae Pil; Hong, Su Jin; Kim, Shin Hee; Choi, Jong Hyo; Jung, Hee Jae; Cho, Youn Hee; Ko, Bong Min; Lee, Moon Sung

2014-08-01

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) have been used as palliative treatment or bridge to surgery for obstructions caused by colorectal cancer (CRC). We assessed the long-term outcomes of palliative SEMSs and evaluated the risk factors influencing complications. One hundred and seventy-five patients underwent SEMS placement for acute malignant colorectal obstruction. Of the 72 patients who underwent palliative treatment for primary CRC, 30 patients received chemotherapy (CT) for primary cancer (CT group) and 42 underwent best supportive treatment (BST) without CT (BST group). There was a significant difference in late migration between the CT group and the BST group (20.0% in CT group, 2.4% in BST group, p = 0.018). Response to CT influenced the rate of late obstruction (0% in disease control, 35.7% in disease progression, p = 0.014). However, late obstruction was not associated with stent properties, such as diameter or type (≤22 mm vs. >22 mm, 13.5% vs. 14.3%, p = 1.00; uncovered stent vs. covered stent, 15.5% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.675) and migration (≤22 mm vs. >22 mm, 16.2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.108; uncovered stent vs. covered stent, 8.6% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.615) in palliative SEMS. The administration of CT increases the rate of stent migration, and disease control by CT can reduce the risk of obstruction by maintaining the luminal patency of palliative SEMSs.

Center to Advance Palliative Care palliative care clinical care and customer satisfaction metrics consensus recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Weissman, David E; Morrison, R Sean; Meier, Diane E

2010-02-01

Data collection and analysis are vital for strategic planning, quality improvement, and demonstration of palliative care program impact to hospital administrators, private funders and policymakers. Since 2000, the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) has provided technical assistance to hospitals, health systems and hospices working to start, sustain, and grow nonhospice palliative care programs. CAPC convened a consensus panel in 2008 to develop recommendations for specific clinical and customer metrics that programs should track. The panel agreed on four key domains of clinical metrics and two domains of customer metrics. Clinical metrics include: daily assessment of physical/psychological/spiritual symptoms by a symptom assessment tool; establishment of patient-centered goals of care; support to patient/family caregivers; and management of transitions across care sites. For customer metrics, consensus was reached on two domains that should be tracked to assess satisfaction: patient/family satisfaction, and referring clinician satisfaction. In an effort to ensure access to reliably high-quality palliative care data throughout the nation, hospital palliative care programs are encouraged to collect and report outcomes for each of the metric domains described here.

Role of palliative radiotherapy in brain metastases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh S Bilimagga

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Brain metastases are a common manifestation of systemic cancer and exceed primary brain tumors in number and are a significant cause of neurologic problems. They affect 20-40% of all cancer patients. Aggressive management of brain metastases is effective in both symptom palliation and prolonging the life. Radiotherapy has a major role to play in the management of brain metastases. AIM: The aim of the study was to know the outcome of palliative radiotherapy in symptomatic brain metastases in terms of improvement in their performance status. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 63 patients diagnosed to have brain metastases and treated with palliative whole brain radiotherapy to a dose of 30 Gy in 10 fractions over two weeks between June 1998 and June 2007. Diagnosis was done in most of the cases with computed tomography scan and in a few with magnetic resonance imaging. Improvement in presenting symptoms has been assessed in terms of improvement in their performance status by using the ECOG scale. Results: Fifty-four patients completed the planned treatment. Eight patients received concurrent Temozolamide; 88% of patients had symptom relief at one month follow-up; 39/54 patients had a follow-up of just one to three months. Hence survival could not be assessed in this study. Conclusion: External beam radiotherapy in the dose of 30 Gy over two weeks achieved good palliation in terms improvement in their performance status in 88% of patients. Addition of concurrent and adjuvant Timozolamide may improve the results.

I've had a good life, what's left is a bonus: factor analysis of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale in a palliative care population.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Laura; Price, Annabel; Lee, William; Rayner, Lauren; Moorey, Stirling; Monroe, Barbara; Sykes, Nigel; Hansford, Penny; Higginson, Irene J; Hotopf, Matthew

2014-03-01

The Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale is an assessment tool commonly used to measure coping in cancer patients, which characterises adaptive coping under the label of 'fighting spirit'. This study explores adaptation in patients with advanced cancer, by examining the factor structure of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale. Further aims were to examine associations between types of coping and psychological outcomes measured at the same time (time 1) and 4 weeks after referral to palliative care services (time 2). A cross-sectional study with a follow-up assessment 4 weeks later. Factor analysis examined the structure of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale at time 1. A total of 275 patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care, of whom 193 took part at follow-up. This study provided evidence for the internal consistency and validity of a new scale of 'acceptance and positivity' for use in advanced cancer patients. Patients with a desire for hastened death had lower acceptance and positivity, and patients with higher global quality of life reported a higher level. Social support was positively associated with acceptance and positivity. Higher scores on the acceptance and positivity scale were associated with reduced odds of a desire for hastened death at time 2. Adaptation to advanced cancer differs from adaptation to early stage cancer, comprising a general acceptance of the illness and trying to make the most of the time that is left. Individuals with low social support were less likely to evidence appropriate adaptation to their illness.

Continuous Palliative Sedation for Existential Distress? A Survey of Canadian Palliative Care Physicians' Views.

Science.gov (United States)

Voeuk, Anna; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Fainsinger, Robin; Huot, Ann

2017-01-01

Palliative sedation can be used for refractory symptoms during end-of-life care. However, continuous palliative sedation (CPS) for existential distress remains controversial due to difficulty determining when this distress is refractory. The aim was to determine the opinions and practices of Canadian palliative care physicians regarding CPS for existential distress. A survey focusing on experience and views regarding CPS for existential distress was sent to 322 members of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians. Eighty-one surveys returned (accessible target, 314), resulting in a response rate of 26%. One third (31%) of the respondents reported providing CPS for existential distress. On a 5-point Likert-type scale, 40% of participants disagreed, while 43% agreed that CPS could be used for existential distress alone. Differing opinions exist regarding this complex and potentially controversial issue, necessitating the education of health-care professionals and increased awareness within the general public.

Implementing patient-reported outcome measures in palliative care clinical practice: a systematic review of facilitators and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes, Bárbara; Harding, Richard; Higginson, Irene J

2014-02-01

Many patient-reported outcome measures have been developed in the past two decades, playing an increasingly important role in palliative care. However, their routine use in practice has been slow and difficult to implement. To systematically identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of patient-reported outcome measures in different palliative care settings for routine practice, and to generate evidence-based recommendations, to inform the implementation process in clinical practice. Systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Medline, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase and British Nursing Index were systematically searched from 1985. Hand searching of reference lists for all included articles and relevant review articles was performed. A total of 3863 articles were screened. Of these, 31 articles met the inclusion criteria. First, data were integrated in the main themes: facilitators, barriers and lessons learned. Second, each main theme was grouped into either five or six categories. Finally, recommendations for implementation on outcome measures at management, health-care professional and patient levels were generated for three different points in time: preparation, implementation and assessment/improvement. Successful implementation of patient-reported outcome measures should be tailored by identifying and addressing potential barriers according to setting. Having a coordinator throughout the implementation process seems to be key. Ongoing cognitive and emotional processes of each individual should be taken into consideration during changes. The educational component prior to the implementation is crucial. This could promote ownership and correct use of the measure by clinicians, potentially improving practice and the quality of care provided through patient-reported outcome measure data use in clinical decision-making.

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale modified for palliative care inpatients (RASS-PAL): a pilot study exploring validity and feasibility in clinical practice

OpenAIRE

Bush, Shirley H; Grassau, Pamela A; Yarmo, Michelle N; Zhang, Tinghua; Zinkie, Samantha J; Pereira, José L

2014-01-01

Background The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), which assesses level of sedation and agitation, is a simple observational instrument which was developed and validated for the intensive care setting. Although used and recommended in palliative care settings, further validation is required in this patient population. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and feasibility of a version of the RASS modified for palliative care populations (RASS-PAL). Methods A prospective study...

Measuring death-related anxiety in advanced cancer: preliminary psychometrics of the Death and Dying Distress Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Christopher; Hales, Sarah; Zimmermann, Camilla; Gagliese, Lucia; Rydall, Anne; Rodin, Gary

2011-10-01

The alleviation of distress associated with death and dying is a central goal of palliative care, despite the lack of routine measurement of this outcome. In this study, we introduce the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS), a new, brief measure we have developed to assess death-related anxiety in advanced cancer and other palliative populations. We describe its preliminary psychometrics based on a sample of 33 patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. The DADDS broadly captures distress about the loss of time and opportunity, the process of death and dying, and its impact on others. The initial version of the scale has a one-factor structure and good internal reliability. Dying and death-related distress was positively associated with depression and negatively associated with spiritual, emotional, physical, and functional well-being, providing early evidence of construct validity. This distress was relatively common, with 45% of the sample scoring in the upper reaches of the scale, suggesting that the DADDS may be a relevant outcome for palliative intervention. We conclude by presenting a revised 15-item version of the scale for further study in advanced cancer and other palliative populations.

Comparison of informal caregiver and named nurse assessment of symptoms in elderly patients dying in hospital using the palliative outcome scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawber, Rebecca; Armour, Kathy; Ferry, Peter; Mukherjee, Bhaskar; Carter, Christopher; Meystre, Chantal

2016-01-12

A prospective study of symptom assessments made by a healthcare professional (HCP; named nurse) and an informal caregiver (ICG) compared with that of the patient with a terminal diagnosis. To look at the validity of HCP and ICG as proxies, which symptoms they can reliably assess, and to determine who is the better proxy between HCP and ICG. A total of 50 triads of patient (>65 years) in the terminal phase, ICG and named nurse on medical wards of an acute general hospital. Assessments were made using the patient and caregiver versions of the palliative outcome scale (POS), all taken within a 24 h period. Agreement between patient-rated, ICG-rated and HCP-rated POS and POS for symptoms (POS-S) was measured using weighted-κ statistics. Demographic and clinical data on each group of participants were collected. ICG assessments have higher agreement with those of the patient than HCP. Better agreement in both groups was found for physical symptoms, and best agreement was for pain. The worst agreements were for psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, and for satisfaction with information given. Psychological symptoms are overestimated by both ICG and HCP. ICGs are more reliable proxies than HCPs. A trend for overestimation of symptoms was found in both groups which may lead to undervaluation of the quality of life by proxy and overtreatment of symptoms. This highlights the need to always use the patient report when possible, and to be aware of the potential flaws in proxy assessment. Reasons for overestimation by proxies deserve further research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Creation of minimum standard tool for palliative care in India and self-evaluation of palliative care programs using it

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M R Rajagopal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: It is important to ensure that minimum standards for palliative care based on available resources are clearly defined and achieved. Aims: (1 Creation of minimum National Standards for Palliative Care for India. (2 Development of a tool for self-evaluation of palliative care organizations. (3 Evaluation of the tool in India. In 2006, Pallium India assembled a working group at the national level to develop minimum standards. The standards were to be evaluated by palliative care services in the country. Materials and Methods: The working group prepared a "standards" document, which had two parts - the first composed of eight "essential" components and the second, 22 "desirable" components. The working group sent the document to 86 hospice and palliative care providers nationwide, requesting them to self-evaluate their palliative care services based on the standards document, on a modified Likert scale. Results: Forty-nine (57% palliative care organizations responded, and their self-evaluation of services based on the standards tool was analyzed. The majority of the palliative care providers met most of the standards identified as essential by the working group. A variable percentage of organizations had satisfied the desirable components of the standards. Conclusions: We demonstrated that the "standards tool" could be applied effectively in practice for self-evaluation of quality of palliative care services.

Impact of specialist home-based palliative care services in a tertiary oncology set up: a prospective non-randomized observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhiliwal, Sunil R; Muckaden, Maryann

2015-01-01

Home-based specialist palliative care services are developed to meet the needs of the patients in advanced stage of cancer at home with physical symptoms and distress. Specialist home care services are intended to improve symptom control and quality of life, enable patients to stay at home, and avoid unnecessary hospital admission. Total 690 new cases registered under home-based palliative care service in the year 2012 were prospectively studied to assess the impact of specialist home-based services using Edmonton symptom assessment scale (ESAS) and other parameters. Out of the 690 registered cases, 506 patients received home-based palliative care. 50.98% patients were cared for at home, 28.85% patients needed hospice referral and 20.15% patients needed brief period of hospitalization. All patients receiving specialist home care had good relief of physical symptoms (P care (OOH) through liaising with local general practitioners; 42.68% received home based bereavement care and 91.66% had good bereavement outcomes. Specialist home-based palliative care improved symptom control, health-related communication and psychosocial support. It promoted increased number of home-based death, appropriate and early hospice referral, and averted needless hospitalization. It improved bereavement outcomes, and caregiver satisfaction.

Palliative Care Planner: A Pilot Study to Evaluate Acceptability and Usability of an Electronic Health Records System-integrated, Needs-targeted App Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Christopher E; Jones, Derek M; Reagan, Wen; Key, Mary D; Chow, Vinca; McFarlin, Jessica; Casarett, David; Creutzfeldt, Claire J; Docherty, Sharron L

2018-01-01

The quality and patient-centeredness of intensive care unit (ICU)-based palliative care delivery is highly variable. To develop and pilot an app platform for clinicians and ICU patients and their family members that enhances the delivery of needs-targeted palliative care. In the development phase of the study, we developed an electronic health record (EHR) system-integrated mobile web app system prototype, PCplanner (Palliative Care Planner). PCplanner screens the EHR for ICU patients meeting any of five prompts (triggers) for palliative care consultation, allows families to report their unmet palliative care needs, and alerts clinicians to these needs. The evaluation phase included a prospective before/after study conducted at a large academic medical center. Two control populations were enrolled in the before period to serve as context for the intervention. First, 25 ICU patients who received palliative care consults served as patient-level controls. Second, 49 family members of ICU patients who received mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours served as family-level controls. Afterward, 14 patients, 18 family members, and 10 clinicians participated in the intervention evaluation period. Family member outcomes measured at baseline and 4 days later included acceptability (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire [CSQ]), usability (Systems Usability Scale [SUS]), and palliative care needs, assessed with the adapted needs of social nature, existential concerns, symptoms, and therapeutic interaction (NEST) scale; the Patient-Centeredness of Care Scale (PCCS); and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Patient outcomes included frequency of goal concordant treatment, hospital length of stay, and discharge disposition. Family members reported high PCplanner acceptability (mean CSQ, 14.1 [SD, 1.4]) and usability (mean SUS, 21.1 [SD, 1.7]). PCplanner family member recipients experienced a 12.7-unit reduction in NEST score compared with a 3.4-unit increase among controls (P�

Spirituality and distress in palliative care consultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hills, Judith; Paice, Judith A; Cameron, Jacqueline R; Shott, Susan

2005-08-01

One's spirituality or religious beliefs and practices may have a profound impact on how the individual copes with the suffering that so often accompanies advanced disease. Several previous studies suggest that negative religious coping can significantly affect health outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to explore the relationship between spirituality, religious coping, and symptoms of distress among a group of inpatients referred to the palliative care consult service. Pilot study. The study was conducted in a large academic medical center with a comprehensive Palliative Care and Home Hospice Program. (1) National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Assessment Tool; (2) Pargament Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE); (3) Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp); (4) Puchalski's FICA; and (5) Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF). The 31 subjects surveyed experienced moderate distress (5.8 +/- 2.7), major physical and psychosocial symptom burden, along with reduced function and significant caregiving needs. The majority (87.2%) perceived themselves to be at least somewhat spiritual, with 77.4% admitting to being at least somewhat religious. Negative religious coping (i.e., statements regarding punishment or abandonment by God) was positively associated with distress, confusion, depression, and negatively associated with physical and emotional well-being, as well as quality of life. Palliative care clinicians should be alert to symptoms of spiritual distress and intervene accordingly. Future research is needed to identify optimal techniques to address negative religious coping.

Mindfulness for palliative care patients. Systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Latorraca, Carolina de Oliveira Cruz; Martimbianco, Ana Luiza Cabrera; Pachito, Daniela Vianna; Pacheco, Rafael Leite; Riera, Rachel

2017-12-01

Nineteen million adults worldwide are in need of palliative care. Of those who have access to it, 80% fail to receive an efficient management of symptoms. To assess the effectiveness and safety of mindfulness meditation for palliative care patients. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, PEDro, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Opengrey, ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO-ICTRP. No restriction of language, status or date of publication was applied. We considered randomised clinical trials (RCTs) comparing any mindfulness meditation scheme vs any comparator for palliative care. Cochrane Risk of Bias (Rob) Table was used for assessing methodological quality of RCTs. Screening, data extraction and methodological assessments were performed by two reviewers. Mean differences (MD) (confidence intervals of 95% (CI 95%)) were considered for estimating effect size. Quality of evidence was appraised by GRADE. Four RCTs, 234 participants, were included. All studies presented high risk of bias in at least one RoB table criteria. We assessed 4 comparisons, but only 2 studies showed statistically significant difference for at least one outcome. 1. Mindfulness meditation (eight weeks, one session/week, daily individual practice) vs control: statistically significant difference in favour of control for quality of life - physical aspects. 2. Mindfulness meditation (single 5-minute session) vs control: benefit in favour of mindfulness for stress outcome in both time-points. None of the included studies analysed safety and harms outcomes. Although two studies have showed statistically significant difference, only one showed effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in improving perceived stress. This study focused on one single session of mindfulness of 5 minutes for adult cancer patients in palliative care, but it was considered as possessing high risk of bias. Other schemes of mindfulness meditation did not show benefit in any outcome evaluated (low and very low quality evidence). © 2017 John Wiley

Branding Palliative Care Units by Avoiding the Terms "Palliative" and "Hospice".

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ying-Xiu; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Lin, Ming-Hwai

2017-01-01

The term "palliative care" has a negative connotation and may act as a barrier to early patient referrals. Rebranding has thus been proposed as a strategy to reduce the negative perceptions associated with palliative care. For example, using the term "supportive care" instead of "palliative care" in naming palliative care units has been proposed in several studies. In Taiwan, terms other than "palliative" and "hospice" are already widely used in the names of palliative care units. With this in mind, this study investigated the characteristics of palliative care unit names in order to better understand the role of naming in palliative care. Relevant data were collected from the Taiwan Academy of Hospice Palliative Medicine, the National Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the open database maintained by the government of Taiwan. We found a clear phenomenon of avoiding use of the terms "palliative" and "hospice" in the naming of palliative care units, a phenomenon that reflects the stigma attached to the terms "palliative" and "hospice" in Taiwan. At the time of the study (September, 2016), there were 55 palliative care units in Taiwan. Only 20.0% (n = 11) of the palliative care unit names included the term "palliative," while 25.2% (n = 14) included the term "hospice." Religiously affiliated hospitals were less likely to use the terms "palliative" and "hospice" (χ 2 = 11.461, P = .001). There was also a lower prevalence of use of the terms "palliative" and "hospice" for naming palliative care units in private hospitals than in public hospitals (χ 2 = 4.61, P = .032). This finding highlights the strong stigma attached to the terms "palliative" and "hospice" in Taiwan. It is hypothesized that sociocultural and religious factors may partially account for this phenomenon.

Integration of palliative care in the context of rapid response: a report from the Improving Palliative Care in the ICU advisory board.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Judith E; Mathews, Kusum S; Weissman, David E; Brasel, Karen J; Campbell, Margaret; Curtis, J Randall; Frontera, Jennifer A; Gabriel, Michelle; Hays, Ross M; Mosenthal, Anne C; Mulkerin, Colleen; Puntillo, Kathleen A; Ray, Daniel E; Weiss, Stefanie P; Bassett, Rick; Boss, Renee D; Lustbader, Dana R

2015-02-01

Rapid response teams (RRTs) can effectively foster discussions about appropriate goals of care and address other emergent palliative care needs of patients and families facing life-threatening illness on hospital wards. In this article, The Improving Palliative Care in the ICU (IPAL-ICU) Project brings together interdisciplinary expertise and existing data to address the following: special challenges for providing palliative care in the rapid response setting, knowledge and skills needed by RRTs for delivery of high-quality palliative care, and strategies for improving the integration of palliative care with rapid response critical care. We discuss key components of communication with patients, families, and primary clinicians to develop a goal-directed treatment approach during a rapid response event. We also highlight the need for RRT expertise to initiate symptom relief. Strategies including specific clinician training and system initiatives are then recommended for RRT care improvement. We conclude by suggesting that as evaluation of their impact on other outcomes continues, performance by RRTs in meeting palliative care needs of patients and families should also be measured and improved.

Outcomes of secondary self-expandable metal stents versus surgery after delayed initial palliative stent failure in malignant colorectal obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Jin Young; Park, Soo Jung; Hong, Sung Pil; Kim, Tae Il; Kim, Won Ho; Cheon, Jae Hee

2013-01-01

When re-intervention is required due to an occluded first colorectal self-expanding metal stent for malignant colorectal obstruction, serious controversies exist regarding whether to use endoscopic re-stenting or surgery. To compare the clinical outcomes in patients who underwent stent re-insertion versus palliative surgery as a second intervention. A total of 115 patients who received either self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) insertion or palliative surgery for treatment of a second occurrence of malignant colorectal obstruction after the first SEMS placement were retrospectively studied between July 2005 and December 2009. The median overall survival (8.2 vs. 15.5 months) and progression-free survival (4.0 vs. 2.7 months) were not significantly different between the stent and surgery groups (p = 0.895 and 0.650, respectively). The median lumen patency in the stent group was 3.4 months and that in the surgery group was 7.9 months (p = 0.003). The immediate complication rate after second stent insertion was 13.9% and late complication rate was observed in 12 of 79 (15.2%) patients. There was no mortality related to the SEMS procedure. The complication and mortality rates associated with palliative surgery were 3.5% (2/57) and 12.3% (7/57), respectively. Although there is no significant difference in the overall survival between stenting and surgery, a secondary stent insertion had a lower mortality rate despite a shorter duration of temporary colorectal decompression compared to that of palliative surgery.

'Peace' and 'life worthwhile' as measures of spiritual well-being in African palliative care: a mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Selman, Lucy; Speck, Peter; Gysels, Marjolein; Agupio, Godfrey; Dinat, Natalya; Downing, Julia; Gwyther, Liz; Mashao, Thandi; Mmoledi, Keletso; Moll, Tony; Sebuyira, Lydia Mpanga; Ikin, Barbara; Higginson, Irene J; Harding, Richard

2013-06-10

Patients with incurable, progressive disease receiving palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa experience high levels of spiritual distress with a detrimental impact on their quality of life. Locally validated measurement tools are needed to identify patients' spiritual needs and evaluate and improve spiritual care, but up to now such tools have been lacking in Africa. The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) African Palliative Outcome Scale (POS) contains two items relating to peace and life worthwhile. We aimed to determine the content and construct validity of these items as measures of spiritual wellbeing in African palliative care populations. The study was conducted at five palliative care services, four in South Africa and one in Uganda. The mixed-methods study design involved: (1) cognitive interviews with 72 patients, analysed thematically to explore the items' content validity, and (2) quantitative data collection (n = 285 patients) using the POS and the Spirit 8 to assess construct validity. (1) Peace was interpreted according to the themes 'perception of self and world', 'relationship to others', 'spiritual beliefs' and 'health and healthcare'. Life worthwhile was interpreted in relation to 'perception of self and world', 'relationship to others' and 'identity'. (2) Conceptual convergence and divergence were also evident in the quantitative data: there was moderate correlation between peace and Spirit 8 spiritual well-being (r = 0.46), but little correlation between life worthwhile and Spirit 8 spiritual well-being (r = 0.18) (both p spiritual well-being in African palliative care. Peace and life worthwhile are brief and simple enough to be integrated into routine practice and can be used to measure this important but neglected outcome in this population.

Palliative care knowledge, attitudes and perceived self-competence of nurses working in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Ly Thuy; Yates, Patsy; Osborne, Yvonne

2014-09-01

To explore palliative care knowledge, attitudes and perceived self-competence of nurses working in oncology settings in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The self-administered questionnaires consisted of three validated instruments: the Expertise and Insight Test for Palliative Care, the Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale B and the Palliative Care Nursing Self Competence Scale. The sample consisted of 251 nurses caring for cancer patients in three oncology hospitals in Vietnam. The responses identified low scores in nurses' palliative care knowledge related to pain and other symptom management and psychological and spiritual aspects. Nurses' responses reflected discomfort in communicating about death and establishing therapeutic relationship with oncology patients who require palliative care. Additionally, nurses reported low scores in perceived self-competence when providing pain management and addressing social and spiritual domains of palliative care. The findings also revealed that nurses who had higher palliative care knowledge scores demonstrated attitudes which were more positive and expressed greater perceived self-competence. Nurses working in oncology wards need more education to develop their knowledge and skills of palliative care, especially in the areas of pain management, psychological and spiritual care, and communication.

Palliative Care in Romania.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosoiu, Daniela; Mitrea, Nicoleta; Dumitrescu, Malina

2018-02-01

HOSPICE Casa Sperantei has been pioneering palliative care development in Romania since 1992. The have developed specialist palliative care services in home-based settings, inpatient units, day care centers, and as hospital support teams. They have provided national and international education programs for professionals in the palliative care field, as well as promoting palliative care integration in the health care system. Legislative improvements were adopted, including funding mechanisms for the reimbursement of palliative care services through the health insurance funds, review of opioid policy, and quality standards of care. By the end of 2015, Romania had 115 specialist palliative care services (78 palliative care inpatient units, 24 home-based palliative care services, five outpatient palliative care clinics, four day care centers, and four hospital support teams). A palliative care subspecialty for doctors was recognized as early as 2000, and a multidisciplinary master's degree program has been available at Transilvania University since 2010, when the first palliative care academic position was established. Nursing education includes mandatory palliative care modules in nursing schools. For coordinated development of palliative care at the national level, a national strategy was proposed defining three levels of palliative care provision, local, district, and national. The implementation of the palliative care strategy is partially funded through a World Bank loan. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale modified for palliative care inpatients (RASS-PAL): a pilot study exploring validity and feasibility in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, Shirley H; Grassau, Pamela A; Yarmo, Michelle N; Zhang, Tinghua; Zinkie, Samantha J; Pereira, José L

2014-03-31

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), which assesses level of sedation and agitation, is a simple observational instrument which was developed and validated for the intensive care setting. Although used and recommended in palliative care settings, further validation is required in this patient population. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and feasibility of a version of the RASS modified for palliative care populations (RASS-PAL). A prospective study, using a mixed methods approach, was conducted. Thirteen health care professionals (physicians and nurses) working in an acute palliative care unit assessed ten consecutive patients with an agitated delirium or receiving palliative sedation. Patients were assessed at five designated time points using the RASS-PAL. Health care professionals completed a short survey and data from semi-structured interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. The inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient range of the RASS-PAL was 0.84 to 0.98 for the five time points. Professionals agreed that the tool was useful for assessing sedation and was easy to use. Its role in monitoring delirium however was deemed problematic. Professionals felt that it may assist interprofessional communication. The need for formal education on why and how to use the instrument was highlighted. This study provides preliminary validity evidence for the use of the RASS-PAL by physicians and nurses working in a palliative care unit, specifically for assessing sedation and agitation levels in the management of palliative sedation. Further validity evidence should be sought, particularly in the context of assessing delirium.

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale modified for palliative care inpatients (RASS-PAL): a pilot study exploring validity and feasibility in clinical practice

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), which assesses level of sedation and agitation, is a simple observational instrument which was developed and validated for the intensive care setting. Although used and recommended in palliative care settings, further validation is required in this patient population. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and feasibility of a version of the RASS modified for palliative care populations (RASS-PAL). Methods A prospective study, using a mixed methods approach, was conducted. Thirteen health care professionals (physicians and nurses) working in an acute palliative care unit assessed ten consecutive patients with an agitated delirium or receiving palliative sedation. Patients were assessed at five designated time points using the RASS-PAL. Health care professionals completed a short survey and data from semi-structured interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient range of the RASS-PAL was 0.84 to 0.98 for the five time points. Professionals agreed that the tool was useful for assessing sedation and was easy to use. Its role in monitoring delirium however was deemed problematic. Professionals felt that it may assist interprofessional communication. The need for formal education on why and how to use the instrument was highlighted. Conclusion This study provides preliminary validity evidence for the use of the RASS-PAL by physicians and nurses working in a palliative care unit, specifically for assessing sedation and agitation levels in the management of palliative sedation. Further validity evidence should be sought, particularly in the context of assessing delirium. PMID:24684942

Systematic Review of Palliative Care in the Rural Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakitas, Marie A; Elk, Ronit; Astin, Meka; Ceronsky, Lyn; Clifford, Kathleen N; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Emanuel, Linda L; Fink, Regina M; Kvale, Elizabeth; Levkoff, Sue; Ritchie, Christine; Smith, Thomas

2015-10-01

Many of the world's population live in rural areas. However, access and dissemination of the advances taking place in the field of palliative care to patients living in rural areas have been limited. We searched 2 large databases of the medical literature and found 248 relevant articles; we also identified another 59 articles through networking and a hand search of reference lists. Of those 307 articles, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were grouped into the following subcategories: intervention (n = 4), needs assessment (n = 2), program planning (n = 3), program evaluation (n = 4), education (n = 7), financial (n = 8), and comprehensive/systematic literature reviews (n = 11). We synthesized the current state of rural palliative care research and practice to identify important gaps for future research. Studies were conducted in the United States, Australia, Canada, Africa, Sweden, and India. Two randomized control trials were identified, both of which used telehealth approaches and had positive survival outcomes. One study demonstrated positive patient quality of life and depression outcomes. Research to guide rural palliative care practice is sparse. Approaches to telehealth, community- academic partnerships, and training rural health care professionals show promise, but more research is needed to determine best practices for providing palliative care to patients living in rural settings.

Assessment of a Statewide Palliative Care Team Training Course: COMFORT Communication for Palliative Care Teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg, Elaine; Ferrell, Betty; Goldsmith, Joy; Ragan, Sandra L; Paice, Judith

2016-07-01

Despite increased attention to communication skill training in palliative care, few interprofessional training programs are available and little is known about the impact of such training. This study evaluated a communication curriculum offered to interprofessional palliative care teams and examined the longitudinal impact of training. Interprofessional, hospital-based palliative care team members were competitively selected to participate in a two-day training using the COMFORT(TM SM) (Communication, Orientation and options, Mindful communication, Family, Openings, Relating, Team) Communication for Palliative Care Teams curriculum. Course evaluation and goal assessment were tracked at six and nine months postcourse. Interprofessional palliative care team members (n = 58) representing 29 teams attended the course and completed course goals. Participants included 28 nurses, 16 social workers, 8 physicians, 5 chaplains, and one psychologist. Precourse surveys assessed participants' perceptions of institution-wide communication performance across the continuum of care and resources supporting optimum communication. Postcourse evaluations and goal progress monitoring were used to assess training effectiveness. Participants reported moderate communication effectiveness in their institutions, with the weakest areas being during bereavement and survivorship care. Mean response to course evaluation across all participants was greater than 4 (scale of 1 = low to 5 = high). Participants taught an additional 962 providers and initiated institution-wide training for clinical staff, new hires, and volunteers. Team member training improved communication processes and increased attention to communication with family caregivers. Barriers to goal implementation included a lack of institutional support as evidenced in clinical caseloads and an absence of leadership and funding. The COMFORT(TM SM) communication curriculum is effective palliative care communication

Prevalence, incidence and associated factors of pressure ulcers in home palliative care patients: A retrospective chart review.

Science.gov (United States)

Artico, Marco; Dante, Angelo; D'Angelo, Daniela; Lamarca, Luciano; Mastroianni, Chiara; Petitti, Tommasangelo; Piredda, Michela; De Marinis, Maria Grazia

2018-01-01

Terminally ill patients are at high risk of pressure ulcers, which have a negative impact on quality of life. Data about pressure ulcers' prevalence, incidence and associated factors are largely insufficient. To document the point prevalence at admission and the cumulative incidence of pressure ulcers in terminally ill patients admitted to an Italian home palliative care unit, and to analyse the patients' and caregivers' characteristics associated with their occurrence. Retrospective chart review. Patients ( n = 574) with a life expectancy ⩽6 months admitted to a palliative home care service were included in this study. The prevalence and incidence rates were 13.1% and 13.0%, respectively. The logistic regression models showed body mass index ( p 70 and >1 caregiver at home as the dichotomous variables predictors of presenting with a pressure ulcer at time of admission and during home palliative care. The notable pressure ulcers' incidence and prevalence rates suggest the need to include this issue among the main outcomes to pursue during home palliative care. The accuracy of body mass index, Braden Scale and Karnofsky Performance Scale in predicting the pressure ulcers risk is confirmed. Therefore, they appear as essential tools, in combination with nurses' clinical judgment, for a structured approach to pressure ulcers prevention. Further research is needed to explore the home caregivers' characteristics and attitudes associated with the occurrence of pressure ulcers and the relations between their strategies for pressure ulcer prevention and gender-related patient's needs.

Palliative sedation: from the family perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Vayne-Bossert, Petra; Zulian, Gilbert B

2013-12-01

Palliative sedation (PS) is a treatment option in case of refractory symptoms at the end of life. The emotional impact on nurses and doctors has been widely studied. We explore the experience of family members during a PS procedure. An anonymous questionnaire was sent to the closest family members (n = 17) of patients who died while receiving palliative sedation. The response rate was 59% (10 of 17). Nine relatives were sufficiently informed about PS. In all, 70% evaluated the chosen moment for initiation of PS as adequate. All the relatives noticed a significant improvement in the refractory symptom with a mean reduction in the estimated suffering of 6.25 points on a visual analog scale. Palliative sedation should be performed in the best possible way for the patient and his family in order to efficiently reduce a refractory symptom.

Home-based specialized palliative care in patients with advanced cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordly, Mie; Vadstrup, Eva Soelberg; Sjøgren, Per

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Due to an urgent need for specialized palliative care (SPC) for patients with advanced cancer, an overview of available information on organization and outcomes of home-based SPC would be valuable. Our systematic review aims to give an overview of available information...... on the organization and outcomes of home-based SPC for patients with advanced cancer. Outcomes related to place of death, survival time, quality of life, performance status, and symptom management are included. METHOD: A PICO process search strategy consisting of terms related to cancer, palliation, and home care...... for patients with advanced cancer, resulting in poor information and a lack of evidence. Generally, home-based SPC seems to have some positive effect on pain and dyspnea, but more high-quality studies are required....

Ethical issues in palliative care for nursing homes: Development and testing of a survey instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Preshaw, Deborah Hl; McLaughlin, Dorry; Brazil, Kevin

2018-02-01

To develop and psychometrically assess a survey instrument identifying ethical issues during palliative care provision in nursing homes. Registered nurses and healthcare assistants have reported ethical issues in everyday palliative care provision. Identifying these issues provides evidence to inform practice development to support healthcare workers. Cross-sectional survey of Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes in one region of the UK. A survey instrument, "Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes", was developed through the findings of qualitative interviews with Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes and a literature review. It was reviewed by an expert panel and piloted prior to implementation in a survey in 2015 with a convenience sample of 596 Registered nurses and healthcare assistants. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses were used to assess the underlying structure of the Frequency and Distress Scales within the instrument. Analysis of 201 responses (response rate = 33.7%) revealed four factors for the Frequency Scale and five factors for the Distress Scale that comprise the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes. Factors common to both scales included "Processes of care," "Resident autonomy" and "Burdensome treatment." Additionally, the Frequency Scale included "Competency," and the Distress Scale included "Quality of care" and "Communication." The Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes instrument has added to the palliative care knowledge base by considering the ethical issues experienced specifically by Registered nurses and healthcare assistants within the nursing home. This research offers preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes survey instrument. The two largest factors highlight the need to address the organisational aspects of caring and provide training in negotiating conflicting

The use of observational scales to monitor symptom control and depth of sedation in patients requiring palliative sedation: A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brinkkemper, T.; van Norel, A.M.; Szadek, K.M.; Loer, S.A.; Zuurmond, W.W.A.; Perez, R.S.G.M.

2013-01-01

Background: Palliative sedation is the intentional lowering of consciousness of a patient in the last phase of life to relieve suffering from refractory symptoms such as pain, delirium and dyspnoea. Aim: In this systematic review, we evaluated the use of monitoring scales to assess the degree of

Consultation with specialist palliative care services in palliative sedation: considerations of Dutch physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Koper, Ian; van der Heide, Agnes; Janssens, Rien; Swart, Siebe; Perez, Roberto; Rietjens, Judith

2014-01-01

Palliative sedation is considered a normal medical practice by the Royal Dutch Medical Association. Therefore, consultation of an expert is not considered mandatory. The European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) framework for palliative sedation, however, is more stringent: it considers the use of palliative sedation without consulting an expert as injudicious and insists on input from a multi-professional palliative care team. This study investigates the considerations of Dutch physicians concerning consultation about palliative sedation with specialist palliative care services. Fifty-four physicians were interviewed on their most recent case of palliative sedation. Reasons to consult were a lack of expertise and the view that consultation was generally supportive. Reasons not to consult were sufficient expertise, the view that palliative sedation is a normal medical procedure, time pressure, fear of disagreement with the service and regarding consultation as having little added value. Arguments in favour of mandatory consultation were that many physicians lack expertise and that palliative sedation is an exceptional intervention. Arguments against mandatory consultation were practical obstacles that may preclude fulfilling such an obligation (i.e. lack of time), palliative sedation being a standard medical procedure, corroding a physician's responsibility and deterring physicians from applying palliative sedation. Consultation about palliative sedation with specialist palliative care services is regarded as supportive and helpful when physicians lack expertise. However, Dutch physicians have both practical and theoretical objections against mandatory consultation. Based on the findings in this study, there seems to be little support among Dutch physicians for the EAPC recommendations on obligatory consultation.

Flemish palliative-care nurses' attitudes to palliative sedation: a quantitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gielen, Joris; Van den Branden, Stef; Van Iersel, Trudie; Broeckaert, Bert

2012-09-01

Palliative sedation is an option of last resort to control refractory suffering. In order to better understand palliative-care nurses' attitudes to palliative sedation, an anonymous questionnaire was sent to all nurses (589) employed in palliative care in Flanders (Belgium). In all, 70.5% of the nurses (n = 415) responded. A large majority did not agree that euthanasia is preferable to palliative sedation, were against non-voluntary euthanasia in the case of a deeply and continuously sedated patient and considered it generally better not to administer artificial floods or fluids to such a patient. Two clusters were found: 58.5% belonged to the cluster of advocates of deep and continuous sedation and 41.5% belonged to the cluster of nurses restricting the application of deep and continuous sedation. These differences notwithstanding, overall the attitudes of the nurses are in accordance with the practice and policy of palliative sedation in Flemish palliative-care units.

[Phase II trial evaluating the effect of megestrol acetate-prednisolone combination in the treatment of anorexia during the palliative-care phase of lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanfaivre, T; Souday, V; Chaleil, D; Maillet, F; Tuchais, E

2000-09-01

Anorexia is one of the most frequent complaints in patients who have reached the palliative-care phase of lung cancer. Megestrol acetate (or medroxyprogesterone acetate) and corticosteroids have been used with success, but the effect of their combination remains unknown. We conducted a phase II trial to assess the impact of combination therapy. Patients with lung cancer given palliative care and who developed anorexia with or without weight loss were given 320 mg/d megestrol acetate in 2 doses and 40 mg/d prednisolone in one dose in the morning for 1 month. The principal outcome criterion was anorexia assessed on a visual analog scale prior to treatment and then at day 15 and day 30. Variation in daily calorie intake and weight were also recorded. We used an Armitage sequential plan to determine the number of inclusions necessary and the preference method (closed schema) to evaluate the principal outcome criterion. Inclusions were stopped after the eighth patient (giving panorexia in patients with lung cancer in the palliative-care phase and allowed a significant improvement in calorie intake and body weight.

Gastric carcinoma: when is palliative gastrectomy justified?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hubert Scheidbach

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Gastric carcinoma is frequently diagnosed with an advanced stage of non-curable tumor growth characterized by infiltration of the gastric serosa, peritoneal tumor spread and/or metastases within lymph nodes and liver. Currently, there is a controversy on the value of palliative resection with regard to the safety and benefit to the patient outcome. Based on the available literature, this overview summarizes the various aspects and interprets the limited data on the palliative resection of gastric carcinoma. It turns out that the available study results may indicate potential for an improved quality of life and a prolongation of survival if an acceptable morbidity and mortality are present.

Palliative care and neurology

Science.gov (United States)

Boersma, Isabel; Miyasaki, Janis; Kutner, Jean

2014-01-01

Palliative care is an approach to the care of patients and families facing progressive and chronic illnesses that focuses on the relief of suffering due to physical symptoms, psychosocial issues, and spiritual distress. As neurologists care for patients with chronic, progressive, life-limiting, and disabling conditions, it is important that they understand and learn to apply the principles of palliative medicine. In this article, we aim to provide a practical starting point in palliative medicine for neurologists by answering the following questions: (1) What is palliative care and what is hospice care? (2) What are the palliative care needs of neurology patients? (3) Do neurology patients have unique palliative care needs? and (4) How can palliative care be integrated into neurology practice? We cover several fundamental palliative care skills relevant to neurologists, including communication of bad news, symptom assessment and management, advance care planning, caregiver assessment, and appropriate referral to hospice and other palliative care services. We conclude by suggesting areas for future educational efforts and research. PMID:24991027

Palliative pharmacological sedation for terminally ill adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Beller, Elaine M; van Driel, Mieke L; McGregor, Leanne; Truong, Shani; Mitchell, Geoffrey

2015-01-02

Terminally ill people experience a variety of symptoms in the last hours and days of life, including delirium, agitation, anxiety, terminal restlessness, dyspnoea, pain, vomiting, and psychological and physical distress. In the terminal phase of life, these symptoms may become refractory, and unable to be controlled by supportive and palliative therapies specifically targeted to these symptoms. Palliative sedation therapy is one potential solution to providing relief from these refractory symptoms. Sedation in terminally ill people is intended to provide relief from refractory symptoms that are not controlled by other methods. Sedative drugs such as benzodiazepines are titrated to achieve the desired level of sedation; the level of sedation can be easily maintained and the effect is reversible. To assess the evidence for the benefit of palliative pharmacological sedation on quality of life, survival, and specific refractory symptoms in terminally ill adults during their last few days of life. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2014, Issue 11), MEDLINE (1946 to November 2014), and EMBASE (1974 to December 2014), using search terms representing the sedative drug names and classes, disease stage, and study designs. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, non-RCTs, and observational studies (e.g. before-and-after, interrupted-time-series) with quantitative outcomes. We excluded studies with only qualitative outcomes or that had no comparison (i.e. no control group or no within-group comparison) (e.g. single arm case series). Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts of citations, and full text of potentially eligible studies. Two review authors independently carried out data extraction using standard data extraction forms. A third review author acted as arbiter for both stages. We carried out no meta-analyses due to insufficient data for pooling on any outcome; therefore, we reported

Does the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale add value to the conventional Glasgow Outcome Scale?

Science.gov (United States)

Weir, James; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Butcher, Isabella; Lu, Juan; Lingsma, Hester F; McHugh, Gillian S; Roozenbeek, Bob; Maas, Andrew I R; Murray, Gordon D

2012-01-01

The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) is firmly established as the primary outcome measure for use in Phase III trials of interventions in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the GOS has been criticized for its lack of sensitivity to detect small but clinically relevant changes in outcome. The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) potentially addresses this criticism, and in this study we estimate the efficiency gain associated with using the GOSE in place of the GOS in ordinal analysis of 6-month outcome. The study uses both simulation and the reanalysis of existing data from two completed TBI studies, one an observational cohort study and the other a randomized controlled trial. As expected, the results show that using an ordinal technique to analyze the GOS gives a substantial gain in efficiency relative to the conventional analysis, which collapses the GOS onto a binary scale (favorable versus unfavorable outcome). We also found that using the GOSE gave a modest but consistent increase in efficiency relative to the GOS in both studies, corresponding to a reduction in the required sample size of the order of 3-5%. We recommend that the GOSE be used in place of the GOS as the primary outcome measure in trials of TBI, with an appropriate ordinal approach being taken to the statistical analysis.

Delirium assessed by Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale in advanced cancer patients admitted to an acute palliative/supportive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercadante, Sebastiano; Adile, Claudio; Ferrera, Patrizia; Cortegiani, Andrea; Casuccio, Alessandra

2017-07-01

Delirium is often unrecognized in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of delirium assessed by the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) and possible associated factors on admission to an acute palliative/supportive care unit (APSCU). The secondary outcome was to assess changes in MDAS and symptom burden at time of discharge. A consecutive sample of advanced cancer patients who were admitted to an APSCU was prospectively assessed for a period of 10 months. Patient demographics, including age, gender, primary diagnosis, Karnofsky status, stage of disease, and educational level were collected. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and the MDAS were measured at hospital admission and discharge. A total of 314 patients were surveyed. Of 292 patients with MDAS available at T0, 74 (25.3%) and 24 (8.2%) had a MDAS of 7-12 and ≥13, respectively. At discharge, there was a significant decrease in the number of patients with a MDAS ≥7/30. Higher values of MDAS were associated with age (p = .028), a lower Karnofsky status (p symptoms (p = .026), hospital stay (p = .038) and death (p Delirium is highly prevalent in patients admitted to APSCU, characterized by a low mortality due to early referral. Comprehensive assessment and treatment may allow a decrease in the level of cognitive disorders and symptom burden.

Palliative Care Development in Mongolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Davaasuren, Odontuya; Ferris, Frank D

2018-02-01

Since the year 2000, Mongolia has established the foundation measures for a national palliative care program and has made several significant achievements. Systematic reviews and observational studies on palliative care development in Mongolia have taken place over the past 16 years. Mongolia began palliative care development in 2000 with the creation of the Mongolian Palliative Care Society and the Palliative Care Department. Palliative care is included in the Mongolia's Health Law, Health Insurance Law, Social Welfare Law, National Cancer Control Program, and the National Program for Non-Communicable Diseases, and has approved Palliative Care Standards and Pain Management Guidelines. Palliative care education is included in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum in all medical universities. Six hospice units in Ulaanbaatar have 50 beds; each of the nine districts and all 21 provinces have up to four to five palliative beds, and there are 36 palliative care units, for a total 190 beds for three million people. In 2014, a pediatric palliative care inpatient unit was established with five beds. Essential drugs for palliative care have been available in Mongolia since 2015. The pharmaceutical company IVCO produces morphine, codeine, pethidine, and oxycodone in Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia has made real progress in integrating palliative care into the health system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Listening to parents: The role of symptom perception in pediatric palliative home care.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollenbroich, René; Borasio, Gian Domenico; Duroux, Ayda; Grasser, Monika; Brandstätter, Monika; Führer, Monika

2016-02-01

This study analyzes symptom perception by parents and healthcare professionals and the quality of symptom management in a pediatric palliative home care setting and identifies which factors contribute to a high quality of palliative and end-of-life care for children. In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, parents were surveyed at the earliest three months after their child's death. All children were cared for by a specialized home pediatric palliative care team that provides a 24/7 medical on-call service. Questionnaires assessed symptom prevalence and intensity during the child's last month of life as perceived by parents, symptom perception, and treatment by medical staff. The responses were correlated with essential palliative care outcome measures (e.g., satisfaction with the care provided, quality-of-life of affected children and parents, and peacefulness of the dying phase). Thirty-eight parent dyads participated (return rate 84%; 35% oncological disorders). According to parental report, dyspnea (61%) and pain (58%) were the dominant symptoms with an overall high symptom load (83%). Pain, agitation, and seizures could be treated more successfully than other symptoms. Successful symptom perception was achieved in most cases and predicted the quality of symptom treatment (R 2, 0.612). Concordant assessment of symptom severity between parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) improved the satisfaction with the care provided (p = 0.037) as well as the parental quality-of-life (p = 0.041). Even in cases with unsuccessful symptom control, parents were very satisfied with the SHPPC team's care (median 10; numeric rating scale 0-10) and rated the child's death as highly peaceful (median 9). Significance of the results: The quality and the concordance of symptom perception between parents and HCPs essentially influence parental quality-of-life as well as parental satisfaction and constitute a predictive factor for the quality of symptom treatment and

Specialist palliative care nursing and the philosophy of palliative care: a critical discussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jackie; Gott, Merryn; Gardiner, Clare; Ingleton, Christine

2017-07-02

Nursing is the largest regulated health professional workforce providing palliative care across a range of clinical settings. Historically, palliative care nursing has been informed by a strong philosophy of care which is soundly articulated in palliative care policy, research and practice. Indeed, palliative care is now considered to be an integral component of nursing practice regardless of the specialty or clinical setting. However, there has been a change in the way palliative care is provided. Upstreaming and mainstreaming of palliative care and the dominance of a biomedical model with increasing medicalisation and specialisation are key factors in the evolution of contemporary palliative care and are likely to impact on nursing practice. Using a critical reflection of the authors own experiences and supported by literature and theory from seminal texts and contemporary academic, policy and clinical literature, this discussion paper will explore the influence of philosophy on nursing knowledge and theory in the context of an evolving model of palliative care.

Spiritual Well-Being for Increasing Life Expectancy in Palliative Radiotherapy Patients: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hematti, Simin; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, Milad; Khajooei-Fard, Rasha; Mohammadi-Bertiani, Zohreh

2015-10-01

Spiritual well-being in patients with an advanced cancer has been found to positively correlate with subjective well-being, lower pain levels, hope and positive mood states, high self-esteem, social competence, purpose in life, and overall quality of life. In this regard, Quran recitation is stated to be an efficient way to increase patient spirituality and also to handle life's everyday challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of listening, reading, and watching the text of the Holy Quran, called (in this study) Quran recitation, for increasing life expectancy (LE) in palliative radiotherapy patients admitted to Radiotherapy Department of Seyed alshohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. A questionnaire-based study was carried out on a total of 89 palliative radiotherapy patients between March 2012 and June 2012. Informed consent was obtained. The patients were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire which was designed based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer C30 Scale Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC C30 Scale QLQ). A computer program (SPSS version 16.0, Chicago, IL, USA) was used, and data were analyzed by the Wilcoxon test and Spearman's rank correlation. All hypotheses were tested using a criterion level of P = 0.05. There was a significant difference for frequency and duration of Quran recitation among patients, before and after the diagnosis of their cancer (P = 0.03). Using the Spearman's rank correlation, it was found that there was a correlation between Quran recitation and subjective well-being (r = 0.352, P Quran recitation and increasing LE (r = 0.311, P Quran are useful for increasing LE in palliative radiotherapy patients admitted to Radiotherapy Department. In other words, a benefit of Quran recitation on outcome of radiotherapy for palliative radiotherapy patients was found.

A Survey of Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians Regarding Palliative Sedation Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Lux, Michael R; Protus, Bridget McCrate; Kimbrel, Jason; Grauer, Phyllis

2017-04-01

Patients nearing the end of life may experience symptoms that are refractory to standard therapeutic options. Physicians may consider palliative sedation to relieve intolerable suffering. There is limited clinical literature regarding preferred medications for palliative sedation. To determine the preferred medications physicians use when implementing palliative sedation. An Internet-based, cross-sectional survey of hospice and palliative care physicians in the United States. A link to the survey was e-mailed to 3130 physician members of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, of which 381 physicians completed the survey. Physicians were not required to answer all questions. Nearly all (n = 335, 99%) respondents indicated that palliative sedation may be used (acceptable by 73% [n = 248] for refractory symptoms and acceptable by 26% [n = 87] only for imminently dying patients). Seventy-nine percent (n = 252) believed that opioids should not be used to induce palliative sedation but should be continued to provide pain control. Midazolam was the most commonly selected first-line choice for palliative sedation (n = 155, 42%). The most commonly reported second-line agents for the induction of palliative sedation were lorazepam, midazolam (for those who did not select midazolam as first-line agent), and phenobarbital with a reported preference of 20% (n = 49), 19% (n = 46), and 17% (n = 40), respectively. Of the physicians surveyed, 99% (n = 335) felt that palliative sedation is a reasonable treatment modality. Midazolam was considered a drug of choice for inducing and maintaining sedation, and opioids were continued for pain control.

Inter-Professional Palliative Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Kirsten Halskov; Henriksen, Jette; Meldgaard, Anette

2013-01-01

Chapter 11 by Kirsten Halskov Madsen, Anette Meldgaard and Jette Henriksen deals with the development of palliative care programmes aimed at the basic level of palliative care practice. The need to develop educational opportunities at particularly this level – described as ‘the basic inter......-professional level of palliative care’ – has been increasing for many years where palliative care has conventionally and primarily been associated with specialist training. As the authors show – based on a mapping out of existing educational initiatives in a region of Denmark, a reading of the curriculum...... and a description of the organization of palliative care – there is a need for such inter-professional palliative care that raises the level of competences at the basic level and the sharing of knowledge as well as securing the continuous qualifying of healthcare staff working with palliative care....

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in palliative care: A prospective study of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence in a hospital-based palliative care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmalz, Oliver; Strapatsas, Tobias; Alefelder, Christof; Grebe, Scott Oliver

2016-07-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism in hospitals worldwide and is associated with morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the prevalence in palliative care patients. Furthermore, there is no standardized screening protocol or treatment for patients for whom therapy concentrates on symptom control. Examining the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in palliative care patients as well as the level of morbidity and mortality. We performed a prospective study where methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening was undertaken in 296 consecutive patients within 48 h after admission to our palliative care unit. Medical history was taken, clinical examination was performed, and the Karnofsky Performance Scale and Palliative Prognostic Score were determined. Prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was compared to data of general hospital patients. In total, 281 patients were included in the study having a mean age of 69.7 years (standard deviation = 12.9 years) and an average Karnofsky Performance Scale between 30% and 40%. The mean length of stay was 9.7 days (standard deviation = 7.6 days). A total of 24 patients were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus positive on the first swab. Median number of swabs was 2. All patients with a negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus swab upon admission remained Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus negative in all subsequent swabs. Our study suggests that the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients in an in-hospital palliative care unit is much higher than in other patient populations. © The Author(s) 2016.

Flemish Palliative-Care Nurses’ Attitudes to Palliative Sedation: Results of a Quantitative Study

OpenAIRE

Gielen, Joris; Van den Branden, Stef; van Iersel, Trudie; Broeckaert, Bert

2012-01-01

Palliative sedation is an option of last resort to control refractory suffering. In order to better understand palliative-care nurses’ attitudes to palliative sedation, an anonymous questionnaire was sent to all nurses (589) employed in palliative care in Flanders (Belgium). In all, 70.5% of the nurses (n=415) responded. A large majority did not agree that euthanasia is preferable to palliative sedation, were against non-voluntary euthanasia in the case of a deeply and continuously sedated pa...

Muslim physicians and palliative care: attitudes towards the use of palliative sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Muishout, George; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W M; Wiegers, Gerard; Popp-Baier, Ulrike

2018-05-08

Muslim norms concerning palliative sedation can differ from secular and non-Muslim perceptions. Muslim physicians working in a Western environment are expected to administer palliative sedation when medically indicated. Therefore, they can experience tension between religious and medical norms. To gain insight into the professional experiences of Muslim physicians with palliative sedation in terms of religious and professional norms. Interpretative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews to take a closer look at the experiences of Muslim physicians with palliative sedation. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed by means of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Ten Muslim physicians, working in the Netherlands, with professional experience of palliative sedation. Two main themes were identified: professional self-concept and attitudes towards death and dying. Participants emphasized their professional responsibility when making treatment decisions, even when these contravened the prevalent views of Islamic scholars. Almost all of them expressed the moral obligation to fight their patients' pain in the final stage of life. Absence of acceleration of death was considered a prerequisite for using palliative sedation by most participants. Although the application of palliative sedation caused friction with their personal religious conceptions on a good death, participants followed a comfort-oriented care approach corresponding to professional medical standards. All of them adopted efficient strategies for handling of palliative sedation morally and professionally. The results of this research can contribute to and provide a basis for the emergence of new, applied Islamic ethics regarding palliative sedation.

The "Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument (PQLI" in terminal cancer patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouvaris John

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper describes the development of a new quality of life instrument in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. Methods The Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument incorporates six multi-item and one single-item scale. The questionnaire was completed at baseline and one-week after. The final sample consisted of 120 patients. Results The average time required to complete the questionnaire, in both time points, was approximately 8 minutes. All multi-item scales met the minimal standards for reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient ≥.70 either before or during palliative treatment. Test-retest reliability in terms of Spearman-rho coefficient was also satisfactory (p Conclusion The PQLI is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of quality of life in patients with advanced stage cancer.

Improved knowledge of and difficulties in palliative care among physicians during 2008 and 2015 in Japan: Association with a nationwide palliative care education program.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakazawa, Yoko; Yamamoto, Ryo; Kato, Masashi; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Kizawa, Yoshiyuki; Morita, Tatsuya

2018-02-01

Palliative care education for health care professionals is a key element in improving access to quality palliative care. The Palliative Care Emphasis Program on Symptom Management and Assessment for Continuous Medical Education (PEACE) was designed to provide educational opportunities for all physicians in Japan. As of 2015, 57,764 physicians had completed it. The objective of this study was to estimate the effects of the program. This study was an analysis of 2 nationwide observational studies from 2008 and 2015. We conducted 2 questionnaire surveys for representative samples of physicians. The measurements used were the Palliative Care Knowledge Test (range, 0-100) and the Palliative Care Difficulties Scale (range, 1-4). Comparisons were made with the unpaired Student t test and with a multivariate linear regression model using 2 cohorts and a propensity score-matched sample. This study analyzed a total of 48,487 physicians in 2008 and a total of 2720 physicians in 2015. Between 2008 and 2015, physicians' knowledge and difficulties significantly improved on the Palliative Care Knowledge Test with total scores of 68 and 78, respectively (P PEACE program had a higher knowledge score (74 vs 86; P PEACE program may have contributed to these improvements. Cancer 2018;124:626-35. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Patient-Related Determinants of the Administration of Continuous Palliative Sedation in Hospices and Palliative Care Units: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Deijck, Rogier H P D; Hasselaar, Jeroen G J; Verhagen, Stans C A H H V M; Vissers, Kris C P; Koopmans, Raymond T C M

2016-05-01

Knowledge of determinants that are associated with the administration of continuous palliative sedation (CPS) helps physicians identify patients who are at risk of developing refractory symptoms, thereby enabling proactive care planning. This study aims to explore which patient-related factors at admission are associated with receiving CPS later in the terminal phase of life. A prospective multicenter observational study was performed in six Dutch hospices and three nursing home-based palliative care units. The association between patient-related variables at admission (age, gender, diagnosis, use of opioids or psycholeptics, number of medications, Karnofsky Performance Status scale score, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System distress score, and Glasgow Coma Scale score) and the administration of CPS at the end of life was analyzed. A total of 467 patients died during the study period, of whom 130 received CPS. In univariate analysis, statistically significant differences were noted between the sedated and nonsedated patients with respect to younger age (P = 0.009), malignancy as a diagnosis (P = 0.05), higher Karnofsky Performance Status score (P = 0.03), the use of opioids (P Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geritalk: Communication Skills Training for Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Fellows

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Amy S.; Back, Anthony L.; Arnold, Robert M.; Goldberg, Gabrielle R.; Lim, Betty B.; Litrivis, Evgenia; Smith, Cardinale B.; O’Neill, Lynn B.

2011-01-01

Expert communication is essential to high quality care for older patients with serious illness. While the importance of communication skills is widely recognized, formal curricula for teaching communication skills to geriatrics and palliative medicine fellows is often inadequate or unavailable. We drew upon the educational principles and format of an evidence-based, interactive teaching method, to develop an intensive communication skills training course designed specifically to address the common communication challenges faced by geriatrics and palliative medicine fellows. The 2-day retreat, held away from the hospital environment, included large-group overview presentations, small-group communication skills practice, and development of future skills practice commitment. Faculty received in-depth training in small-group facilitation techniques prior to the course. Geriatrics and palliative medicine fellows were recruited to participate in the course and 100% (n=18) enrolled. Overall satisfaction with the course was very high (mean 4.8 on 5-point scale). Compared to before the course, fellows reported an increase in self-assessed preparedness for specific communication challenges (mean increase 1.4 on 5-point scale, pcommunication skills program, tailored to the specific needs of geriatrics and palliative medicine fellows, improved fellows’ self-assessed preparedness for challenging communication tasks and provided a model for ongoing deliberate practice of communication skills. PMID:22211768

Palliative sedation for intolerable suffering.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltoni, Marco; Scarpi, Emanuela; Nanni, Oriana

2014-07-01

The purpose of this review is to provide an update on palliative sedation in palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative sedation is the medical procedure used to deal with refractory symptoms in advanced cancer patients when all other specific approaches have failed. Palliative sedation, in the strictest sense of the term, is a proportionate (proportionate palliative sedation, PPS) and intrinsically variable procedure used on an individual basis to relieve refractory symptoms in terminally ill patients, without the intention of hastening death. Completely separate from any other end-of-life decision and not intended to hasten death, palliative sedation has been shown not to have a detrimental impact on survival. To maintain palliative sedation as a legitimate clinical procedure from any ethical or clinical point of view, it must be limited to the restricted area for which it was conceived, that is, relief from refractory suffering as deemed necessary by a patient and by an experienced palliative care team. In this way, there is no risk of associating palliative sedation with other end-of-life decisions. Close collaboration is needed between oncologists and palliative care physicians for this clinical procedure.

Physician Perspectives on Palliative Care for Children With Neuroblastoma: An International Context.

Science.gov (United States)

Balkin, Emily M; Thompson, Daria; Colson, K Ellicott; Lam, Catherine G; Matthay, Katherine K

2016-05-01

Studies have shown that children with cancer globally lack access to palliative care. Little is known regarding physicians' perceptions of palliative care, treatment access, and self-reported competence in providing palliative care. Members of the Global Neuroblastoma Network (online tumor board) were surveyed. Eighty-three respondents met inclusion criteria; 53 (64%) completed the survey. Most respondents trained in high-income countries (HIC) but practice in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and care for more than five patients with neuroblastoma annually. WHO Essential Medicines in palliative care varied in availability, with incomplete access across LMIC centers. Nonpharmacologic therapies were inconsistently available. Contrary to international definitions, 17% of respondents inappropriately considered palliative care as that initiated only after curative therapy is stopped. Mean physician competence composite score (Likert scale 1-5, 5 = very competent) in providing symptomatic relief and palliative care across phases of care was 2.93 (95% CI 2.71-3.22). Physicians reported significantly greater competence in symptom management during cure-directed therapy than during end-of-life (P = 0.02) or when patients are actively dying (P = 0.007). Practicing in HIC, prior palliative care training, having access to radiotherapy, and not having to turn patients away due to bed shortages were significantly predictive of perceived competence in providing palliative care at end of life. An international sample identified gaps in treatment and palliative care service availability, in understanding the definition of palliative care, and in self-reported competence in providing palliative care. Increased perceived competence was associated with training, which supports the need for increased palliative care education and advocacy, especially in LMIC. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring the diffusion of palliative care in long-term care facilities – a death census

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santos-Eggimann Brigitte

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The dissemination of palliative care for patients presenting complex chronic diseases at various stages has become an important matter of public health. A death census in Swiss long-term care facilities (LTC was set up with the aim of monitoring the frequency of selected indicators of palliative care. Methods The survey covered 150 LTC facilities (105 nursing homes and 45 home health services, each of which was asked to complete a questionnaire for every non-accidental death over a period of six months. The frequency of 4 selected indicators of palliative care (resort to a specialized palliative care service, the administration of opiates, use of any pain measurement scale or other symptom measurement scale was monitored in respect of the stages of care and analysed based on gender, age, medical condition and place of residence. Results Overall, 1200 deaths were reported, 29.1% of which were related to cancer. The frequencies of each indicator varied according to the type of LTC, mostly regarding the administration of opiate. It appeared that the access to palliative care remained associated with cancer, terminal care and partly with age, whereas gender and the presence of mental disorders had no effect on the indicators. In addition, the use of drugs was much more frequent than the other indicators. Conclusion The profile of patients with access to palliative care must become more diversified. Among other recommendations, equal access to opiates in nursing homes and in home health services, palliative care at an earlier stage and the systematic use of symptom management scales when resorting to opiates have to become of prime concern.

Palliative or Comfort Care

Science.gov (United States)

... is not under control Need help understanding your situation and coordinating care PALLIATIVE CARE Often a team of specialists provides palliative care. The team usually includes: Palliative care doctors and nurses Social workers and chaplains Pharmacists and nutritionists Counselors and others ...

Palliative Care

Science.gov (United States)

... for Patients and Families What Is Palliative Care? Definition Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to ...

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Holistic Needs Assessment Questionnaire in a Supportive and Palliative Care Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nisar; Hughes, Philippa; Winslow, Michelle; Bath, Peter A; Collins, Karen; Noble, Bill

2015-11-01

At present, there is no widely used systematic evidence-based holistic approach to assessment of patients' supportive and palliative care needs. To determine whether the use of a holistic needs assessment questionnaire, Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (SPARC), will lead to improved health care outcomes for patients referred to a palliative care service. This was an open, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial. Patients (n = 182) referred to the palliative care service were randomized to receive SPARC at baseline (n = 87) or after a period of two weeks (waiting-list control n = 95). Primary outcome measure is the difference in score between Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) patient-nominated Concern 1 on the patient self-scoring visual analogue scale at baseline and the two-week follow-up. Secondary outcomes include difference in scores in the MYCAW, EuroQoL (EQ-5D), and Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) scores at Weeks 2, 4, and 6. There was a significant association between change in MYCAW score and whether the patients were in the intervention or control group (χ(2)trend = 5.51; degrees of freedom = 1; P = 0.019). A higher proportion of patients in the control group had an improvement in MYCAW score from baseline to Week 2: control (34 of 70 [48.6%]) vs. intervention (19 of 66 [28.8%]). There were no significant differences (no detectable effect) between the control and intervention groups in the scores for EQ-5D and Patient Enablement Instrument at 2-, 4-, or 6-week follow-up. This trial result identifies a potential negative effect of SPARC in specialist palliative care services, raising questions that standardized holistic needs assessment questionnaires may be counterproductive if not integrated with a clinical assessment that informs the care plan. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

When and Why Do Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care Physicians Consult Palliative Care?

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Claire A; Starks, Helene; O'Connor, M Rebecca; Bourget, Erica; Lindhorst, Taryn; Hays, Ross; Doorenbos, Ardith Z

2018-06-01

Parents of children admitted to neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) are at increased risk of experiencing acute and post-traumatic stress disorder. The integration of palliative care may improve child and family outcomes, yet there remains a lack of information about indicators for specialty-level palliative care involvement in this setting. To describe neonatal and pediatric critical care physician perspectives on indicators for when and why to involve palliative care consultants. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 attending physicians from neonatal, pediatric, and cardiothoracic ICUs in a single quaternary care pediatric hospital. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using content and thematic analyses. We identified 2 themes related to the indicators for involving palliative care consultants: (1) palliative care expertise including support and bridging communication and (2) organizational factors influencing communication including competing priorities and fragmentation of care. Palliative care was most beneficial for families at risk of experiencing communication problems that resulted from organizational factors, including those with long lengths of stay and medical complexity. The ability of palliative care consultants to bridge communication was limited by some of these same organizational factors. Physicians valued the involvement of palliative care consultants when they improved efficiency and promoted harmony. Given the increasing number of children with complex chronic conditions, it is important to support the capacity of ICU clinical teams to provide primary palliative care. We suggest comprehensive system changes and critical care physician training to include topics related to chronic illness and disability.

The Attitudes of Indian Palliative-care Nurses and Physicians to Pain Control and Palliative Sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gielen, Joris; Gupta, Harmala; Rajvanshi, Ambika; Bhatnagar, Sushma; Mishra, Seema; Chaturvedi, Arvind K; den Branden, Stef Van; Broeckaert, Bert

2011-01-01

We wanted to assess Indian palliative-care nurses and physicians' attitudes toward pain control and palliative sedation. From May to September 2008, we interviewed 14 physicians and 13 nurses working in different palliative-care programs in New Delhi, using a semi-structured questionnaire, and following grounded-theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss). The interviewees did not consider administration of painkillers in large doses an ethical problem, provided the pain killers are properly titrated. Mild palliative sedation was considered acceptable. The interviewees disagreed whether palliative sedation can also be deep and continuous. Arguments mentioned against deep continuous palliative sedation were the conviction that it may cause unacceptable side effects, and impedes basic daily activities and social contacts. A few interviewees said that palliative sedation may hasten death. Due to fears and doubts regarding deep continuous palliative sedation, it may sometimes be too easily discarded as a treatment option for refractory symptoms.

[General practitioner and palliative sedation].

Science.gov (United States)

Schweitzer, Bart

2014-01-01

Recent publications in Dutch national newspapers on palliative sedation have raised concerns about its use in general practice. There is now evidence that there is no significant increase in the incidence of palliative sedation. Euthanasia requests were pending in 20.8% of the cases in which palliative sedation was performed, but the general practitioners could clearly justify why they made this choice. This is important because it indicates that they are aware of a sharp distinction between euthanasia and palliative sedation. Although the decision to perform palliative sedation was discussed with almost all cancer patients, patient involvement was less present in non-cancer conditions. This may be related to different disease trajectories, but it also indicates that attention should be devoted to earlier identification of patients in need of palliative care. The findings confirm that the practice of palliative sedation by general practitioners largely reflects the recommendations of the Dutch National Guideline on Palliative Sedation.

Consultation with specialist palliative care services in palliative sedation: considerations of Dutch physicians

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koper, I.; Heide, A.; Janssens, M.J.P.A.; Swart, S.; Perez, R.S.G.M.; Rietjens, J.A.C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Palliative sedation is considered a normal medical practice by the Royal Dutch Medical Association. Therefore, consultation of an expert is not considered mandatory. The European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) framework for palliative sedation, however, is more stringent: it

'Heated political dynamics exist ...': examining the politics of palliative care in rural British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Crooks, Valorie A; Castleden, Heather; Hanlon, Neil; Schuurman, Nadine

2011-01-01

Palliative care is delivered by a number of professional groups and informal providers across a range of settings. This arrangement works well in that it maximizes avenues for providing care, but may also bring about complicated 'politics' due to struggles over control and decision-making power. Thirty-one interviews conducted with formal and informal palliative care providers in a rural region of British Columbia, Canada, are drawn upon as a case study. Three types of politics impacting on palliative care provision are identified: inter-community, inter-site, and inter-professional. Three themes crosscut these politics: ownership, entitlement, and administration. The politics revealed by the interviews, and heretofore underexplored in the palliative literature, have implications for the delivery of palliative care. For example, the outcomes of the politics simultaneously facilitate (e.g. by promoting advocacy for local services) and serve as a barrier to (e.g. by privileging certain communities/care sites/provider) palliative care provision.

MORECare research methods guidance development: recommendations for ethical issues in palliative and end-of-life care research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gysels, M.; Evans, C.J.; Lewis, P.; Speck, P.; Benalia, H.; Preston, N.J.; Grande, G.E.; Short, V.; Owen-Jones, E.; Todd, C.J.; Higginson, I.J.

2013-01-01

Background: There is little guidance on the particular ethical concerns that research raises with a palliative care population. Aim: To present the process and outcomes of a workshop and consensus exercise on agreed best practice to accommodate ethical issues in research on palliative care. Design:

Self-Expanding Metal Stenting for Palliation of Patients with Malignant Colonic Obstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meisner, Søren; González-Huix, Ferran; Vandervoort, Jo G

2012-01-01

Background. Self-expanding metal stents can alleviate malignant colonic obstruction in incurable patients and avoid palliative stoma surgery. Objective. Evaluate stent effectiveness and safety on palliation of patients with malignant colorectal strictures. Design. Two prospective, one Spanish....... Interventions(s). Self-expanding metal stent placement. Main Outcome Measures. Procedural success, clinical success, and safety. Results. Procedural success was 98.4% (251). Clinical success rates were 87.8% at 30 days, 89.7% at 3 months, 92.8% at 6 months, and 96% at 12 months. Overall perforation rate was 5...... for patients with malignant colonic obstruction should be self-expanding metal stent placement due to high rates of technical success and efficacy in symptom palliation and few complications....

Pediatric Palliative Care at a Glance

Science.gov (United States)

® ™ ® Pediatric Palliative Care at a Glance A child’s serious illness affects the entire family. Pediatric palliative (pal-lee-uh-tiv) care can support ... extra support, palliative care can help. What is pediatric palliative care? Pediatric palliative care is supportive care ...

The Attitudes of Indian Palliative-care Nurses and Physicians to Pain Control and Palliative Sedation

Science.gov (United States)

Gielen, Joris; Gupta, Harmala; Rajvanshi, Ambika; Bhatnagar, Sushma; Mishra, Seema; Chaturvedi, Arvind K; den Branden, Stef Van; Broeckaert, Bert

2011-01-01

Aim: We wanted to assess Indian palliative-care nurses and physicians’ attitudes toward pain control and palliative sedation. Materials and Methods: From May to September 2008, we interviewed 14 physicians and 13 nurses working in different palliative-care programs in New Delhi, using a semi-structured questionnaire, and following grounded-theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss). Results: The interviewees did not consider administration of painkillers in large doses an ethical problem, provided the pain killers are properly titrated. Mild palliative sedation was considered acceptable. The interviewees disagreed whether palliative sedation can also be deep and continuous. Arguments mentioned against deep continuous palliative sedation were the conviction that it may cause unacceptable side effects, and impedes basic daily activities and social contacts. A few interviewees said that palliative sedation may hasten death. Conclusion: Due to fears and doubts regarding deep continuous palliative sedation, it may sometimes be too easily discarded as a treatment option for refractory symptoms. PMID:21633619

Geritalk: communication skills training for geriatric and palliative medicine fellows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Amy S; Back, Anthony L; Arnold, Robert M; Goldberg, Gabrielle R; Lim, Betty B; Litrivis, Evgenia; Smith, Cardinale B; O'Neill, Lynn B

2012-02-01

Expert communication is essential to high-quality care for older patients with serious illness. Although the importance of communication skills is widely recognized, formal curricula for teaching communication skills to geriatric and palliative medicine fellows is often inadequate or unavailable. The current study drew upon the educational principles and format of an evidence-based, interactive teaching method to develop an intensive communication skills training course designed specifically to address the common communication challenges that geriatric and palliative medicine fellows face. The 2-day retreat, held away from the hospital environment, included large-group overview presentations, small-group communication skills practice, and development of future skills practice commitment. Faculty received in-depth training in small-group facilitation techniques before the course. Geriatric and palliative medicine fellows were recruited to participate in the course and 100% (n = 18) enrolled. Overall satisfaction with the course was very high (mean 4.8 on a 5-point scale). After the course, fellows reported an increase in self-assessed preparedness for specific communication challenges (mean increase 1.4 on 5-point scale, P communication skills program, customized for the specific needs of geriatric and palliative medicine fellows, improved fellows' self-assessed preparedness for challenging communication tasks and provided a model for ongoing deliberate practice of communication skills. © 2012, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.

Training hospital staff on spiritual care in palliative care influences patient-reported outcomes: Results of a quasi-experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Geer, Joep; Groot, Marieke; Andela, Richtsje; Leget, Carlo; Prins, Jelle; Vissers, Kris; Zock, Hetty

2017-09-01

Spiritual care is reported to be important to palliative patients. There is an increasing need for education in spiritual care. To measure the effects of a specific spiritual care training on patients' reports of their perceived care and treatment. A pragmatic controlled trial conducted between February 2014 and March 2015. The intervention was a specific spiritual care training implemented by healthcare chaplains to eight multidisciplinary teams in six hospitals on regular wards in which patients resided in both curative and palliative trajectories. In total, 85 patients were included based on the Dutch translation of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool. Data were collected in the intervention and control wards pre- and post-training using questionnaires on physical symptoms, spiritual distress, involvement and attitudes (Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List) and on the perceived focus of healthcare professionals on patients' spiritual needs. All 85 patients had high scores on spiritual themes and involvement. Patients reported that attention to their spiritual needs was very important. We found a significant ( p = 0.008) effect on healthcare professionals' attention to patients' spiritual and existential needs and a significant ( p = 0.020) effect in favour of patients' sleep. No effect on the spiritual distress of patients or their proxies was found. The effects of spiritual care training can be measured using patient-reported outcomes and seemed to indicate a positive effect on the quality of care. Future research should focus on optimizing the spiritual care training to identify the most effective elements and developing strategies to ensure long-term positive effects. This study was registered at the Dutch Trial Register: NTR4559.

Palliative radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer-A prospective trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghoshal Sushmita

2004-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the role of palliative radiotherapy for symptom control in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 patients with stage 3 and stage 4 head and neck cancer were treated with a short course of palliative radiotherapy (30 Gray (Gy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks. Baseline symptoms were assessed using a 11 point numerical scale for pain, dysphagia, cough, insomnia and dyspnoea. The primary end point was relief of symptoms in the fourth week after radiotherapy. Percentage symptom relief was quantified by the patient using a rupee scale. RESULTS: All 22 patients with pain and 90% of patients with dysphagia, dyspnoea and disturbed sleep had greater than 50% relief in symptoms after radiotherapy. Cough was relieved in sixty percent of cases. CONCLUSION: A short course of radiation can be an effective method of symptom palliation in head and neck cancers.

Palliative Care Leadership Centers Are Key To The Diffusion Of Palliative Care Innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassel, J Brian; Bowman, Brynn; Rogers, Maggie; Spragens, Lynn H; Meier, Diane E

2018-02-01

Between 2000 and 2015 the proportion of US hospitals with more than fifty beds that had palliative care programs tripled, from 25 percent to 75 percent. The rapid adoption of this high-value program, which is voluntary and runs counter to the dominant culture in US hospitals, was catalyzed by tens of millions of dollars in philanthropic support for innovation, dissemination, and professionalization in the palliative care field. We describe the dissemination strategies of the Center to Advance Palliative Care in the context of the principles of social entrepreneurship, and we provide an in-depth look at its hallmark training initiative, Palliative Care Leadership Centers. Over 1,240 hospital palliative care teams have trained at the Leadership Centers to date, with 80 percent of them instituting palliative care services within two years. We conclude with lessons learned about the role of purposeful technical assistance in promoting the rapid diffusion of high-value health care innovation.

Measuring comprehensive outcomes in palliative care: validation of the Korean version of the Good Death Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Dong Wook; Choi, JiEun; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Choi, Jin Young; Kang, Jina; Baik, Young Ji; Mo, Ha Na; Choi, Jong Soon; Son, Young Sun; Lee, Hae Sook

2011-10-01

No systematic or comprehensive attempts have yet been made to assess quality of death as an indicator of palliative care outcomes in Korea, and no validated instruments exist for the assessment of a good death in Koreans. This study examined the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Good Death Inventory (GDI), which was developed in Japan to evaluate the quality of death from the perspective of bereaved family members. Forward and backward translations and a pilot test were conducted. In a multicenter cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire packet, including the GDI, overall quality of life during the last week, and overall satisfaction with care, was mailed to bereaved family members (n=501) of patients who had died from cancer two to six months before the study. Descriptive analyses were performed, including response rate, mean, median, skewness, and kurtosis for each item. The reliability of the GDI was tested by Cronbach's alpha. The dimensional structure was assessed using confirmatory factor analyses. Concurrent validity was tested by correlation with the overall quality of life and overall satisfaction with care. Participants were able to complete the GDI, and the compliance rates were satisfactory. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.93 overall and ranged from 0.69 to 0.94 for subdomains. The hypothesized 18-factor model of a good death appeared to fit the data (goodness of fit index [GFI]=0.964; adjusted GFI index=0.960; normal fit index=0.952). The overall scores on the GDI correlated with patients' quality of life (0.56; P<0.001) and overall satisfaction with care (0.44; P<0.001). The Korean version of the GDI is a reliable and valid measure of the comprehensive outcomes of palliative care from the perspective of bereaved Korean family members. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diet and Nutrition in Cancer Survivorship and Palliative Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony J. Bazzan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The primary goal of palliative cancer care is typically to relieve suffering and improve quality of life. Most approaches to diet in this setting have focused only on eating as many calories as possible to avoid cachexia. However, as the concept of palliative care has evolved to include all aspects of cancer survivorship and not just end of life care, there is an increasing need to thoughtfully consider diet and nutrition approaches that can impact not only quality of life but overall health outcomes and perhaps even positively affect cancer recurrence and progression. In this regard, there has been a recent emphasis in the literature on nutrition and cancer as an important factor in both quality of life and in the pathophysiology of cancer. Hence, the primary purpose of this paper is to review the current data on diet and nutrition as it pertains to a wide range of cancer patients in the palliative care setting.

Gastric Outlet Obstruction Palliation: A Novel Stent-Based Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha M. Rueth

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO after esophagectomy is a morbid outcome and significantly hinders quality of life for end-stage esophageal cancer patients. In the pre-stent era, palliation consisted of chemotherapy, radiation, tumor ablation, or stricture dilation. In the current era, palliative stenting has emerged as an additional tool; however, migration and tumor ingrowth are ongoing challenges. To mitigate these challenges, we developed a novel, hybrid, stent-based approach for the palliative management of GOO. We present a patient with esophageal cancer diagnosed with recurrent, metastatic disease 1 year after esophagectomy. She developed dehydration and intractable emesis, which significantly interfered with her quality of life. For palliation, we dilated the stenosis and proceeded with our stent-based solution. Using a combined endoscopic and fluoroscopic approach, we placed a 12-mm silicone salivary bypass tube across the pylorus, where it kinked slightly because of local tumor biology. To bridge this defect and ensure luminal patency, we placed a nitinol tracheobronchial stent through the silicone stent. Clinically, the patient had immediate relief from her pre-operative symptoms and was discharged home on a liquid diet. In conclusion, GOO and malignant dysphagia after esophagectomy are significant challenges for patients with end-stage disease. Palliative stenting is a viable option, but migration and tumor ingrowth are common complications. The hybrid approach presented here provides a unique solution to these potential pitfalls. The flared silicone tube minimized the chance of migration and impaired tumor ingrowth. The nitinol stent aided with patency and overcame the challenges of the soft tube. This novel strategy achieved palliation, describing another endoscopic option in the treatment of malignant GOO.

[Secondary traumatization/trauma among employees in palliative care units--the products of prolonged repeated exposure to suffering and death].

Science.gov (United States)

Samson, Tali; Shvartzman, Pesach

2012-11-01

The palliative care philosophy accepts the dying process as a natural phase in the life cycle and provides quality end of life care for terminal patients and their family members. Prolonged exposure to the physical symptoms and pain, as well as the psychological, spiritual, and existential suffering of the dying patient, may be fertile ground for the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms among palliative care teams. Work-related positive outcomes (such as compassion, satisfaction and meaning) and work-related negative outcomes (such as compassion fatigue, secondary traumatization and burnout) can exist side by side, and the unique balance between them will determine the quality of life of the worker. This review presents the current knowledge about the prevalence and causes of work-related stress outcomes among palliative care teams and measurement tools that are available. The literature review discusses secondary traumatization in palliative care teams and relevant messages for the development of treatment options, burnout prevention programs and support interventions for professionals who lead the care for terminal patients in Israel.

Dignity Impact as a Primary Outcome Measure for Dignity Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarton, Lisa; Oh, Sungho; Sylvera, Ashley; Lamonge, Ralph; Yao, Yingwei; Chochinov, Harvey; Fitchett, George; Handzo, George; Emanuel, Linda; Wilkie, Diana

2018-01-01

Feasibility of dignity therapy (DT) is well established in palliative care. Evidence of its efficacy, however, has been inconsistent and may stem from DT's primary effects differing from the outcomes measured in previous studies. We proposed that DT effects were in the spiritual domain and created a new outcome measure, Dignity Impact Scale (DIS), from items previously used in a large randomized controlled trial (RCT). The purpose of this secondary analysis study was to examine properties of a new measure of dignity impact. Using the DIS, we conducted reanalysis of posttest data from a large 3-arm, multi-site RCT study. Participants were receiving hospice/palliative care (n = 326, 50.6% female, mean age = 65.1 years, 89.3% white, all with a terminal illness with 6 months or less life expectancy). They had been randomized to standard palliative care (n = 111), client-centered care (n = 107), or DT (n = 108). The 7-item DIS was derived from selected items in a posttest DT Patient Feedback Questionnaire. The DIS had strong internal consistency (α = 0.85). The DT group mean DIS score (21.4 ± 5.0) was significantly higher than the usual care group mean score (17.7 ± 5.5; t = 5.2, df = 216, P death, and life completion tasks. We propose that the DIS be used as the primary outcome measure in evaluating the effects of DT.

Investment of palliative medicine in bridging the gap with academia: a call to action.

Science.gov (United States)

Moroni, M; Bolognesi, D; Muciarelli, P A; Abernethy, A P; Biasco, G

2011-03-01

Palliative care and palliative medicine define a relatively new medical discipline that has arisen in response to the need for better approaches to caring for people with advanced life-limiting illnesses. For professional, managerial and cultural reasons, it has evolved largely outside of academic structures. As the discipline has matured, its needs for education, training, intellectual discourse, evidence development and new science have become more apparent. Traditional academia remains sceptical about the role of palliative medicine, and bastions of palliative medicine expertise in universities have been slow to develop. Yet the engagement of the academic sector in palliative medicine has distinct benefits: (1) promoting the exploration of the culture, humanities and science of the discipline; (2) generating evidence to support practice; (3) creating a legion of educators to train a palliative medicine workforce and to inform clinical colleagues of the role of palliative medicine; and (4) providing order and direction to the discipline's development. A roadmap leading to better engagement between palliative medicine and academia is needed. Examples of developments that could help bridge the two domains include: standardisation of terminology and clarification of boundaries of influence; focus on high-quality research that will generate robust evidence to support clinical decision-making; and clear definition of outcomes, with measures that are understandable across medical disciplines. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Current options for palliative treatment in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridwelski, K; Meyer, F

2001-01-01

Palliative treatment is often the only remaining option in the management of pancreatic carcinoma, but its efficacy is poor due to low tumor sensitivity and inadequate treatment protocols. There are several options of palliative treatment with antitumor or supportive intention. Classical end points of palliative treatment are survival, tumor response, and quality of life. A decade ago, palliative chemotherapy consisted mainly of 5-fluorouracil as the standard agent in combination with either other agents and/or radiotherapy. Only the new antineoplastic drug gemcitabine, which was introduced simultaneously with the definition of novel end points of chemotherapy such as clinical benefit, allowed to achieve some progress. However, while gemcitabine monotherapy appeared to be superior to 5-fluorouracil and improved important parameters of quality of life, it could not provide a significant improvement of survival. A novel concept, therefore, is to improve this beneficial cytostatic response in pancreatic carcinoma using a gemcitabine-based protocol by combining it with antineoplastic drugs such as taxanes or platin analogs. This strategy may have the potential to improve the outcome in palliative chemotherapy of pancreatic carcinoma patients with advanced tumor growth or metastases. Best supportive care in pancreatic cancer consists of the treatment of symptoms, such as pain, jaundice, duodenal obstruction, weight loss, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and tumor-associated depression. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Shelter-based palliative care for the homeless terminally ill.

Science.gov (United States)

Podymow, Tiina; Turnbull, Jeffrey; Coyle, Doug

2006-03-01

The homeless have high rates of mortality, but live in environments not conducive to terminal care. Traditional palliative care hospitals may be reluctant to accept such patients, due to behavior or lifestyle concerns. The Ottawa Inner City Health Project (OICHP) is a pilot study to improve health care delivery to homeless adults. This is a retrospective analysis of a cohort of terminally ill homeless individuals and the effectiveness of shelter-based palliative care. As proof of principle, a cost comparison was performed. 28 consecutive homeless terminally ill patients were admitted and died at a shelter-based palliative care hospice. Demographics, diagnoses at admission and course were recorded. Burden of illness was assessed by medical and psychiatric diagnoses, addictions, Karnofsky scale and symptom management. An expert panel was convened to identify alternate care locations. Using standard costing scales, direct versus alternate care costs were compared. 28 patients had a mean age 49 years; average length of stay 120 days. DIAGNOSES: liver disease 43%, HIV/AIDS 25%, malignancy 25% and other 8%. Addiction to drugs or alcohol and mental illness in 82% of patients. Karnofsky performance score mean 40 +/- 16.8. Pain management with continuous opiates in 71%. The majority reunited with family. Compared to alternate care locations, the hospice projected 1.39 million dollars savings for the patients described. The homeless terminally ill have a heavy burden of disease including physical illness, psychiatric conditions and addictions. Shelter-based palliative care can provide effective end-of-life care to terminally ill homeless individuals at potentially substantial cost savings.

Effects of palliative care training program on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences among student physiotherapists: A preliminary quasi-experimental study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senthil P Kumar

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Physiotherapists play an inherent role in the multidisciplinary palliative care team. Existing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences influence their team participation in palliative care. Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences among student physiotherapists who attended a palliative care training program. Settings and Design: Preliminary quasi-experimental study design, conducted at an academic institution. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two student physiotherapists of either gender (12 male, 40 female of age (20.51±1.78 years who attended a palliative care training program which comprised lectures and case examples of six-hours duration participated in this study. The study was performed after getting institutional approval and obtaining participants′ written informed consent. The lecture content comprised WHO definition of palliative care, spiritual aspects of life, death and healing, principles, levels and models of palliative care, and role of physiotherapists in a palliative care team. The physical therapy in palliative care-knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences scale (PTiPC-KABE Scale- modified from palliative care attitudes scale were used for assessing the participants before and after the program. Statistical Analysis: Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test at 95% confidence interval using SPSS 11.5 for Windows. Results: Statistically significant differences (P<0.05 were noted for all four subscales- knowledge (7.84±4.61 points, attitudes (9.46±8.06 points, beliefs (4.88±3.29 points and experiences (15.8±11.28 points out of a total score of 104 points. Conclusions: The focus-group training program produced a significant positive change about palliative care in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences among student physiotherapists.

Improving palliative care through teamwork (IMPACTT) in nursing homes: Study design and baseline findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Temkin-Greener, Helena; Ladwig, Susan; Ye, Zhiqiu; Norton, Sally A; Mukamel, Dana B

2017-05-01

The 2014 Institute of Medicine report recommended that healthcare providers caring for individuals with advanced illness have basic palliative care competencies in communication, inter-professional collaboration, and symptom management. Nursing homes, where one in three American decedents live and die, have fallen short of these competency goals. We implemented an intervention study to examine the efficacy of nursing home-based integrated palliative care teams in improving the quality of care processes and outcomes for residents at the end of life. This paper describes the design, rationale, and challenges of a two-arm randomized controlled trial of nursing home-based palliative care teams in 31 facilities. The impact of the intervention on residents' outcomes is measured with four risk-adjusted quality indicators: place of death (nursing home or hospital), number of hospitalizations, and self-reported pain and depression in the last 90-days of life. The effect of the intervention is also evaluated with regard to staff satisfaction and impact on care processes (e.g. palliative care competency, communication, coordination). Both secondary (e.g. the Minimum Data Set) and primary (e.g. staff surveys) data are employed to examine the effect of the intervention. Several challenges in conducting a complex, nursing home-based intervention have been identified. While sustainability of the intervention without research funding is not clear, we surmise that without changes to the payment model that put palliative care services in this care setting on par with the more "skilled" care, it will not be reasonable to expect any widespread efforts to implement facility-based palliative care services. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Swetz, Keith M; Kamal, Arif H

2018-03-06

Palliative care prioritizes symptom management and quality of life throughout the course of serious illness. Regardless of whether care is inpatient or outpatient, primary or subspecialty, a solid understanding of the basics of effective communication, symptom management, and end-of-life care is crucial. This article reviews these essentials and provides an overview of current evidence to support patient-centered palliative care.

Advancing Hospice and Palliative Care Social Work Leadership in Interprofessional Education and Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Blacker, Susan; Head, Barbara A; Jones, Barbara L; Remke, Stacy S; Supiano, Katherine

2016-01-01

The importance of interprofessional collaboration in achieving high quality outcomes, improving patient quality of life, and decreasing costs has been growing significantly in health care. Palliative care has been viewed as an exemplary model of interprofessional care delivery, yet best practices in both interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional practice (IPP) in the field are still developing. So, too, is the leadership of hospice and palliative care social workers within IPE and IPP. Generating evidence regarding best practices that can prepare social work professionals for collaborative practice is essential. Lessons learned from practice experiences of social workers working in hospice and palliative care can inform educational efforts of all professionals. The emergence of interprofessional education and competencies is a development that is relevant to social work practice in this field. Opportunities for hospice and palliative social workers to demonstrate leadership in IPE and IPP are presented in this article.

Communication as an approach to resolve conflict about the implementation of palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhe; Cheng, Wen-Wu

2014-05-01

The main aim of palliative care is to provide relief from pain and distressing symptoms and to offer psychological and spiritual support to enhance the quality of life. We present a case of an elderly Chinese patient with major depressive disorder who was a doctor himself, and through his experience of treating patients had become afraid about the complications of advanced disease. He wished to forego treatment, which was in conflict with those of his family. This report highlights the role of the palliative medical team in improving outcomes through enabling communication to occur between the family and the patient to achieve the best outcomes. This should lead to better training provision for the involved medical staff.

Palliative care awareness among Indian undergraduate health care students: A needs-assessment study to determine incorporation of palliative care education in undergraduate medical, nursing and allied health education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakshi Sadhu

2010-01-01

Conclusion: The outcomes of the study showed that the basic knowledge of palliative care among students was inadequate, and students are unprepared and uncertain in their approach of delivering end-of-life care.

Determinants of the administration of continuous palliative sedation: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

van Deijck, Rogier H P D; Hasselaar, Jeroen G J; Verhagen, Stans C A H H V M; Vissers, Kris C P; Koopmans, Raymond T C M

2013-12-01

Little is known about the determining factors related to the administration of continuous palliative sedation. Knowledge of these determinants may assist physicians in identifying patients who are at high risk of developing refractory symptoms, enable physicians to inform patients, and optimize close monitoring. The aim of this systematic review was to identify determinants of the administration of continuous palliative sedation. A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL was performed to identify English, Dutch, and German language papers published from January 1990 through April 2011. Inclusion was based on the following criteria: patient-based research on continuous palliative sedation, studies investigating determinants of palliative sedation and/or comparison between sedated and nonsedated cohorts, and studies using multivariate analyses and of fair to good or good methodological quality. In total, eight papers were reviewed. The following nine factors were found to be associated with the administration of continuous palliative sedation: younger age, male sex, having cancer, feelings of hopelessness, dying in a hospital, living in a Dutch speaking community setting, very nonreligious or extremely nonreligious physicians, physicians working in "other hospital" specialties, and physicians in favor of assisted death. Given the variation in study designs and the limitations of the included studies, the outcomes should be interpreted carefully. Further research is needed, particularly regarding factors that can be influenced and that may alter the course of a patient's symptoms and the patient's eventual need for palliative sedation.

Towards a conceptual evaluation of transience in relation to palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Larkin, Philip J; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette; Schotsmans, Paul

2007-07-01

This paper is a report of a concept evaluation of transience and its relevance to palliative care. A qualitative study into palliative care patients' experiences of transition revealed a gap between current definitions of transition and their expression of the palliative care experience. Transience appears to offer a better definition but remains conceptually weak, with limited definition in a healthcare context. A qualitative conceptual evaluation of transience was undertaken using two case examples, interview data and the literature. Multiple sources were used to identify the literature (1966-2006), including a search on Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Medline, and Ovid and Arts and Humanities Index using the keywords 'transience' and 'palliative care'. Thirty-one papers related to transience were retrieved. Analysis and synthesis formulated a theoretical definition of transience relative to palliative care. Transience is a nascent concept. Preconditions and outcomes of transience appear contextually dependent, which may inhibit its conceptual development. Transience depicts a fragile emotional state related to sudden change and uncertainty at end-of-life, exhibited as a feeling of stasis. Defining attributes would seem to include fragility, suddenness, powerlessness, impermanence, time, space, uncertainty, separation and homelessness. Transience is potentially more meaningful for palliative care in understanding the impact of end-of-life experiences for patients than current conceptualizations of transition as a process towards resolution. As a nascent concept, it remains strongly encapsulated within a framework of transition and further conceptual development is needed to enhance its maturity and refinement.

What is Pediatric Palliative Care?

Science.gov (United States)

... FAQ Handout for Patients and Families What Is Pediatric Palliative Care? Pediatric Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is ... life for both the child and the family. Pediatric palliative care is provided by a team of ...

Palliative Care Office Hours for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: An Innovative Model for Symptom Management and Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Foxwell, Anessa M; Moyer, Mary E; Casarett, David J; O'Connor, Nina R

2017-10-01

Palliative care programs are experiencing rapid growth, with demand for consults surpassing staffing. Innovative models are needed to equip nonpalliative care providers to manage basic palliative care issues. To develop a novel program of palliative care office hours for hematologic oncology advanced practice providers, and to evaluate its impact on palliative care consult volume and composition. A palliative care nurse practitioner or pharmacist was available for weekday office hours to all inpatient hematologic oncology advanced practice providers at an academic medical center to offer advice on pain, nonpain symptoms, and psychosocial distress. A retrospective study looking at outcome measures after six months of office hour utilization and palliative care consults from the hematologic oncology services. Palliative care office hours had a mean duration of 16 minutes per day (range 5 to 55). A mean of 11 patients were discussed per week (range 4 to 20). Pain, nausea, and anxiety were the issues most frequently raised. Of 299 patients discussed during office hours, 44 (14.7%) subsequently required a full palliative care consult. Overall, palliative care consults from the hematologic oncology services decreased from 19.6% to 10.2% of admissions (87/445 vs. 61/594, p Office hours are an efficient way to address palliative care needs when demand for palliative care consults exceeds capacity. Office hours may serve an educational function as well, enabling primary teams to manage basic palliative care issues with increasing independence over time.

Reiki Therapy for Symptom Management in Children Receiving Palliative Care: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thrane, Susan E; Maurer, Scott H; Ren, Dianxu; Danford, Cynthia A; Cohen, Susan M

2017-05-01

Pain may be reported in one-half to three-fourths of children with cancer and other terminal conditions and anxiety in about one-third of them. Pharmacologic methods do not always give satisfactory symptom relief. Complementary therapies such as Reiki may help children manage symptoms. This pre-post mixed-methods single group pilot study examined feasibility, acceptability, and the outcomes of pain, anxiety, and relaxation using Reiki therapy with children receiving palliative care. A convenience sample of children ages 7 to 16 and their parents were recruited from a palliative care service. Two 24-minute Reiki sessions were completed at the children's home. Paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were calculated to compare change from pre to post for outcome variables. Significance was set at P Reiki therapy did decrease pain, anxiety, heart, and respiratory rates, but small sample size deterred statistical significance. This preliminary work suggests that complementary methods of treatment such as Reiki may be beneficial to support traditional methods to manage pain and anxiety in children receiving palliative care.

Using mixed methods to develop and evaluate complex interventions in palliative care research.

Science.gov (United States)

Farquhar, Morag C; Ewing, Gail; Booth, Sara

2011-12-01

there is increasing interest in combining qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide comprehensiveness and greater knowledge yield. Mixed methods are valuable in the development and evaluation of complex interventions. They are therefore particularly valuable in palliative care research where the majority of interventions are complex, and the identification of outcomes particularly challenging. this paper aims to introduce the role of mixed methods in the development and evaluation of complex interventions in palliative care, and how they may be used in palliative care research. the paper defines mixed methods and outlines why and how mixed methods are used to develop and evaluate complex interventions, with a pragmatic focus on design and data collection issues and data analysis. Useful texts are signposted and illustrative examples provided of mixed method studies in palliative care, including a detailed worked example of the development and evaluation of a complex intervention in palliative care for breathlessness. Key challenges to conducting mixed methods in palliative care research are identified in relation to data collection, data integration in analysis, costs and dissemination and how these might be addressed. the development and evaluation of complex interventions in palliative care benefit from the application of mixed methods. Mixed methods enable better understanding of whether and how an intervention works (or does not work) and inform the design of subsequent studies. However, they can be challenging: mixed method studies in palliative care will benefit from working with agreed protocols, multidisciplinary teams and engaging staff with appropriate skill sets.

Organization position statements and the stance of "studied neutrality" on euthanasia in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Megan-Jane

2012-12-01

In recent years, palliative care and related organizations have increasingly adopted a stance of "studied neutrality" on the question of whether euthanasia should be legalized as a bona fide medical regimen in palliative care contexts. This stance, however, has attracted criticism from both opponents and proponents of euthanasia. Pro-euthanasia activists see the stance as an official position of indecision that is fundamentally disrespectful of a patient's right to "choose death" when life has become unbearable. Some palliative care constituents, in turn, are opposed to the stance, contending that it reflects an attitude of "going soft" on euthanasia and as weakening the political resistance that has hitherto been successful in preventing euthanasia from becoming more widely legalized. In this article, attention is given to examining critically the notion and possible unintended consequences of adopting a stance of studied neutrality on euthanasia in palliative care. It is argued that although palliative care and related organizations have an obvious stake in the outcome of the euthanasia debate, it is neither unreasonable nor inconsistent for such organizations to be unwilling to take a definitive stance on the issue. It is further contended that, given the long-standing tenets of palliative care, palliative care organizations have both a right and a responsibility to defend the integrity of the principles and practice of palliative care and to resist demands for euthanasia to be positioned either as an integral part or logical extension of palliative care. Copyright © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Palliative care content on cancer center websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Vater, Laura B; Rebesco, Gina; Schenker, Yael; Torke, Alexia M; Gramelspacher, Gregory

2018-03-01

Professional guidelines recommend that palliative care begin early in advanced cancer management, yet integration of palliative and cancer care remains suboptimal. Cancer centers may miss opportunities to provide palliative care information online. In this study, we described the palliative care content on cancer center websites. We conducted a systematic content analysis of 62 National Cancer Institute- (NCI) designated cancer center websites. We assessed the content of center homepages and analyzed search results using the terms palliative care, supportive care, and hospice. For palliative and supportive care webpages, we assessed services offered and language used to describe care. Two researchers analyzed all websites using a standardized coding manual. Kappa values ranged from 0.78 to 1. NCI-designated cancer center homepages presented information about cancer-directed therapy (61%) more frequently than palliative care (5%). Ten percent of cancer centers had no webpage with palliative care information for patients. Among centers with information for patients, the majority (96%) defined palliative or supportive care, but 30% did not discuss delivery of palliative care alongside curative treatment, and 14% did not mention provision of care early in the disease process. Cancer center homepages rarely mention palliative care services. While the majority of centers have webpages with palliative care content, they sometimes omit information about early use of care. Improving accessibility of palliative care information and increasing emphasis on early provision of services may improve integration of palliative and cancer care.

[Palliative care and end-of-life patients in emergency situations. Recommendations on optimization of out-patient care].

Science.gov (United States)

Wiese, C H R; Vagts, D A; Kampa, U; Pfeiffer, G; Grom, I-U; Gerth, M A; Graf, B M; Zausig, Y A

2011-02-01

At the end of life acute exacerbations of medical symptoms (e.g. dyspnea) in palliative care patients often result in emergency medical services being alerted. The goals of this study were to discuss cooperation between emergency medical and palliative care structures to optimize the quality of care in emergencies involving palliative care patients. For data collection an open discussion of the main topics by experts in palliative and emergency medical care was employed. Main outcome measures and recommendations included responses regarding current practices related to expert opinions and international literature sources. As the essential points of consensus the following recommendations for optimization of care were named: (1) integration of palliative care in the emergency medicine curricula for pre-hospital emergency physicians and paramedics, (2) development of outpatient palliative care, (3) integration of palliative care teams into emergency medical structures, (4) cooperation between palliative and emergency medical care, (5) integration of crisis intervention into outpatient palliative emergency medical care, (6) provision of emergency plans and emergency medical boxes, (7) provision of palliative crisis cards and do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) orders, (8) psychosocial aspects concerning palliative emergencies and (9) definition of palliative patients and their special situation by the physician responsible for prior treatment. Prehospital emergency physicians are confronted with emergencies in palliative care patients every day. In the treatment of these emergencies there are potentially serious conflicts due to the different therapeutic concepts of palliative medical care and emergency medical services. This study demonstrates that there is a need for regulated criteria for the therapy of palliative patients and patients at the end of life in emergency situations. Overall, more clinical investigations concerning end-of-life care and unresponsive

European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) framework for palliative sedation: an ethical discussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Juth, Niklas; Lindblad, Anna; Lynöe, Niels; Sjöstrand, Manne; Helgesson, Gert

2010-09-13

The aim of this paper is to critically discuss some of the ethically controversial issues regarding continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life that are addressed in the EAPC recommended framework for the use of sedation in palliative care. We argue that the EAPC framework would have benefited from taking a clearer stand on the ethically controversial issues regarding intolerable suffering and refractory symptoms and regarding the relation between continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life and euthanasia. It is unclear what constitutes refractory symptoms and what the relationship is between refractory symptoms and intolerable suffering, which in turn makes it difficult to determine what are necessary and sufficient criteria for palliative sedation at the end of life, and why. As regards the difference between palliative sedation at the end of life and so-called slow euthanasia, the rationale behind stressing the difference is insufficiently demonstrated, e.g. due to an overlooked ambiguity in the concept of intention. It is therefore unclear when palliative sedation at the end of life amounts to abuse and why. The EAPC framework would have benefited from taking a clearer stand on some ethically controversial issues regarding intolerable suffering and refractory symptoms and regarding the relation between continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life and euthanasia. In this text, we identify and discuss these issues in the hope that an ensuing discussion will clarify the EAPC's standpoint.

European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC framework for palliative sedation: an ethical discussion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juth Niklas

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this paper is to critically discuss some of the ethically controversial issues regarding continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life that are addressed in the EAPC recommended framework for the use of sedation in palliative care. Discussion We argue that the EAPC framework would have benefited from taking a clearer stand on the ethically controversial issues regarding intolerable suffering and refractory symptoms and regarding the relation between continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life and euthanasia. It is unclear what constitutes refractory symptoms and what the relationship is between refractory symptoms and intolerable suffering, which in turn makes it difficult to determine what are necessary and sufficient criteria for palliative sedation at the end of life, and why. As regards the difference between palliative sedation at the end of life and so-called slow euthanasia, the rationale behind stressing the difference is insufficiently demonstrated, e.g. due to an overlooked ambiguity in the concept of intention. It is therefore unclear when palliative sedation at the end of life amounts to abuse and why. Conclusions The EAPC framework would have benefited from taking a clearer stand on some ethically controversial issues regarding intolerable suffering and refractory symptoms and regarding the relation between continuous deep palliative sedation at the end of life and euthanasia. In this text, we identify and discuss these issues in the hope that an ensuing discussion will clarify the EAPC's standpoint.

Palliative Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salinas, J.

2003-01-01

Palliative care does not attempt to prolong survival but to the achieve the highest quality of life both for the patient and their family covering their physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Radiotherapy (RT), one of the most important therapeutic modalities, has a great significance in palliative medicine for cancer since it attempts to reduce as much as possible the acute reaction associated with the treatment for the patient. (Author)

[Palliative sedation at a university palliative care unit--a descriptive analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Hopprich, A; Günther, L D; Laufenberg-Feldmann, R; Reinholz, U; Weber, M

2016-04-01

Palliative sedation (pS) is indicated in the presence of end-stage disease with treatment-refractory symptoms not tolerable for the patient. We investigated the practice of pS at a university palliative care unit. Before starting pS the following data were documented: indication and decision making, type of sedation, life expectancy evaluated by the physician using the palliative prognostic index. Over the time of pS communication skills, depth of sedation, relief in symptoms, substitution of fluid and nutrition and used medications were collected. During evaluation time 99 patients died. 34 patients received pS (34 %). All patients suffered from cancer. Indications for palliative sedation were: terminal restlessness (56 %), dyspnea (39 %), pain (32 %), psychological distress (15 %), agitated delir (9 %), vomiting (3 %) and bleeding (3 %) (multiple nominations possible). In 31 cases (91 %) nurses were included for decision making. In 33 cases continuous sedation were initiated immediately (median duration 27.5 hours). The most applied medication was midazolam (94 %), sometimes combined with neuroleptics (44 %) and propofol (15 %). 91 % of the patients additionally received opioids. Artificial fluid was substituted in two cases. Palliative sedation started in the median 27.5 hours before death. The final physician assessment revealed complete symptom relief in 12 patients (35 %), very strong symptom relief in 20 patients (59 %) and moderate symptom relief in 2 patients (6 %). pS was successfully used as last resort for relief of treatment-refractory symptoms in one third of decedents at the investigated palliative care unit. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Palliative sedation in nursing anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Michael T

2013-04-01

Palliative sedation is a technique of providing a sedative for end-of-life care to patients with intractable pain. The literature discusses the techniques and use of palliative sedation. Numerous articles have been written regarding the issues surrounding its use, but no literature has discussed the prescription or administration of palliative sedation by a nurse anesthetist. By understanding the concept and ethics involved in its use and providing nursing care that is theory based, the author argues that the involvement of nursing anesthesia is appropriate and within the scope of practice. Few other healthcare disciplines can provide the patient care and empirical knowledge that is imperative in the care of the dying patient. This article discusses the concept and ethics of palliative sedation and presents a case of providing palliative sedation to a terminally ill patient by an experienced nurse anesthetist. Palliative sedation should be understood, embraced, and utilized as an area of expertise suited for nursing anesthesia.

Estimating scaled treatment effects with multiple outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Edward H; Kangovi, Shreya; Mitra, Nandita

2017-01-01

In classical study designs, the aim is often to learn about the effects of a treatment or intervention on a single outcome; in many modern studies, however, data on multiple outcomes are collected and it is of interest to explore effects on multiple outcomes simultaneously. Such designs can be particularly useful in patient-centered research, where different outcomes might be more or less important to different patients. In this paper, we propose scaled effect measures (via potential outcomes) that translate effects on multiple outcomes to a common scale, using mean-variance and median-interquartile range based standardizations. We present efficient, nonparametric, doubly robust methods for estimating these scaled effects (and weighted average summary measures), and for testing the null hypothesis that treatment affects all outcomes equally. We also discuss methods for exploring how treatment effects depend on covariates (i.e., effect modification). In addition to describing efficiency theory for our estimands and the asymptotic behavior of our estimators, we illustrate the methods in a simulation study and a data analysis. Importantly, and in contrast to much of the literature concerning effects on multiple outcomes, our methods are nonparametric and can be used not only in randomized trials to yield increased efficiency, but also in observational studies with high-dimensional covariates to reduce confounding bias.

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Pediatric Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilmer, Mary Jo; Baudino, Marissa N; Tielsch Goddard, Anna; Vickers, Donna C; Akard, Terrah Foster

2016-09-01

Animal-assisted therapy is an emerging complementary strategy with an increasing presence in the literature. Limited studies have been conducted with children, particularly those with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Although outcomes show promise in decreasing suffering of children receiving palliative care services, more work is needed to validate evidence to support implementation of animal-assisted therapy with this vulnerable population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Specialist palliative care nurses' management of the needs of patients with depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Jessica Elizabeth; Hart, Bethne; Phillips, Jane

2017-06-02

Depression is an important condition to consider if we are to optimise the care outcomes for patients with palliative care needs. Depression has a high incidence in palliative patients, with up to 15% diagnosed with major depression and 37% expressing some form of depressive symptoms ( O'Connor et al, 2010 ). The challenge is to ensure that palliative care patients with depression are identified in a timely manner and that their depression is effectively managed. To examine how Australian specialist inpatient palliative care nurses perceive, assess and respond to depression in a patient case study. This descriptive pilot study is a replication of a United States study by Little et al (2005) , exploring contemporary Australian specialist palliative care nurses' screening, assessment and management of depression in people with a progressive life-limiting illness. A survey titled 'Specialist palliative care nurses managing patients with complex care needs' questioned the nursing assessment, knowledge and clinical care priorities related to a case vignette of a patient demonstrating signs of depression. A total of 33 nurses completed this survey. Less than half (39.4%) of the participants identified depression as a major issue arising from the case vignette. Depression screening tools were not widely known. Functionality assessments measuring activities of daily living were the most recognised and widely used tools by participants. This small sample pilot study demonstrated that specialist palliative care nurses are still not confident in their screening and responding to a patient with depression. The available evidenced based depression screening tools were unfamiliar to these nurses and not widely used which can result in depression remaining undetected and undermanaged. The connections between physical health and mental health need stronger recognition and response within nursing care of palliative patients.

Criteria for successful multiprofessional cooperation in palliative care teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Jünger, S; Pestinger, M; Elsner, F; Krumm, N; Radbruch, L

2007-06-01

Team work is considered a central component of palliative care. Within this comparatively young field of medicine, the emergence of new institutions (eg, palliative care units) highlights the challenge of establishing a completely new team. This study focuses on the factors, which enhance both the success and outcome criteria of good team work from the perception of team members in a palliative care unit. The palliative care team at the University Hospital of Aachen (n = 19) was interviewed 1 year after the unit's startup by the means of semistructured interviews. Interview texts were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Factors crucial to cooperation in the team members' views were close communication, team philosophy, good interpersonal relationships, high team commitment, autonomy and the ability to deal with death and dying. Moreover, close communication was by far the most frequently mentioned criteria for cooperation. Team performance, good coordination of workflow and mutual trust underpin the evaluation of efficient team work. Inefficient team work is associated with the absence of clear goals, tasks and role delegation, as well as a lack of team commitment. In a new team, close communication is particularly important for staff as they reorientate themselves to the dynamics of a new peer group. The results confirm the overwhelming importance of clarity, commitment and close, positive exchange among team members for successful team work.

Hospital-based palliative care: A case for integrating care with cure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priya Darshini Kulkarni

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The reason that probably prompted Dame Cicely Saunders to launch the palliative care movement was the need to move away from the impersonal, technocratic approach to death that had become the norm in hospitals after the Second World War. Palliative care focuses on relieving the suffering of patients and families. Not limited to just management of pain, it includes comprehensive management of any symptom, which affects the quality of life. Care is optimized through early initiation and comprehensive implementation throughout the disease trajectory. Effective palliative care at the outset can help accelerate a positive clinical outcome. At the end of life, it can enhance the opportunity for the patient and family to achieve a sense of growth, resolve differences, and find a comfortable closure. It helps to reduce the suffering and fear associated with dying and prepares the family for bereavement.

Exploring factors and caregiver outcomes associated with feelings of preparedness for caregiving in family caregivers in palliative care: a correlational, cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Henriksson, Anette; Årestedt, Kristofer

2013-07-01

Family caregivers in palliative care often report feeling insufficiently prepared to handle the caregiver role. Preparedness has been confirmed as a variable that may actually protect family caregiver well-being. Preparedness refers to how ready family caregivers perceive they are for the tasks and demands in the caregiving role. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with preparedness and to further investigate whether preparedness is associated with caregiver outcomes. This was a correlational study using a cross-sectional design. The study took place in three specialist palliative care units and one haematology unit. A total of 125 family caregivers of patients with life-threatening illness participated. Preparedness was significantly associated with higher levels of hope and reward and with a lower level of anxiety. In contrast, preparedness was not associated with depression or health. Being female and cohabiting with the patient were significantly associated with a higher level of preparedness. The relationship to the patient was significantly associated with preparedness, while social support, place of care, time since diagnosis and age of the patients showed no association. Feelings of preparedness seem to be important for how family caregivers experience the unique situation when caring for a patient who is severely ill and close to death. Our findings support the inclusion of preparedness in support models for family caregivers in palliative care. Psycho-educational interventions could preferably be designed aiming to increase family caregiver's preparedness to care, including practical care, communication and emotional support.

Assessment of an interprofessional online curriculum for palliative care communication training.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg-Lyles, Elaine; Goldsmith, Joy; Ferrell, Betty; Burchett, Molly

2014-04-01

Curricular changes to palliative care communication training are needed in order to accommodate a variety of learners, especially in lieu of the projected national shortage of hospice and palliative medicine physicians and nurses. This study assessed the utility of a palliative care communication curriculum offered through an online platform and also examined health care professionals' clinical communication experiences related to palliative care topics. Four of the seven modules of the COMFORT communication curriculum were made available online, and participant assessments and knowledge skills were measured. Modules were completed and assessed by 177 participants, including 105 nurses, 25 physicians, and a category of 'other' disciplines totaling 47. Premodule surveys consisted of closed-ended items developed by the interdisciplinary research team. Postcurriculum evaluation and knowledge quizzes were used to assess program effectiveness. Among all participants, end-of-life care and recurrence of disease were considered the most challenging communication contexts and discussion about treatment options the least challenging. Mean responses to postcurriculum evaluation for all modules across nurse and physician participants was greater than 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. This study identifies the COMFORT communication curriculum as an effective online curricular tool to teach multiple disciplines specific palliative care communication.

Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association: integrating palliative care in public hospitals in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Zipporah

2016-01-01

In Kenya, cancers as a disease group rank third as a cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that the annual incidence of cancer is about 37,000 new cases with an annual mortality of 28,000 cases (Kenya National Cancer Control Strategy 2010). The incidence of non-communicable diseases accounts for more than 50% of total hospital admissions and over 55% of hospital deaths (Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases 2015-2020). The prevalence of HIV is 6.8 (KIAS 2014). Most of these patients will benefit from palliative care services, hence the need to integrate palliative care services in the public healthcare system. The process of integrating palliative care in public hospitals involved advocacy both at the national level and at the institutional level, training of healthcare professionals, and setting up services within the hospitals that we worked with. Technical support was provided to each individual institution as needed. Eleven provincial hospitals across the country have now integrated palliative care services (Palliative Care Units) and are now centres of excellence. Over 220 healthcare providers have been trained, and approximately, over 30,000 patients have benefited from these services. Oral morphine is now available in the hospital palliative care units. As a success of the pilot project, Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) is now working with the Ministry of Health Kenya to integrate palliative care services in 30 other county hospitals across the country, thus ensuring more availability and access to more patients. Other developing countries can learn from Kenya's successful experience.

Palliative Care in Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... care is usually provided by palliative care specialists, health care practitioners who have received special training and/or certification in palliative care. They provide holistic care to the patient and family or caregiver ...

Wiisokotaatiwin: development and evaluation of a community-based palliative care program in Naotkamegwanning First Nation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadin, Shevaun; Crow, Maxine; Prince, Holly; Kelley, Mary Lou

2018-04-01

Approximately 474 000 Indigenous people live in 617 First Nations communities across Canada; 125 of those communities are located in Ontario, primarily in rural and remote areas. Common rural health challenges, including for palliative care, involve quality and access. The need for culturally relevant palliative care programs in First Nations communities is urgent because the population is aging with a high burden of chronic and terminal disease. Because local palliative care is lacking, most First Nations people now leave their culture, family and community to receive care in distant hospitals or long-term care homes. Due to jurisdictional issues, a policy gap exists where neither federal nor provincial governments takes responsibility for funding palliative care in First Nations communities. Further, no Canadian program models existed for how different levels of government can collaborate to fund and deliver palliative care in First Nations communities. This article describes an innovative, community-based palliative care program (Wiisokotaatiwin) developed in rural Naotkamegwanning, and presents the results of a process evaluation of its pilot implementation. The evaluation aimed to (i) document the program's pilot implementation, (ii) assess progress toward intended program outcomes and (iii) assess the perceived value of the program. The Wiisokotaatiwin Program was developed and implemented over 5 years using participatory action research (http://www.eolfn.lakeheadu.ca). A mixed-method evaluation approach was adopted. Descriptive data were extracted from program documents (eg client registration forms). Client tracking forms documented service provision data for a 4-month sample period. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through client and family member questionnaires (n=7) and healthcare provider questionnaires (n=22). A focus group was conducted with the program leadership team responsible for program development. Quantitative data were

Danish Palliative Care Database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønvold, Mogens; Adsersen, Mathilde; Hansen, Maiken Bang

2016-01-01

Aims: The aim of the Danish Palliative Care Database (DPD) is to monitor, evaluate, and improve the clinical quality of specialized palliative care (SPC) (ie, the activity of hospital-based palliative care teams/departments and hospices) in Denmark. Study population: The study population is all...... patients were registered in DPD during the 5 years 2010–2014. Of those registered, 96% had cancer. Conclusion: DPD is a national clinical quality database for SPC having clinically relevant variables and high data and patient completeness....

Psychosocial issues in palliative care

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Repro

work of all involved in palliative care and understanding this will ... palliative care. The quality of life for patients and the manner of ... In palliative care, the creation of a safe space for families to talk is important. Communication ... family finds balance only with, and in your ... those relationships that are signifi- cant for the ...

Palliative psychiatry for severe persistent mental illness as a new approach to psychiatry? Definition, scope, benefits, and risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Trachsel, Manuel; Irwin, Scott A; Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Hoff, Paul; Riese, Florian

2016-07-22

As a significant proportion of patients receiving palliative care suffer from states of anxiety, depression, delirium, or other mental symptoms, psychiatry and palliative care already collaborate closely in the palliative care of medical conditions. Despite this well-established involvement of psychiatrists in palliative care, psychiatry does not currently explicitly provide palliative care for patients with mental illness outside the context of terminal medical illness. Based on the WHO definition of palliative care, a, a working definition of palliative psychiatry is proposed. Palliative psychiatry focuses on mental health rather than medical/physical issues. We propose that the beneficiaries of palliative psychiatry are patients with severe persistent mental illness, who are at risk of therapeutic neglect and/or overly aggressive care within current paradigms. These include long-term residential care patients with severe chronic schizophrenia and insufficient quality of life, those with therapy-refractory depressions and repeated suicide attempts, and those with severe long-standing therapy-refractory anorexia nervosa. An explicitly palliative approach within psychiatry has the potential to improve quality of care, person-centredness, outcomes, and autonomy for patients with severe persistent mental illness. The first step towards a palliative psychiatry is to acknowledge those palliative approaches that already exist implicitly in psychiatry. Basic skills for a palliative psychiatry include communication of diagnosis and prognosis, symptom assessment and management, support for advance (mental health) care planning, assessment of caregiver needs, and referral to specialized services. Some of these may already be considered core skills of psychiatrists, but for a truly palliative approach they should be exercised guided by an awareness of the limited functional prognosis and lifespan of patients with severe persistent mental illness.

Who to include in palliative care research? Consequences of different population definitions in palliative care epidemiology.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgsteede, S.D.; Deliens, L.; Francke, A.L.; Stalman, W.A.B.; Willems, D.L.; Eijk, T.T.M. van; Wal, G. van der

2003-01-01

Object of the study: Epidemiological research into palliative care faces the problem of defining an adequate research population. Subjects in studies are alternately defined as patients receiving 'palliative care' , 'palliative treatment' or 'end of life care'. So far, it is not known how

Optimal approaches to the health economics of palliative care: report of an international think tank.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Barbara; Harding, Richard; Foley, Kathleen M; Higginson, Irene J

2009-07-01

More people will need palliative care in aging societies with stretched health budgets and less ability to provide informal care. The future will bring new and tougher challenges to sustain, optimize, and expand the 8000 dedicated palliative care services that currently exist in the world. The full breakdown of the costs of palliative care is yet to be unveiled, and this has left huge unresolved questions for funding, costing, evaluating, and modeling palliative care. At an international meeting in London in November 2007, a group of 40 researchers, health economists, policy makers, and advocates exchanged their experiences, concerns, and recommendations in five main areas: shared definitions, strengths and weaknesses of different payment systems, international and country-specific research challenges, appropriate economic evaluation methods, and the varied perspectives to the costs of palliative care. This article reports the discussions that took place and the views of this international group of experts on the best research approaches to capture, analyze, and interpret data on both costs and outcomes for families and patients toward the end of life.

Palliative Care: Delivering Comprehensive Oncology Nursing Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlin, Constance

2015-11-01

To describe palliative care as part of comprehensive oncology nursing care. A review of the palliative care, oncology, and nursing literature over the past 10 years. Palliative care is mandated as part of comprehensive cancer care. A cancer diagnosis often results in distress in the physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and emotional domains of care. Oncology nurses are essential in providing palliative care from diagnosis to death to patients with cancer. They address the myriad aspects of cancer. With palliative care skills and knowledge, oncology nurses can provide quality cancer care. There are many opportunities in which oncology nurses can promote palliative care. Oncology nurses must obtain knowledge and skills in primary palliative care to provide comprehensive cancer care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... The story demonstrates how palliative care can positively influence a patient's and family's experience with illness. Category ... Cancer: Palliative Care - Duration: 3:29. American Cancer Society 4,364 views 3:29 Perinatal Palliative Care - ...

Prospective evaluation of quality of life effects in patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinmann, Diana; Gerstein, Johanna; Gharbi, Nadine; Hagg, Juliane; Hipp, Matthias; Kleff, Irmgard; Müller, Axel; Schäfer, Christof; Schleicher, Ursula; Sehlen, Susanne; Theodorou, Marilena; Paelecke-Habermann, Yvonne; Wypior, Hans-Joachim; Zehentmayr, Franz; Oorschot, Birgitt van; Vordermark, Dirk; Geinitz, Hans; Aschoff, Raimund; Bayerl, Anja; Bölling, Tobias; Bosch, Elisabeth; Bruns, Frank; Eichenseder-Seiss, Ute

2012-01-01

Recently published results of quality of life (QoL) studies indicated different outcomes of palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases. This prospective multi-center QoL study of patients with brain metastases was designed to investigate which QoL domains improve or worsen after palliative radiotherapy and which might provide prognostic information. From 01/2007-01/2009, n=151 patients with previously untreated brain metastases were recruited at 14 centers in Germany and Austria. Most patients (82 %) received whole-brain radiotherapy. QoL was measured with the EORTC-QLQ-C15-PAL and brain module BN20 before the start of radiotherapy and after 3 months. At 3 months, 88/142 (62 %) survived. Nine patients were not able to be followed up. 62 patients (70.5 % of 3-month survivors) completed the second set of questionnaires. Three months after the start of radiotherapy QoL deteriorated significantly in the areas of global QoL, physical function, fatigue, nausea, pain, appetite loss, hair loss, drowsiness, motor dysfunction, communication deficit and weakness of legs. Although the use of corticosteroid at 3 months could be reduced compared to pre-treatment (63 % vs. 37 %), the score for headaches remained stable. Initial QoL at the start of treatment was better in those alive than in those deceased at 3 months, significantly for physical function, motor dysfunction and the symptom scales fatigue, pain, appetite loss and weakness of legs. In a multivariate model, lower Karnofsky performance score, higher age and higher pain ratings before radiotherapy were prognostic of 3-month survival. Moderate deterioration in several QoL domains was predominantly observed three months after start of palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases. Future studies will need to address the individual subjective benefit or burden from such treatment. Baseline QoL scores before palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases may contain prognostic information

Caring for families of the terminally ill in Malaysia from palliative care nurses' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Namasivayam, Pathma; Lee, Susan; O'Connor, Margaret; Barnett, Tony

2014-01-01

To describe the process that nurses experienced in engaging with families in Malaysian palliative care settings and the challenges they faced. In palliative care settings, nurses and the terminally ill person's family members interact very closely with each other. It is important for nurses to work with families to ensure that the care of the terminally ill person is optimised. A qualitative design using grounded theory methods was used to describe how nurses engaged with families and the challenges they faced. Twenty-two nurses from home care and inpatient palliative care settings across Malaysia participated in this study. Data were collected through seven interviews and eight focus group discussions conducted between 2007-2009. The main problem identified by nurses was the different expectations to patient care with families. The participants used the core process of Engaging with families to resolve these differences and implemented strategies described as Preparing families for palliative care, Modifying care and Staying engaged to promote greater consistency and quality of care. When participants were able to resolve their different expectations with families, these resulted in positive outcomes, described as Harmony. However, negative outcomes of participants not being able to resolve their different expectations with families were Disharmony. This study highlights the importance of engaging and supporting families of the terminally ill as well as providing a guide that may be used by nurses and carers to better respond to families' needs and concerns. The study draws attention to the need for formal palliative care education, inclusive of family care, to enable nurses to provide the terminally ill person and their family effective and appropriate care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Proactive palliative care for patients with COPD (PROLONG: a pragmatic cluster controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duenk RG

2017-09-01

Full Text Available RG Duenk,1 C Verhagen,1 EM Bronkhorst,2 PJWB van Mierlo,3,4 MEAC Broeders,5 SM Collard,6 PNR Dekhuijzen,7 KCP Vissers,1 Y Heijdra,7,* Y Engels1,* 1Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, 2Department of Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 3Department of Supportive and Palliative Medicine, 4Department of Geriatric Medicine, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, 5Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 6Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Meander Medical Center, Amersfoort, 7Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands *These authors contributed equally to this work Background and aim: Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD have poor quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of proactive palliative care on the well-being of these patients.Trial registration: This trial is registered with the Netherlands Trial Register, NTR4037.Patients and methods: A pragmatic cluster controlled trial (quasi-experimental design was performed with hospitals as cluster (three intervention and three control and a pretrial assessment was performed. Hospitals were selected for the intervention group based on the presence of a specialized palliative care team (SPCT. To control for confounders, a pretrial assessment was performed in which hospitals were compared on baseline characteristics. Patients with COPD with poor prognosis were recruited during hospitalization for acute exacerbation. All patients received usual care while patients in the intervention group received additional proactive palliative care in monthly meetings with an SPCT. Our primary outcome was change in quality of life score after 3 months, which was measured using the St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ. Secondary outcomes were, among others, quality of life at 6, 9 and 12 months; readmissions: survival; and having made

Poverty Reduction in India through Palliative Care: A Pilot Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratcliff, Cathy; Thyle, Ann; Duomai, Savita; Manak, Manju

2017-01-01

medicines on the palliative care programmeAll patients reduced the use of OPDs after joining palliative care. 20% reduced use of IPDs. Both contributed to lower travel expenditure8% of palliative care patients started earning again due to improved healthMembers of 10% of families started work again through palliative care respiteStaff tell families of benefits to which they are entitled and how to get themOne hospital palliative care team educated 171 Pradhans and increased by 5% the proportion of palliative care patients and families who receive government benefitsEarly diagnosis plus immediate enrollment on palliative care contributes to greater household poverty prevention and reduction, and greater dignityPalliative care's awareness-raising has increased the number of patients enrolling on palliative care. Expanded services could enroll people earlier in their illness, since 59% of patients were diagnosed over 2 years ago, but only 19% of patients had been on the palliative care programme for 2 yearsReduced use of OPD and IPD free up regular hospital services for others.In India, approximately 645,441 children on any 1 day need palliative care, but only 0.7% of them receive it (ICPCN, EMMS, 2015). If only 0.7% of needy adults are receiving palliative care, then the benefits above could be delivered to 143 times more families, if targeted effectively at poverty reduction. Holistic palliative care can reduce the desperate poverty driven by life-limiting illness, and can do so systematically, on a large-scale, in-depth, especially if started early in the illness. Home-based care also frees up hospitals to serve more patients with treatable conditions.

Paediatric Palliative Care in Resource-Poor Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Downing

2018-02-01

Full Text Available There is a great need for paediatric palliative care (PPC services globally, but access to services is lacking in many parts of the world, particularly in resource-poor settings. Globally it is estimated that 21.6 million children need access to palliative care, with 8.2 needing specialist services. PC has been identified as important within the global health agenda e.g., within universal health coverage, and a recent Lancet commission report recognised the need for PPC. However, a variety of challenges have been identified to PPC development globally such as: access to treatment, access to medications such as oral morphine, opiophobia, a lack of trained health and social care professionals, a lack of PPC policies and a lack of awareness about PPC. These challenges can be overcome utilising a variety of strategies including advocacy and public awareness, education, access to medications, implementation and research. Examples will be discussed impacting on the provision of PPC in resource-poor settings. High-quality PPC service provision can be provided with resource-poor settings, and there is an urgent need to scale up affordable, accessible, and quality PPC services globally to ensure that all children needing palliative care can access it.

A cost analysis of a hospital-based palliative care outreach program: implications for expanding public sector palliative care in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Hongoro, Charles; Dinat, Natalya

2011-06-01

Increasing access to palliative care services in low- and middle-income countries is often perceived as unaffordable despite the growing need for such services because of the increasing burden of chronic diseases including HIV and AIDS. The aim of the study was to establish the costs and cost drivers for a hospital outreach palliative care service in a low-resource setting, and to elucidate possible consequential quality-of-life improvements and potential cost savings. The study used a cost accounting procedure to cost the hospital outreach services--using a step-down costing method to measure unit (average) costs. The African Palliative Care Association Palliative Outcome Score (APCA POS) was applied at five intervals to a cohort of 72 consecutive and consenting patients, enrolled in a two-month period. The study found that of the 481 and 1902 patients registered for outreach and in-hospital visits, respectively, 4493 outreach hospital visits and 3412 in-hospital visits were done per year. The costs per hospital outreach visit and in-hospital visit were US$71 and US$80, respectively. The cost per outreach visit was 50% less than the average cost of a patient day equivalent for district hospitals of $142. Some of the POS of a subsample (n=72) showed statistically significant improvements. Hospital outreach services have the potential to avert hospital admissions in generally overcrowded services in low-resource settings and may improve the quality of life of patients in their home environments. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Palliative sedation in end-of-life care.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltoni, Marco; Scarpi, Emanuela; Nanni, Oriana

2013-07-01

The aim of this review was to present and comment on recent data published on palliative sedation in palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative sedation is a medical procedure used to deal with the refractory symptoms occurring in the advanced stages of cancer. It has clinical, nursing, relational and ethical implications, making it a highly sensitive issue. Over the last 12 months, a number of authors have published interesting new findings on different areas of palliative sedation, that is prevalence, indications, monitoring, duration and choice of drugs. In particular, a clear definition of palliative sedation and of its more pronounced form, deep continuous sedation (DCS), has emerged. It has been confirmed that, when performed in the correct way and with the right aims, palliative sedation does not have a detrimental impact on survival. Recent findings confirm that palliative sedation is an integral part of a medical palliative care approach and is needed in certain clinical situations. It is a legitimate clinical practice from any ethical point of view. While oncologists should have a basic knowledge of the procedure, its in depth study is a core competency for palliative care physicians.

A Review of Palliative Sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobb, Barton

2016-09-01

Palliative sedation has become a standard practice to treat refractory symptoms at end-of-life. Dyspnea and delirium are the two most commonly treated symptoms. The medications used in palliative sedation are usually benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antipsychotics, and/or anesthetics. Some ethical considerations remain, especially surrounding the use of palliative sedation in psychological distress and existential suffering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A framework for complexity in palliative care: A qualitative study with patients, family carers and professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pask, Sophie; Pinto, Cathryn; Bristowe, Katherine; van Vliet, Liesbeth; Nicholson, Caroline; Evans, Catherine J; George, Rob; Bailey, Katharine; Davies, Joanna M; Guo, Ping; Daveson, Barbara A; Higginson, Irene J; Murtagh, Fliss Em

2018-02-01

Palliative care patients are often described as complex but evidence on complexity is limited. We need to understand complexity, including at individual patient-level, to define specialist palliative care, characterise palliative care populations and meaningfully compare interventions/outcomes. To explore palliative care stakeholders' views on what makes a patient more or less complex and insights on capturing complexity at patient-level. In-depth qualitative interviews, analysed using Framework analysis. Semi-structured interviews across six UK centres with patients, family, professionals, managers and senior leads, purposively sampled by experience, background, location and setting (hospital, hospice and community). 65 participants provided an understanding of complexity, which extended far beyond the commonly used physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains. Complexity included how patients interact with family/professionals, how services' respond to needs and societal perspectives on care. 'Pre-existing', 'cumulative' and 'invisible' complexity are further important dimensions to delivering effective palliative and end-of-life care. The dynamic nature of illness and needs over time was also profoundly influential. Adapting Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, we categorised findings into the microsystem (person, needs and characteristics), chronosystem (dynamic influences of time), mesosystem (interactions with family/health professionals), exosystem (palliative care services/systems) and macrosystem (societal influences). Stakeholders found it acceptable to capture complexity at the patient-level, with perceived benefits for improving palliative care resource allocation. Our conceptual framework encompasses additional elements beyond physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains and advances systematic understanding of complexity within the context of palliative care. This framework helps capture patient-level complexity and target

Litteraturstudie: akupunktur og palliation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Anne Bolt

2013-01-01

af systematiske søgninger fra 2002-2012 i Pubmed, Cochrane, Cinahl og PsykInfo med søgeordene acupuncture and palliation, acupuncture and cancer, acupuncture and placebo, acupuncture and neurophysiology, acupuncture and palliation and nursing. RCT-forskning viser ikke overbevisende effekt af...

30 day mortality in adult palliative radiotherapy – A retrospective population based study of 14,972 treatment episodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, Katie; Morris, Eva; Dugdale, Emma; Newsham, Alexander; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Turner, Rob; Hall, Geoff; Crellin, Adrian

2015-01-01

Background: 30-day mortality (30DM) has been suggested as a clinical indicator of the avoidance of harm in palliative radiotherapy within the NHS, but no large-scale population-based studies exist. This large retrospective cohort study aims to investigate the factors that influence 30DM following palliative radiotherapy and consider its value as a clinical indicator. Methods: All radiotherapy episodes delivered in a large UK cancer centre between January 2004 and April 2011 were analysed. Patterns of palliative radiotherapy, 30DM and the variables affecting 30DM were assessed. The impact of these variables was assessed using logistic regression. Results: 14,972 palliative episodes were analysed. 6334 (42.3%) treatments were delivered to bone metastases, 2356 (15 7%) to the chest for lung cancer and 915 (5.7%) to the brain. Median treatment time was 1 day (IQR 1–7). Overall 30DM was 12.3%. Factors having a significant impact upon 30DM were sex, primary diagnosis, treatment site and fractionation schedule (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This is the first large-scale description of 30-day mortality for unselected adult palliative radiotherapy treatments. The observed differences in early mortality by fractionation support the use of this measure in assessing clinical decision making in palliative radiotherapy and require further study in other centres and health care systems

Palliative Oncologic Care Curricula for Providers in Resource-Limited and Underserved Communities: a Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Melody J; Su, David; Deboer, Rebecca; Garcia, Michael; Tahir, Peggy; Anderson, Wendy; Kinderman, Anne; Braunstein, Steve; Sherertz, Tracy

2017-12-20

Familiarity with principles of palliative care, supportive care, and palliative oncological treatment is essential for providers caring for cancer patients, though this may be challenging in global communities where resources are limited. Herein, we describe the scope of literature on palliative oncological care curricula for providers in resource-limited settings. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Med Ed Portal databases, and gray literature. All available prospective cohort studies, case reports, and narratives published up to July 2017 were eligible for review. Fourteen articles were identified and referenced palliative care education programs in Argentina, Uganda, Kenya, Australia, Germany, the USA, or multiple countries. The most common teaching strategy was lecture-based, followed by mentorship and experiential learning involving role play and simulation. Education topics included core principles of palliative care, pain and symptom management, and communication skills. Two programs included additional topics specific to the underserved or American Indian/Alaskan Native community. Only one program discussed supportive cancer care, and no program reported educational content on resource-stratified decision-making for palliative oncological treatment. Five programs reported positive participant satisfaction, and three programs described objective metrics of increased educational or research activity. There is scant literature on effective curricula for providers treating cancer patients in resource-limited settings. Emphasizing supportive cancer care and palliative oncologic treatments may help address gaps in education; increased outcome reporting may help define the impact of palliative care curriculum within resource-limited communities.

Future of palliative medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushma Bhatnagar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A ′need-supply′ and ′requirement-distribution mismatch′ along with a continuingneed explosion are the biggest hurdles faced by palliative medicine today. It is the need of the hour to provide an unbiased, equitable and evidence-based palliative care to those in need irrespective of the diagnosis, prognosis, social and economic status or geographical location. Palliative care as a fundamental human right, ensuring provision throughout the illness spectrum, global as well as region-specific capacity building, uniform availability of essential drugs at an affordable price, a multidisciplinary team approachand caregiver-support are some of the achievable goals for the future. This supplanted with a strong political commitment, professional dedication and ′public-private partnerships′ are necessaryto tackle the existing hurdles and the exponentially increasing future need. For effectively going ahead it is of utmost importance to integrate palliative medicine into medical education, healthcare system and societal framework.

Palliative Sedation in Patients With Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltoni, Marco; Setola, Elisabetta

2015-10-01

Palliative sedation involves the use of sedative medication to relieve refractory symptoms in patients by reducing their level of consciousness. Although it is considered an acceptable clinical practice from most ethical points of view, palliative sedation is still a widely debated procedure and merits better understanding. The relevant medical literature pertaining to palliative sedation was analyzed and reviewed from various technical, relational, and bioethical perspectives. Proportionate palliative sedation is considered to be the most clinically appropriate modality for performing palliative sedation. However, guidelines must be followed to ensure that it is performed correctly. Benzodiazepines represent the first therapeutic option and careful monitoring of dosages is essential to avoid oversedation or undersedation. Proportionate palliative sedation is used to manage and relieve refractory symptoms in patients with cancer during their last days or hours of life. Evidence suggests that its use has no detrimental effect on survival. A different decision-making process is used to manage the withdrawal of hydration than the process used to determine whether proportionate palliative sedation is appropriate. Communication between patients, their relatives, and the health care staff is important during this medical intervention.

Palliation: Hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Goenka, Mahesh Kr; Goenka, Usha

2014-01-01

Hilar cholangiocarcinomas are common tumors of the bile duct that are often unresectable at presentation. Palliation, therefore, remains the goal in the majority of these patients. Palliative treatment is particularly indicated in the presence of cholangitis and pruritus but is often also offered for high-grade jaundice and abdominal pain. Endoscopic drainage by placing stents at endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) is usually the preferred modality of palliation. However, for advanced disease, percutaneous stenting has been shown to be superior to endoscopic stenting. Endosonography-guided biliary drainage is emerging as an alternative technique, particularly when ERCP is not possible or fails. Metal stents are usually preferred over plastic stents, both for ERCP and for percutaneous biliary drainage. There is no consensus as to whether it is necessary to place multiple stents within advanced hilar blocks or whether unilateral stenting would suffice. However, recent data have suggested that, contrary to previous belief, it is useful to drain more than 50% of the liver volume for favorable long-term results. In the presence of cholangitis, it is beneficial to drain all of the obstructed biliary segments. Surgical bypass plays a limited role in palliation and is offered primarily as a segment III bypass if, during a laparotomy for resection, the tumor is found to be unresectable. Photodynamic therapy and, more recently, radiofrequency ablation have been used as adjuvant therapies to improve the results of biliary stenting. The exact technique to be used for palliation is guided by the extent of the biliary involvement (Bismuth class) and the availability of local expertise. PMID:25232449

Palliative care and palliative radiation therapy education in radiation oncology: A survey of US radiation oncology program directors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Randy L; Colbert, Lauren E; Jones, Joshua; Racsa, Margarita; Kane, Gabrielle; Lutz, Steve; Vapiwala, Neha; Dharmarajan, Kavita V

The purpose of this study was to assess the state of palliative and supportive care (PSC) and palliative radiation therapy (RT) educational curricula in radiation oncology residency programs in the United States. We surveyed 87 program directors of radiation oncology residency programs in the United States between September 2015 and November 2015. An electronic survey on PSC and palliative RT education during residency was sent to all program directors. The survey consisted of questions on (1) perceived relevance of PSC and palliative RT to radiation oncology training, (2) formal didactic sessions on domains of PSC and palliative RT, (3) effective teaching formats for PSC and palliative RT education, and (4) perceived barriers for integrating PSC and palliative RT into the residency curriculum. A total of 57 responses (63%) was received. Most program directors agreed or strongly agreed that PSC (93%) and palliative radiation therapy (99%) are important competencies for radiation oncology residents and fellows; however, only 67% of residency programs had formal educational activities in principles and practice of PSC. Most programs had 1 or more hours of formal didactics on management of pain (67%), management of neuropathic pain (65%), and management of nausea and vomiting (63%); however, only 35%, 33%, and 30% had dedicated lectures on initial management of fatigue, assessing role of spirituality, and discussing advance care directives, respectively. Last, 85% of programs reported having a formal curriculum on palliative RT. Programs were most likely to have education on palliative radiation to brain, bone, and spine, but less likely on visceral, or skin, metastasis. Residency program directors believe that PSC and palliative RT are important competencies for their trainees and support increasing education in these 2 educational domains. Many residency programs have structured curricula on PSC and palliative radiation education, but room for improvement exists in

Palliative care in Romania

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dumitrescu, Luminita

2006-01-01

Palliative care concentrates on supporting and helping people with an incurable disease and aims to improve patient’s quality of life by reducing or eliminating pain and other physical symptoms. Palliative care is a new phenomenon in Romania . PhD student Luminita Dumitrescu describes the

Outcome Rating Scale and Session Rating Scale in Psychological Practice: Clinical Utility of Ultra-Brief Measures

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Alistair; Hemsley, Samantha

2009-01-01

The validity and reliability of the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and the Session Rating Scale (SRS) were evaluated against existing longer measures, including the Outcome Questionnaire-45, Working Alliance Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Quality of Life Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and General Self-efficacy Scale. The measures…

PALLIATIVE CARE IN SLOVENIA AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urška Lunder

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Background. Palliative care in Slovene health care system isn’t developed. Comparison with other countries is not possible in many aspects. There is no complete or appropriately educated palliative care team in hospitals or in primary care. Palliative care departments in hospitals and nursing homes do not exist. Holistic palliative home care is offered only by Slovene association of hospice. The pressure on nursing homes and nursing service departments is getting stronger. Standards and norms for staff, for living conditions and medical equipment do not allow any more admittances of patients with the needs of high category of care in these institutions.Conclusions. Indirect indicators of level of palliative care (e.g. morphine consumption, palliative care departments, home care network, undergraduate education, specialisation and research put Slovenia at the bade of the Europe. Statistics predict aging of population and more patients are also living with consequences of progressive chronic diseases and cancer.In the new healthcare reform there is an opportunity for palliative care to get an equal place in healthcare system. With coordinated implementation of palliative care departments, consultant teams and mobile specialistic teams, palliative care could reach a better level of quality. At the same time, quality permanent education is essential.

Developing a costing framework for palliative care services.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosoiu, Daniela; Dumitrescu, Malina; Connor, Stephen R

2014-10-01

Palliative care services have been reported to be a less expensive alternative to traditional treatment; however, little is known about how to measure the cost of delivering quality palliative care. The purpose of this project was to develop a standardized method for measuring the cost of palliative care delivery that could potentially be replicated in multiple settings. The project was implemented in three stages. First, an interdisciplinary group of palliative care experts identified standards of quality palliative care delivery in the inpatient and home care services. Surveys were conducted of government agencies and palliative care providers to identify payment practices and budgets for palliative care services. In the second phase, unit costs were defined and a costing framework was designed to measure inpatient and home-based palliative care unit costs. The final phase was advocacy for inclusion of calculated costs into the national funding system. In this project, a reliable framework for determining the cost of inpatient and home-based palliative care services was developed. Inpatient palliative care cost in Romania was calculated at $96.58 per day. Home-based palliative care was calculated at $30.37 per visit, $723.60 per month, and $1367.71 per episode of care, which averaged 45 visits. A standardized methodology and framework for costing palliative care are presented. The framework allows a country or provider of care to substitute their own local costs to generate cost information relevant to the health-care system. In Romania, this allowed the palliative care provider community to advocate for a consistent payment system. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic radiology in paediatric palliative care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Preena; Koh, Michelle; Carr, Lucinda; McHugh, Kieran

2014-01-01

Palliative care is an expanding specialty within paediatrics, which has attracted little attention in the paediatric radiological literature. Paediatric patients under a palliative care team will have numerous radiological tests which we traditionally categorise under organ systems rather than under the umbrella of palliative medicine. The prevalence of children with life-limiting illness is significant. It has been estimated to be one per thousand, and this may be an underestimate. In this review, we will focus on our experience at one institution, where radiology has proven to be an invaluable partner to palliative care. We will discuss examples of conditions commonly referred to our palliative care team and delineate the crucial role of diagnostic radiology in determining treatment options. (orig.)

Diagnostic radiology in paediatric palliative care

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Preena; Koh, Michelle; Carr, Lucinda; McHugh, Kieran [Great Ormond Street Hospital, Radiology Department, London (United Kingdom)

2014-01-15

Palliative care is an expanding specialty within paediatrics, which has attracted little attention in the paediatric radiological literature. Paediatric patients under a palliative care team will have numerous radiological tests which we traditionally categorise under organ systems rather than under the umbrella of palliative medicine. The prevalence of children with life-limiting illness is significant. It has been estimated to be one per thousand, and this may be an underestimate. In this review, we will focus on our experience at one institution, where radiology has proven to be an invaluable partner to palliative care. We will discuss examples of conditions commonly referred to our palliative care team and delineate the crucial role of diagnostic radiology in determining treatment options. (orig.)

The Attitudes of Indian Palliative-Care Nurses and Physicians toward Pain Control and Palliative Sedation

OpenAIRE

Gielen, Joris; Gupta, Harmala; Rajvanshi, Ambika; Bhatnagar, Sushma; Mishra, Seema; Chaturvedi, Arvind K.; Van den Branden, Stef; Broeckaert, Bert

2011-01-01

Aim: We wanted to assess Indian palliative-care nurses and physicians’ attitudes toward pain control and palliative sedation. Materials and Methods: From May to September 2008, we interviewed 14 physicians and 13 nurses working in different palliative-care programs in New Delhi, using a semi-structured questionnaire, and following grounded-theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss). Results: The interviewees did not consider administration of painkillers in large doses an ethical problem, ...

The attitudes of Indian palliative-care nurses and physicians to pain control and palliative sedation

OpenAIRE

Joris Gielen; Harmala Gupta; Ambika Rajvanshi; Sushma Bhatnagar; Seema Mishra; Arvind K Chaturvedi; Stef Van den Branden; Bert Broeckaert

2011-01-01

Aim: We wanted to assess Indian palliative-care nurses and physicians′ attitudes toward pain control and palliative sedation. Materials and Methods: From May to September 2008, we interviewed 14 physicians and 13 nurses working in different palliative-care programs in New Delhi, using a semi-structured questionnaire, and following grounded-theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss). Results: The interviewees did not consider administration of painkillers in large doses an ethical problem...

Pediatric Palliative Care Initiative in Cambodia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmut Yaşar Çeliker

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Cancer care with curative intent remains difficult to manage in many resource-limited settings such as Cambodia. Cambodia has a small workforce with limited financial and health-care resources resulting in delayed diagnoses and availability of limited therapeutic tools. Thus, palliative care becomes the primary form of care in most cases. Although palliative care is becoming an integral part of medical care in developed countries, this concept remains poorly understood and utilized in developing countries. Angkor Hospital for Children serves a relatively large pediatric population in northern Cambodia. According to the modern definition of palliative care, approximately two-thirds of the patients admitted to the hospital were deemed candidates to receive palliative care. In an effort to develop a pediatric palliative care team utilizing existing resources and intensive training, our focus group recruited already existing teams with different health-care expertise and other motivated members of the hospital. During this process, we have also formed a palliative care training team of local experts to maintain ongoing palliative care education. Feedback from patients and health-care providers confirmed the effectiveness of these efforts. In conclusion, palliative and sustainable care was offered effectively in a resource-limited setting with adequately trained and motivated local providers. In this article, the steps and systems used to overcome challenges in Cambodia are summarized in the hope that our experience urges governmental and non-governmental agencies to support similar initiatives.

Pediatric Palliative Care Initiative in Cambodia

Science.gov (United States)

Çeliker, Mahmut Yaşar; Pagnarith, Yos; Akao, Kazumi; Sophearin, Dim; Sorn, Sokchea

2017-01-01

Cancer care with curative intent remains difficult to manage in many resource-limited settings such as Cambodia. Cambodia has a small workforce with limited financial and health-care resources resulting in delayed diagnoses and availability of limited therapeutic tools. Thus, palliative care becomes the primary form of care in most cases. Although palliative care is becoming an integral part of medical care in developed countries, this concept remains poorly understood and utilized in developing countries. Angkor Hospital for Children serves a relatively large pediatric population in northern Cambodia. According to the modern definition of palliative care, approximately two-thirds of the patients admitted to the hospital were deemed candidates to receive palliative care. In an effort to develop a pediatric palliative care team utilizing existing resources and intensive training, our focus group recruited already existing teams with different health-care expertise and other motivated members of the hospital. During this process, we have also formed a palliative care training team of local experts to maintain ongoing palliative care education. Feedback from patients and health-care providers confirmed the effectiveness of these efforts. In conclusion, palliative and sustainable care was offered effectively in a resource-limited setting with adequately trained and motivated local providers. In this article, the steps and systems used to overcome challenges in Cambodia are summarized in the hope that our experience urges governmental and non-governmental agencies to support similar initiatives. PMID:28804708

Palliative sedation: not just normal medical practice. Ethical reflections on the Royal Dutch Medical Association's guideline on palliative sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssens, Rien; van Delden, Johannes J M; Widdershoven, Guy A M

2012-11-01

The main premise of the Royal Dutch Medical Association's (RDMA) guideline on palliative sedation is that palliative sedation, contrary to euthanasia, is normal medical practice. Although we do not deny the ethical distinctions between euthanasia and palliative sedation, we will critically analyse the guideline's argumentation strategy with which euthanasia is demarcated from palliative sedation. First, we will analyse the guideline's main premise, which entails that palliative sedation is normal medical treatment. After this, we will critically discuss three crucial propositions of the guideline that are used to support this premise: (1) the patient's life expectancy should not exceed 2 weeks; (2) the aim of the physician should be to relieve suffering and (3) expert consultation is optional. We will conclude that, if inherent problematic aspects of palliative sedation are taken seriously, palliative sedation is less normal than it is now depicted in the guideline.

The EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (QLQ-C30): validity and reliability when analysed with patients treated with palliative radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaasa, S.; Aaronson, N.

1995-01-01

The EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) is designed to measure cancer patients' physical, psychological and social functions. The questionnaire is composed of multi-item scales and single items. 247 patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 before palliative radiotherapy and 181 after palliative radiotherapy. The questionnaire was well accepted with a high completion rate in the present patient population consisting of advanced cancer patients with short life expectancy. In addition, the questionnaire was found to be useful to detect the effect of palliative radiotherapy over time. The scale reliability was excellent for all scales except the role functioning scale. Excellent criterion validity was found for the emotional functioning scale where it was correlated with GHQ-20. Performance of the questionnaire was improved after the second evaluation as compared with the first. The present study shows that the EORTC-QLQ-C30 is found to be practical and valid in measuring quality of life in patients with advanced disease. (author)

Development and validation of the quality care questionnaire -palliative care (QCQ-PC): patient-reported assessment of quality of palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Young Ho; Kang, Eun Kyo; Lee, Jihye; Choo, Jiyeon; Ryu, Hyewon; Yun, Hye-Min; Kang, Jung Hun; Kim, Tae You; Sim, Jin-Ah; Kim, Yaeji

2018-03-05

In this study, we aimed to develop and validate an instrument that could be used by patients with cancer to evaluate their quality of palliative care. Development of the questionnaire followed the four-phase process: item generation and reduction, construction, pilot testing, and field testing. Based on the literature, we constructed a list of items for the quality of palliative care from 104 quality care issues divided into 14 subscales. We constructed scales of 43 items that only the cancer patients were asked to answer. Using relevance and feasibility criteria and pilot testing, we developed a 44-item questionnaire. To assess the sensitivity and validity of the questionnaire, we recruited 220 patients over 18 years of age from three Korean hospitals. Factor analysis of the data and fit statistics process resulted in the 4-factor, 32-item Quality Care Questionnaire-Palliative Care (QCQ-PC), which covers appropriate communication with health care professionals (ten items), discussing value of life and goals of care (nine items), support and counseling for needs of holistic care (seven items), and accessibility and sustainability of care (six items). All subscales and total scores showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, 0.89 to 0.97). Multi-trait scaling analysis showed good convergent (0.568-0.995) and discriminant (0.472-0.869) validity. The correlation between the total and subscale scores of QCQ-PC and those of EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, MQOL, SAT-SF, and DCS was obtained. This study demonstrates that the QCQ-PC can be adopted to assess the quality of care in patients with cancer.

Poverty reduction in India through palliative care: A pilot project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cathy Ratcliff

2017-01-01

Conclusions: Holistic palliative care can reduce the desperate poverty driven by life-limiting illness, and can do so systematically, on a large-scale, in-depth, especially if started early in the illness. Home-based care also frees up hospitals to serve more patients with treatable conditions.

Intervention for depression among palliative care patients and their families: A study protocol for evaluation of a training program for professional care staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallford, David J; McCabe, Marita P; Mellor, David; Davison, Tanya E; Goldhammer, Denisa L; George, Kuruvilla; Storer, Shane

2011-06-13

Clinical depression is highly prevalent yet under-detected and under-treated in palliative care settings and is associated with a number of adverse medical and psychological outcomes for patients and their family members. This article presents a study protocol to evaluate a training intervention for non-physician palliative care staff to improve the recognition of depression and provide support for depressed patients and their family members. Details of the hypotheses and expected outcomes, study design, training program development and evaluation measures are described. A randomised controlled trial will be implemented across two palliative care services to evaluate the "Training program for professional carers to recognise and manage depression in palliative care settings". Pre-, post- and three-month follow-up data will be collected to assess: the impact of the training on the knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and perceived barriers of palliative care staff when working with depression; referral rates for depression; and changes to staff practices. Quantitative and qualitative methods, in the form of self-report questionnaires and interviews with staff and family members, will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. This study will determine the effectiveness of an intervention that aims to respond to the urgent need for innovative programs to target depression in the palliative care setting. The expected outcome of this study is the validation of an evidence-based training program to improve staff recognition and appropriate referrals for depression, as well as improve psychosocial support for depressed patients and their family members. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12610000183088.

Palliative sedation versus euthanasia: an ethical assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

ten Have, Henk; Welie, Jos V M

2014-01-01

The aim of this article was to review the ethical debate concerning palliative sedation. Although recent guidelines articulate the differences between palliative sedation and euthanasia, the ethical controversies remain. The dominant view is that euthanasia and palliative sedation are morally distinct practices. However, ambiguous moral experiences and considerable practice variation call this view into question. When heterogeneous sedative practices are all labeled as palliative sedation, there is the risk that palliative sedation is expanded to include practices that are actually intended to bring about the patients' death. This troublesome expansion is fostered by an expansive use of the concept of intention such that this decisive ethical concept is no longer restricted to signify the aim in guiding the action. In this article, it is argued that intention should be used in a restricted way. The significance of intention is related to other ethical parameters to demarcate the practice of palliative sedation: terminality, refractory symptoms, proportionality, and separation from other end-of-life decisions. These additional parameters, although not without ethical and practical problems, together formulate a framework to ethically distinguish a more narrowly defined practice of palliative sedation from practices that are tantamount to euthanasia. Finally, the article raises the question as to what impact palliative sedation might have on the practice of palliative care itself. The increasing interest in palliative sedation may reemphasize characteristics of health care that initially encouraged the emergence of palliative care in the first place: the focus on therapy rather than care, the physical dimension rather than the whole person, the individual rather than the community, and the primacy of intervention rather than receptiveness and presence. Copyright © 2014 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing research priorities for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe: a consultation process using nominal group technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuffrey-Wijne, I; Wicki, M; Heslop, P; McCarron, M; Todd, S; Oliver, D; de Veer, A; Ahlström, G; Schäper, S; Hynes, G; O'Farrell, J; Adler, J; Riese, F; Curfs, L

2016-03-24

Empirical knowledge around palliative care provision and needs of people with intellectual disabilities is extremely limited, as is the availability of research resources, including expertise and funding. This paper describes a consultation process that sought to develop an agenda for research priorities for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe. A two-day workshop was convened, attended by 16 academics and clinicians in the field of palliative care and intellectual disability from six European countries. The first day consisted of round-table presentations and discussions about the current state of the art, research challenges and knowledge gaps. The second day was focused on developing consensus research priorities with 12 of the workshop participants using nominal group technique, a structured method which involved generating a list of research priorities and ranking them in order of importance. A total of 40 research priorities were proposed and collapsed into eleven research themes. The four most important research themes were: investigating issues around end of life decision making; mapping the scale and scope of the issue; investigating the quality of palliative care for people with intellectual disabilities, including the challenges in achieving best practice; and developing outcome measures and instruments for palliative care of people with intellectual disabilities. The proposal of four major priority areas and a range of minor themes for future research in intellectual disability, death, dying and palliative care will help researchers to focus limited resources and research expertise on areas where it is most needed and support the building of collaborations. The next steps are to cross-validate these research priorities with people with intellectual disabilities, carers, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders across Europe; to validate them with local and national policy makers to determine how they could best be

Reporting of pediatric palliative care: A systematic review and quantitative analysis of research publications in palliative care journals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senthil P Kumar

2011-01-01

Conclusions: The overall reporting rate for pediatric palliative care articles in palliative care journals was very low and there were no randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews found. The study findings indicate a lack of adequate evidence base for pediatric palliative care.

Palliative radiotherapy in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, B.J.

2010-01-01

Full text: The International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that cancer incidence in developing countries will increase dramatically in the first two decades of this millennium. Already some 80% of cancer patients in developing countries present with incurable disease. [n many cases pain is a severe problem and palliation is needed to improve quality of life as well as extending survival. This paper will consider the physical and clinical aspects of palliative radiotherapy (PRT), choice of radiation modality, alternative approaches to imaging and therapy and cost-benefit considerations. The potential benefits of a dedicated palliative centre include lower cost and therefore more centres, enabling more patients access to regional palliative care. Whilst there is an obvious need for palliative radiotherapy, simple curative treatments could also be managed. C060 radiotherapy has important advantages in developing countries, because of the higher initial cost of a linear accelerator, as well as the need for reliable power supply and the level of skill required by linac technicians and physicists. The beam characteristics of both C060 units and low energy linacs are compared and both are found to be acceptable for palliation. The concept of telemedicine is also discussed, using mobile phones and internet communication to allow rural clinics to receive support from specialists based in the cities, to send images for remote diagnosis and remote dose planning for radiotherapy. (author)

The feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to compare the cost-effectiveness of palliative cardiology or usual care in people with advanced heart failure: Two exploratory prospective cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Miriam J; McSkimming, Paula; McConnachie, Alex; Geue, Claudia; Millerick, Yvonne; Briggs, Andrew; Hogg, Karen

2018-06-01

The effectiveness of cardiology-led palliative care is unknown; we have insufficient information to conduct a full trial. To assess the feasibility (recruitment/retention, data quality, variability/sample size estimation, safety) of a clinical trial of palliative cardiology effectiveness. Non-randomised feasibility. Unmatched symptomatic heart failure patients on optimal cardiac treatment from (1) cardiology-led palliative service (caring together group) and (2) heart failure liaison service (usual care group). Outcomes/safety: Symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale), Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, performance, understanding of disease, anticipatory care planning, cost-effectiveness, survival and carer burden. A total of 77 participants (caring together group = 43; usual care group = 34) were enrolled (53% men; mean age 77 years (33-100)). The caring together group scored worse in Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (43.5 vs 35.2) and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (35.4 vs 39.9). The caring together group had a lower consent/screen ratio (1:1.7 vs 1: 2.8) and few died before approach (0.08% vs 16%) or declined invitation (17% vs 37%). Data quality: At 4 months, 74% in the caring together group and 71% in the usual care group provided data. Most attrition was due to death or deterioration. Data quality in self-report measures was otherwise good. There was no difference in survival. Symptoms and quality of life improved in both groups. A future trial requires 141 (202 allowing 30% attrition) to detect a minimal clinical difference (1 point) in Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale score for breathlessness (80% power). More participants (176; 252 allowing 30% attrition) are needed to detect a 10.5 change in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score (80% power; minimum clinical difference = 5). A trial to test the clinical effectiveness (improvement in breathlessness) of cardiology-led palliative care is feasible.

Integrating palliative care in long-term care facilities across Europe (PACE): protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial of the 'PACE Steps to Success' intervention in seven countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Smets, Tinne; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje B D; Miranda, Rose; Pivodic, Lara; Tanghe, Marc; van Hout, Hein; Pasman, Roeline H R W; Oosterveld-Vlug, Mariska; Piers, Ruth; Van Den Noortgate, Nele; Wichmann, Anne B; Engels, Yvonne; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Hockley, Jo; Froggatt, Katherine; Payne, Sheila; Szczerbińska, Katarzyna; Kylänen, Marika; Leppäaho, Suvi; Barańska, Ilona; Gambassi, Giovanni; Pautex, Sophie; Bassal, Catherine; Deliens, Luc; Van den Block, Lieve

2018-03-12

Several studies have highlighted the need for improvement in palliative care delivered to older people long-term care facilities. However, the available evidence on how to improve palliative care in these settings is weak, especially in Europe. We describe the protocol of the PACE trial aimed to 1) evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the 'PACE Steps to Success' palliative care intervention for older people in long-term care facilities, and 2) assess the implementation process and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation in different countries. We will conduct a multi-facility cluster randomised controlled trial in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and England. In total, 72 facilities will be randomized to receive the 'Pace Steps to Success intervention' or to 'care as usual'. Primary outcome at resident level: quality of dying (CAD-EOLD); and at staff level: staff knowledge of palliative care (Palliative Care Survey). resident's quality of end-of-life care, staff self-efficacy, self-perceived educational needs, and opinions on palliative care. Economic outcomes: direct costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Measurements are performed at baseline and after the intervention. For the resident-level outcomes, facilities report all deaths of residents in and outside the facilities over a previous four-month period and structured questionnaires are sent to (1) the administrator, (2) staff member most involved in care (3) treating general practitioner, and (4) a relative. For the staff-level outcomes, all staff who are working in the facilities are asked to complete a structured questionnaire. A process evaluation will run alongside the effectiveness evaluation in the intervention group using the RE-AIM framework. The lack of high quality trials in palliative care has been recognized throughout the field of palliative care research. This cross-national cluster RCT designed to evaluate the impact of the

Management of hemichorea hemiballismus syndrome in an acute palliative care setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuja Damani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hemichorea hemiballismus (HCHB is a rare and debilitating presentation of hyperglycemia and subcortical stroke. Early identification, proper assessment and management of HCHB can lead to complete symptom relief. We describe a case of HCHB presenting to a palliative care setting. A 63-year-old diabetic and hypertensive lady, with history of ovarian cancer presented to Palliative Medicine outpatient clinic with two days history of right HCHB. Blood investigations and brain imaging showed high blood sugar levels and lacunar subcortical stroke. Blood sugar levels were controlled with human insulin and Aspirin. Clopidogrel and Atorvastatin were prescribed for the management of lacunar stroke. HCHB reduced markedly post-treatment, leading to significant reduction in morbidity and improvement in quality of life. The symptoms completely resolved within one week of starting the treatment and the patient was kept on regular home and outpatient follow up for further monitoring. Acute palliative care (APC approach deals with the management of comorbidities and their complications along with supportive care. Prompt assessment and management of such complications lead to better patient outcomes.

Community Palliative Care Nurses' Challenges and Coping Strategies on Delivering Home-Based Pediatric Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, LeeAi; Abdullah, Adina

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of community palliative care nurses providing home care to children. A qualitative study was conducted at the 3 community palliative care provider organizations in greater Kuala Lumpur from August to October 2014. Data were collected with semistructured interviews with 16 nurses who have provided care to children and was analyzed using thematic analysis. Two categories were identified: (1) challenges nurses faced and (2) coping strategies. The themes identified from the categories are (1) communication challenges, (2) inadequate training and knowledge, (3) personal suffering, (4) challenges of the system, (5) intrapersonal coping skills, (6) interpersonal coping strategies, and (7) systemic supports. These results reinforces the need for integration of pediatric palliative care teaching and communication skills training into all undergraduate health care programs. Provider organizational support to meet the specific needs of the nurses in the community can help retain them in their role. It will also be important to develop standards for current and new palliative care services to ensure delivery of quality pediatric palliative care.

Prevalence of symptom control and palliative care abstracts presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, Elizabeth A.; Palmer, J. Lynn; Bruera, Eduardo

2002-01-01

Purpose: Forty percent of all patients referred for radiotherapy are treated with palliative intent. The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) has recently emphasized the importance of radiation oncologists being skilled in the field of symptom control and palliative care (SCPC). The purpose of this study was to determine the number of abstracts relating to SCPC presented at the annual ASTRO meetings. Methods and Materials: The number of SCPC abstracts presented at ASTRO meetings between 1993 and 2000 was counted. Abstracts were included if they described populations with advanced or metastatic cancer for whom the goal of treatment was symptom palliation. The treatment sites and symptoms palliated were recorded. Results: Of 3511 abstracts presented at ASTRO between 1993 and 2000, an average of 47 (1.3%, range 0.9-2.2%/y) were related to SCPC. The most common treatment sites were bone, brain, and lung. Pain, bleeding, and neurologic and pulmonary symptoms were the ones most commonly palliated. Thirty-two percent of the SCPC abstracts involved randomized controlled trials, 47% had palliation of symptoms as a secondary treatment outcome, and in 21%, the symptomatic treatment outcome was not specifically stated. Conclusion: SCPC research has been poorly represented at the annual ASTRO meetings. Education and research in this field needs to be actively encouraged, because SCPC is an important component of a radiation oncologist's role in comprehensive patient care

The process of palliative sedation as viewed by physicians and nurses working in palliative care in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Spineli, Vívian Marina Calixto Damasceno; Kurashima, Andrea Yamaguchi; De Gutiérrez, Maria Gaby Rivero

2015-10-01

Our aim was to describe the process of palliative sedation from the point of view of physicians and nurses working in palliative care in Brazil. Ours was a descriptive study conducted between May and December of 2011, with purposeful snowball sampling of 32 physicians and 29 nurses working in facilities in Brazil that have adopted the practice of palliative care. The symptoms prioritized for an indication of palliative sedation were dyspnea, delirium, and pain. Some 65.6% of respondents believed that the survival time of a patient in the final phase was not a determining factor for the indication of this measure, and that the patient, family, and healthcare team should participate in the decision-making process. For 42.6% of these professionals, the opinion of the family was the main barrier to an indication of this therapy. The opinion of the physicians and nurses who participated in this study converged with the principal national and international guidelines on palliative sedation. However, even though it is a therapy that has been adopted in palliative care, it remains a controversial practice.

[Multiprofessional team working in palliative medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Osaka, Iwao

2013-04-01

Now, more than ever, palliative medicine has been gaining recognition for its essential role in cancer treatment. Since its beginning, it has emphasized the importance of collaboration among multidisciplinary professionals, valuing a comprehensive and holistic philosophy, addressing a wide range of hopes and suffering that patients and families experience. There are three models (approaches) for the medical teams: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. Palliative care teams often choose the interdisciplinary team model, and the teams in the palliative care units may often choose the transdisciplinary team model. Recently, accumulating research has shown the clinical benefits of the interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary approach in palliative care settings. Clarifying appropriate functions and ideal features of physicians in the health care team, and enforcing the suitable team approach will contribute to improve the quality of whole medical practice beyond the framework of "palliative medicine".

Conflict Management Strategies in the ICU Differ Between Palliative Care Specialists and Intensivists.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarchiaro, Jared; White, Douglas B; Ernecoff, Natalie C; Buddadhumaruk, Praewpannarai; Schuster, Rachel A; Arnold, Robert M

2016-05-01

Conflict is common between physicians and surrogate decision makers around end-of-life care in ICU. Involving experts in conflict management improve outcomes, but little is known about what differences in conflict management styles may explain the benefit. We used simulation to examine potential differences in how palliative care specialists manage conflict with surrogates about end-of-life treatment decisions in ICUs compared with intensivists. Subjects participated in a high-fidelity simulation of conflict with a surrogate in an ICU. In this simulation, a medical actor portrayed a surrogate decision maker during an ICU family meeting who refuses to follow an advance directive that clearly declines advanced life-sustaining therapies. We audiorecorded the simulation encounters and applied a coding framework to quantify conflict management behaviors, which was organized into two categories: task-focused communication and relationship building. We used negative binomial modeling to determine whether there were differences between palliative care specialists' and intensivists' use of task-focused communication and relationship building. Single academic medical center ICU. Palliative care specialists and intensivists. None. We enrolled 11 palliative care specialists and 25 intensivists. The palliative care specialists were all attending physicians. The intensivist group consisted of 11 attending physicians, 9 pulmonary and critical care fellows, and 5 internal medicine residents rotating in the ICU. We excluded five residents from the primary analysis in order to reduce confounding due to training level. Physicians' mean age was 37 years with a mean of 8 years in practice. Palliative care specialists used 55% fewer task-focused communication statements (incidence rate ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.36-0.83; p = 0.005) and 48% more relationship-building statements (incidence rate ratio, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.89-2.46; p = 0.13) compared with intensivists. We found that palliative care

Palliative cancer care in Middle Eastern countries: accomplishments and challenges †

Science.gov (United States)

Silbermann, M.; Arnaout, M.; Daher, M.; Nestoros, S.; Pitsillides, B.; Charalambous, H.; Gultekin, M.; Fahmi, R.; Mostafa, K.A.H.; Khleif, A.D.; Manasrah, N.; Oberman, A.

2012-01-01

Background In larger parts of the Middle East palliative care is still misunderstood among health professionals, cancer patients and the public at large. One reason to that is because the term does not obviously communicate the intent of this clinical discipline, which is lending better quality of life while combating cancer. Further, culture, tradition and religion have contributed to this misgiving and confusion especially at the terminal stage of the disease. Methods The Middle East Cancer Consortium jointly with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Oncology Nursing Society, the San Diego Hospice Center for Palliative Medicine and the Children's Hospital & Clinics of Minnesota initiated a series of training courses and workshops in the Middle East to provide updated training to physicians, nurses, social workers and psychologists from throughout the region with basic concepts of palliative care and pain managements in adults and children cancers. Results During the past 6 years hundreds of professionals took part in these educational and training activities, thereby creating the core of trained caregivers who start to make the change in their individual countries. Conclusions The outcome of consecutive training activities can overcome geopolitical instabilities, and yield a genuine change in approach of both regulators, medical administrators, medical staff and the public; as to the important contribution of palliative care services to the welfare of the patient and his/her family. PMID:22628412

[Austrian guideline for palliative sedation therapy (long version) : Results of a Delphi process of the Austrian Palliative Society (OPG)].

Science.gov (United States)

Weixler, Dietmar; Roider-Schur, Sophie; Likar, Rudolf; Bozzaro, Claudia; Daniczek, Thomas; Feichtner, Angelika; Gabl, Christoph; Hammerl-Ferrari, Bernhard; Kletecka-Pulker, Maria; Körtner, Ulrich H J; Kössler, Hilde; Meran, Johannes G; Miksovsky, Aurelia; Pusswald, Bettina; Wienerroither, Thomas; Watzke, Herbert

2017-02-01

Palliative sedation therapy (PST) is an important and ethically accepted therapy in the care of selected palliative care patients with otherwise unbearable suffering from refractory distress. PST is increasingly used in end-of-life care. Austria does not have a standardized ethical guideline for this exceptional practice near end of life, but there is evidence that practice varies throughout the country. The Austrian Palliative Society (OPG) nominated a multidisciplinary working group of 16 palliative care experts and ethicists who established the national guideline on the basis of recent review work with the aim to adhere to the Europeans Association of Palliative Care's (EAPC) framework on palliative sedation therapy respecting Austrians legal, structural and cultural background. Consensus was achieved by a four-step sequential Delphi process. The Delphi-process was strictly orientated to the recently published EUROIMPACT-sedation-study-checklist and to the AGREE-2-tool. Additionally national stakeholders participated in the reflection of the results. As a result of a rigorous consensus process the long version of the Austrian National Palliative Sedation Guideline contains 112 statements within eleven domains and is supplemented by a philosophers excursus on suffering. By establishing a national guideline for palliative sedation therapy using the Delphi technique for consensus and stakeholder involvement the Austrian Palliative Society aims to ensure nationwide good practice of palliative sedation therapy. Screening for the practicability and efficacy of this guideline will be a future task.

Does using the interRAI Palliative Care instrument reduce the needs and symptoms of nursing home residents receiving palliative care?

Science.gov (United States)

Hermans, Kirsten; De Almeida Mello, Johanna; Spruytte, Nele; Cohen, Joachim; Van Audenhove, Chantal; Declercq, Anja

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate whether using the interRAI Palliative Care instrument (the interRAI PC) in nursing homes is associated with reduced needs and symptoms in residents nearing the end of their lives. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study using the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS) was conducted to compare the needs and symptoms of residents nearing the end of their lives in the control and intervention nursing homes. Care professionals at the intervention nursing homes filled out the interRAI PC over the course of a year for all residents aged 65 years and older who were nearing the end of their lives. This intervention was not implemented in the control nursing homes. At baseline, POS scores in the intervention nursing homes were lower (more favorable) than in the control nursing homes on the items "pain", "other symptoms", "family anxiety", and the total POS score. Posttest POS scores for "wasted time" were higher (less favorable) than pretest scores in the intervention nursing homes. In the intervention nursing homes where care professionals did not have prior experience with the interRAI Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) assessment instrument (n = 8/15), total POS scores were lower (more favorable) at posttest. One year after introducing the interRAI PC, no reduction in residents' needs and symptoms were detected in the intervention nursing homes. However, reductions in needs and symptoms were found in the subgroup of intervention nursing homes without prior experience with the interRAI LTCF instrument. This may suggest that the use of an interRAI instrument other than the interRAI PC specifically can improve care. Future research should aim at replicating this research with a long-term design in order to evaluate the effect of integrating the use of the interRAI PC in the day-to-day practices at nursing homes.

Increasing Information Dissemination in Cancer Communication: Effects of Using "Palliative," "Supportive," or "Hospice" Care Terminology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Jessica M; Greenberg, Patricia; Bagga, Margy Barbieri; Casarett, David; Propert, Kathleen

2018-04-20

When attempting to share information about comfort-oriented care, many use "palliative," "supportive," and "hospice" care terminology interchangeably, but we lack evidence about the effects of using these different terms. This study was designed to test whether the use of "palliative," "supportive," or "hospice" terminology can improve the dissemination of information among breast cancer patients-a large and growing oncology population. Design, Setting, and Measurement: This experimental study was conducted at a major U.S. hospital serving a diverse population. Patients visiting a cancer clinic encountered opportunities to learn more about cancer care. They were offered health materials that were described as reporting on "palliative," "supportive," or "hospice" care and the primary outcome was whether a patient decided to select or reject each. As a secondary outcome, the study measured the patient's level of interest in receiving each. Compared with alternatives, materials labeled as "supportive" care were most likely to be selected and considered valuable (p value information labeled as being about "supportive" care was significantly more likely to be selected. If these effects are supported by additional research, there may be low-cost, highly feasible changes in language choice that increase the dissemination of relevant health information.

Advancing palliative care as a human right.

Science.gov (United States)

Gwyther, Liz; Brennan, Frank; Harding, Richard

2009-11-01

The international palliative care community has articulated a simple but challenging proposition that palliative care is an international human right. International human rights covenants and the discipline of palliative care have, as common themes, the inherent dignity of the individual and the principles of universality and nondiscrimination. However, when we consider the evidence for the effectiveness of palliative care, the lack of palliative care provision for those who may benefit from it is of grave concern. Three disciplines (palliative care, public health, and human rights) are now interacting with a growing resonance. The maturing of palliative care as a clinical specialty and academic discipline has coincided with the development of a public health approach to global and community-wide health problems. The care of the dying is a public health issue. Given that death is both inevitable and universal, the care of people with life-limiting illness stands equal to all other public health issues. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) includes the right to health care and General Comment 14 (paragraph 34) CESCR stipulates that "States are under the obligation to respect the right to health by, inter alia, refraining from denying or limiting equal access for all persons, ... to preventive, curative and palliative health services." However, these rights are seen to be aspirational-rights to be achieved progressively over time by each signatory nation to the maximum capacity of their available resources. Although a government may use insufficient resources as a justification for inadequacies of its response to palliative care and pain management, General Comment 14 set out "core obligations" and "obligations of comparable priority" in the provision of health care and placed the burden on governments to justify "that every effort has nevertheless been made to use all available resources at its disposal in order to satisfy, as

Rawlsian Justice and Palliative Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knight, Carl; Albertsen, Andreas

2015-01-01

Palliative care serves both as an integrated part of treatment and as a last effort to care for those we cannot cure. The extent to which palliative care should be provided and our reasons for doing so have been curiously overlooked in the debate about distributive justice in health and healthcar...... to provide pain relief to those who need it as a supplement to treatment and, without justice-based reasons to provide palliative care to those whose opportunities cannot be restored. We conclude that this makes Daniels' framework much less attractive.......Palliative care serves both as an integrated part of treatment and as a last effort to care for those we cannot cure. The extent to which palliative care should be provided and our reasons for doing so have been curiously overlooked in the debate about distributive justice in health and healthcare....... We argue that one prominent approach, the Rawlsian approach developed by Norman Daniels, is unable to provide such reasons and such care. This is because of a central feature in Daniels' account, namely that care should be provided to restore people's opportunities. Daniels' view is both unable...

Early identification of and proactive palliative care for patients in general practice, incentive and methods of a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thoonsen Bregje

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background According to the Word Health Organization, patients who can benefit from palliative care should be identified earlier to enable proactive palliative care. Up to now, this is not common practice and has hardly been addressed in scientific literature. Still, palliative care is limited to the terminal phase and restricted to patients with cancer. Therefore, we trained general practitioners (GPs in identifying palliative patients in an earlier phase of their disease trajectory and in delivering structured proactive palliative care. The aim of our study is to determine if this training, in combination with consulting an expert in palliative care regarding each palliative patient's tailored care plan, can improve different aspects of the quality of the remaining life of patients with severe chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and cancer. Methods/Design A two-armed randomized controlled trial was performed. As outcome variables we studied: place of death, number of hospital admissions and number of GP out of hours contacts. Discussion We expect that this study will increase the number of identified palliative care patients and improve different aspects of quality of palliative care. This is of importance to improve palliative care for patients with COPD, CHF and cancer and their informal caregivers, and to empower the GP. The study protocol is described and possible strengths and weaknesses and possible consequences have been outlined. Trial Registration The Netherlands National Trial Register: NTR2815

Staff preparedness for providing palliative and end-of-life care in long-term care homes: Instrument development and validation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Helen Yl; Chun, Gloria Km; Man, C W; Leung, Edward Mf

2018-05-01

Although much attention has been on integrating the palliative care approach into services of long-term care homes for older people living with frailty and progressive diseases, little is known about the staff preparedness for these new initiatives. The present study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument for measuring care home staff preparedness in providing palliative and end-of-life care. A 16-item instrument, covering perceived knowledge, skill and psychological readiness, was developed. A total of 247 staff members of different ranks from four care homes participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis using the principal component analysis extraction method with varimax rotation was carried out for initial validation. Known group comparison was carried out to examine its discriminant validity. Reliability of the instrument was assessed based on test-retest reliability of a subsample of 20 participants and the Cronbach's alpha of the items. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the instrument yielded a three-factor solution, which cumulatively accounted for 68.5% of the total variance. Three subscales, namely, willingness, capability and resilience, showed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. It also showed good discriminant validity between staff members of professional and non-professional groups. This is a brief, valid and reliable scale for measuring care home staff preparedness for providing palliative and end-of-life care. It can be used to identify their concerns and training needs in providing palliative and end-of-life care, and as an outcome measure to evaluate the effects of interventional studies for capacity building in this regard. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 745-749. © 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.

The effect of horticultural therapy on the quality of life of palliative care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Claudia Kam-Yuk; Lau, Carmen Ka-Yan; Kan, Wai Yin; Lam, Wai Man; Fung, Connie Yuen Yee

2017-01-01

Palliative care patients experience a variety of needs and perceive their quality of life as being only fair. This study adopted a single-group repeated-measure design to investigate the effect of horticultural therapy on the quality of life of palliative care patients using the Quality of Life Concern in End of Life Questionnaire. Significant differences in the domains of "existential distress" and "health care concern" were observed immediately postintervention and at 4 weeks postintervention, respectively. No other significant differences were seen in the other domains or in the total mean score of the outcome measure.

Palliative Care: Improving Nursing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors
.

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, Karen; Price, Deborah; Duffy, Elizabeth; Galunas, Laura; Rodgers, Cheryl

2017-10-01

Oncology nurses affect patient care at every point along the cancer journey. This creates the perfect opportunity to educate patients and caregivers about palliative care early and often throughout treatment. However, healthcare providers frequently do not have the knowledge and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations about palliative care.
. The specific aims were to improve oncology nurses' palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors by providing a palliative care nursing education program. An additional aim was to increase the number of conversations with patients and families about palliative care.
. This project had a pre-/post-test design to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at baseline and one month after implementation of an established education curriculum. The teaching strategy included one four-hour class for oncology RNs with topics about the definition of palliative care, pain and symptom management, and how to have palliative care conversations.
. Results showed a statistically significant difference after the educational intervention for knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The number of conversations with patients and caregivers about palliative and end-of-life care increased significantly.

Mapping the scope of occupational therapy practice in palliative care: A European Association for Palliative Care cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Eva, Gail; Morgan, Deidre

2018-05-01

Occupational therapists play an integral role in the care of people with life-limiting illnesses. However, little is known about the scope of occupational therapy service provision in palliative care across Europe and factors influencing service delivery. This study aimed to map the scope of occupational therapy palliative care interventions across Europe and to explore occupational therapists' perceptions of opportunities and challenges when delivering and developing palliative care services. A 49-item online cross-sectional survey comprised of fixed and free text responses was securely hosted via the European Association for Palliative Care website. Survey design, content and recruitment processes were reviewed and formally approved by the European Association for Palliative Care Board of Directors. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. Setting/respondents: Respondents were European occupational therapists whose caseload included palliative care recipients (full-time or part-time). In total, 237 valid responses were analysed. Findings demonstrated a consistency in occupational therapy practice in palliative care between European countries. Clinician time was prioritised towards indirect patient care, with limited involvement in service development, leadership and research. A need for undergraduate and postgraduate education was identified. Organisational expectations and understanding of the scope of the occupational therapy role constrain the delivery of services to support patients and carers. Further development of occupational therapy in palliative care, particularly capacity building in leadership and research activities, is warranted. There is a need for continuing education and awareness raising of the role of occupational therapy in palliative care.

Undergraduate curricula in palliative medicine: a systematic analysis based on the palliative education assessment tool.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Schiessi, C

2013-01-01

By law in 2013, palliative medicine will be integrated into the undergraduate curriculum as part of a mandatory training program and examinations at German medical schools. For this reason a national curriculum in palliative medicine has to be developed.

When there are no good choices: illuminating the borderland between proportionate palliative sedation and palliative sedation to unconsciousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Thomas T; Demme, Richard A; Quill, Timothy E

2011-01-01

Despite state-of-the-art palliative care, some patients will require proportionate palliative sedation as a last-resort option to relieve intolerable suffering at the end of life. In this practice, progressively increasing amounts of sedation are provided until the target suffering is sufficiently relieved. Uncertainty and debate arise when this practice approaches palliative sedation to unconsciousness (PSU), especially when unconsciousness is specifically intended or when the target symptoms are more existential than physical. We constructed a case series designed to highlight some of the common approaches and challenges associated with PSU and the more aggressive end of the spectrum of proportionate palliative sedation as retrospectively identified by palliative care consultants over the past 5 years from a busy inpatient palliative care service at a tertiary medical center in Rochester (NY, USA). Ten cases were identified as challenging by the palliative care attendings, of which four were selected for presentation for illustrative purposes because they touched on central issues including loss of capacity, the role of existential suffering, the complexity of clinical intention, the role of an institutional policy and use of anesthetics as sedative agents. Two other cases were selected focusing on responses to two special situations: a request for PSU that was rejected; and anticipatory planning for total sedation in the future. Although relatively rare, PSU and more aggressive end-of-the-spectrum proportionate palliative sedation represent responses to some of the most challenging cases faced by palliative care clinicians. These complex cases clearly require open communication and collaboration among caregivers, patients and family. Knowing how to identify these circumstances, and how to approach these interventions of last resort are critical skills for practitioners who take care of patients at the end of life.

The role of palliative radiation therapy in symptomatic locally advanced gastric cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tey, Jeremy; Back, Michael F.; Shakespeare, Thomas P.; Mukherjee, Rahul K.; Lu, Jiade J.; Lee, Khai Mun; Wong, Lea Choung; Leong, Cheng Nang; Zhu Ming

2007-01-01

Purpose: To review the outcome of palliative radiotherapy (RT) alone in patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Methods and Materials: Patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer who were managed palliatively with RT at Cancer Institute, Singapore were retrospectively reviewed. Study end points included symptom response, median survival, and treatment toxicity (retrospectively scored using the Common Toxicity Criteria v3.0 [CTC]). Results: Between November 1999 and December 2004, 33 patients with locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer were managed with palliative intent using RT alone. Median age was 76 years (range, 38-90 years). Twenty-one (64%) patients had known distant metastatic disease at time of treatment. Key index symptoms were bleeding (24 patients), obstruction (8 patients), and pain (8 patients). The majority of patients received 30 Gy/10 fractions (17 patients). Dose fractionation regimen ranged from an 8-Gy single fraction to 40 Gy in 16 fractions. Median survival was 145 days, actuarial 12-month survival 8%. A total of 54.3% of patients (13/24) with bleeding responded (median duration of response of 140 days), 25% of patients (2/8) with obstruction responded (median duration of response of 102 days), and 25% of patients (2/8) with pain responded (median duration of response of 105 days). No obvious dose-response was evident. One Grade 3 CTC equivalent toxicity was recorded. Conclusion: External beam RT alone is an effective and well tolerated modality in the local palliation of gastric cancer, with palliation lasting the majority of patients' lives

Palliation of Dysphagia in Carcinoma Esophagus

OpenAIRE

Ramakrishnaiah, Vishnu Prasad Nelamangala; Malage, Somanath; Sreenath, G.S.; Kotlapati, Sudhakar; Cyriac, Sunu

2016-01-01

Esophageal carcinoma has a special place in gastrointestinal carcinomas because it contains two main types, namely, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Carcinoma esophagus patients require some form of palliation because of locally advanced stage or distant metastasis, where it cannot be subjected to curable treatment with surgery and chemoradiation. Many modalities of palliation of dysphagia are available, but the procedure with least morbidity, mortality, and long-term palliation of...

An Analytical Framework for Delirium Research in Palliative Care Settings: Integrated Epidemiologic, Clinician-Researcher, and Knowledge User Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Mohammed; Hosie, Annmarie; Kanji, Salmaan; Momoli, Franco; Bush, Shirley H.; Watanabe, Sharon; Currow, David C.; Gagnon, Bruno; Agar, Meera; Bruera, Eduardo; Meagher, David J.; de Rooij, Sophia E.J.A.; Adamis, Dimitrios; Caraceni, Augusto; Marchington, Katie; Stewart, David J.

2014-01-01

Context Delirium often presents difficult management challenges in the context of goals of care in palliative care settings. Objectives The aim was to formulate an analytical framework for further research on delirium in palliative care settings, prioritize the associated research questions, discuss the inherent methodological challenges associated with relevant studies, and outline the next steps in a program of delirium research. Methods We combined multidisciplinary input from delirium researchers and knowledge users at an international delirium study planning meeting, relevant literature searches, focused input of epidemiologic expertise, and a meeting participant and coauthor survey to formulate a conceptual research framework and prioritize research questions. Results Our proposed framework incorporates three main groups of research questions: the first was predominantly epidemiologic, such as delirium occurrence rates, risk factor evaluation, screening, and diagnosis; the second covers pragmatic management questions; and the third relates to the development of predictive models for delirium outcomes. Based on aggregated survey responses to each research question or domain, the combined modal ratings of “very” or “extremely” important confirmed their priority. Conclusion Using an analytical framework to represent the full clinical care pathway of delirium in palliative care settings, we identified multiple knowledge gaps in relation to the occurrence rates, assessment, management, and outcome prediction of delirium in this population. The knowledge synthesis generated from adequately powered, multicenter studies to answer the framework’s research questions will inform decision making and policy development regarding delirium detection and management and thus help to achieve better outcomes for patients in palliative care settings. PMID:24726762

Palliative nursing care for children and adolescents with cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilmer MJ

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Terrah L Foster,1,2 Cynthia J Bell,1 Carey F McDonald,2 Joy S Harris,3 Mary Jo Gilmer,1,21Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, 2Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, 3Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Pediatric palliative care aims to enhance life and decrease suffering of children and adolescents living with life-threatening conditions and their loved ones. Oncology nurses are instrumental in providing palliative care to pediatric oncology populations. This paper describes pediatric palliative care and provides an overview of literature related to the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains of palliative nursing care for children and adolescents with cancer. Nurses can provide optimal palliative care by accounting for children's understanding of death, encouraging early initiation of palliative care services, and improving utilization of pediatric palliative care in cancer settings. Specific roles of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in pediatric palliative care will be addressed. Recommendations for future research are made to further advance the science of pediatric palliative care and decrease suffering for children and teens with cancer.Keywords: pediatric palliative care, pediatric cancer, oncology, child, suffering

Prescription Pattern of Analgesic Drugs for Patients Receiving Palliative Care in a Teaching Hospital in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Vishma Hydie; Nair, Shoba N; Soumya, M S; Tarey, S D

2016-01-01

Drugs used in the palliative care unit for managing symptoms are major contributors toward the expenditure occurring in palliative care. This study was conducted to understand the prescription pattern of analgesic drugs in the patients who are receiving palliative care in a teaching hospital in India by a retrospective study of case records. Case record based, retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at the Pain and Palliative Care Department of St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru. Case record files of all patients referred to Pain and Palliative Care Department for the treatment of pain in the year of 2012 were studied. Patients' age, gender, diagnoses, numerical pain rating scale (0-10), drugs prescribed, dosage, frequency, route of administration were recorded. The difference in drug utilization between the genders was done using Chi-square test. Data were collected from 502 patients of which 280 (56%) were males and 222 (44%) were females. Twelve percent of patients had mild pain (1-3), 34% had moderate pain (4-6), and 54% had severe pain (7-10). The most commonly used analgesic drugs were opioids (47%), followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (36%). The opioids used were tramadol (56%), and morphine (38%). Ninety percent of patients with numerical pain scale more than 6 received morphine. There was no difference in analgesic drug utilization with regards to gender. Prescription pattern differed depending on the severity of pain. Opioids were the most commonly used drugs for pain management. The study shows that prescription pattern in palliative care unit of this hospital was in accordance with WHO pain management guidelines. The study showed the current trend in prescription of analgesic drugs in the teaching hospital where the study was conducted.

Need for palliative care for neurological diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Provinciali, Leandro; Carlini, Giulia; Tarquini, Daniela; Defanti, Carlo Alberto; Veronese, Simone; Pucci, Eugenio

2016-10-01

The new concept of palliative care supports the idea of palliation as an early approach to patients affected by disabling and life-limiting disease which focuses on the patient's quality of life along the entire course of disease. This model moves beyond the traditional concept of palliation as an approach restricted to the final stage of disease and widens the fields of intervention. There is a growing awareness of the importance of palliative care not only in oncological diseases but also in many other branches of medicine, and it appears particularly evident in the approach to many of the most frequent neurological diseases that are chronic, incurable and autonomy-impairing illnesses. The definition and implementation of palliative goals and procedures in neurology must take into account the specific features of these conditions in terms of the complexity and variability of symptoms, clinical course, disability and prognosis. The realization of an effective palliative approach to neurological diseases requires specific skills and expertise to adapt the concept of palliation to the peculiarities of these diseases; this approach should be realized through the cooperation of different services and the action of a multidisciplinary team in which the neurologist should play a central role to identify and face the patient's needs. In this view, it is paramount for the neurologist to be trained in these issues to promote the integration of palliative care in the care of neurological patients.

Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Advanced Cancer in Different Palliative Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercadante, Sebastiano; Aielli, Federica; Adile, Claudio; Ferrera, Patrizia; Valle, Alessandro; Cartoni, Claudio; Pizzuto, Massimo; Caruselli, Amanda; Parsi, Renato; Cortegiani, Andrea; Masedu, Francesco; Valenti, Marco; Ficorella, Corrado; Porzio, Giampiero

2015-12-01

Information regarding sleep disturbances in the population with advanced cancer is meager. To assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances and possible correlations with associated factors in a large number of patients with advanced cancer admitted to different palliative care settings. This was an observational study performed in different settings of palliative care. A consecutive sample of patients with advanced cancer was prospectively assessed for a period of six months. Epidemiological and clinical data, treatments received in the last month, Karnofsky status, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System scores, and concomitant medical treatment were recorded. Patients were administered the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A total of 820 patients were surveyed. Mean age was 69.7 years (SD 12.7), and 429 patients were males. Consistent sleep disturbances (moderate to maximum) were found in 60.8% of patients. Aged patients were less likely to have sleep disturbances, whereas a poor Karnofsky level was significantly associated with sleep problems. Breast, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, and prostate cancers were associated with sleep problems. Patients who had a secondary school or undergraduate education had less sleep disturbances. Hormone therapy and use of opioids and corticosteroids were positively associated with sleep disturbances, and there was a positive correlation of HADS-Anxiety and HADS-Depression scores with sleep disturbances. More than 60% of palliative care patients have relevant sleep disturbances. Several factors associated with sleep disorders have been identified and should prompt physicians to make a careful examination and subsequent treatment of these disturbances. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic Differences in and Predictors of Home-Based Palliative Care Health Service Use in Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jiaoli; Guerriere, Denise N; Zhao, Hongzhong; Coyte, Peter C

2017-07-18

The use of health services may vary across people with different socioeconomic statuses, and may be determined by many factors. The purposes of this study were (i) to examine the socioeconomic differences in the propensity and intensity of use for three main home-based health services, that is, home-based palliative care physician visits, nurse visits and personal support worker (PSW) hours; and (ii) to explore the determinants of the use of home-based palliative care services. A prospective cohort study was employed. A total of 181 caregivers were interviewed biweekly over the course of the palliative care trajectory, yielding a total of 994 interviews. The propensity and intensity of health service use were examined using logistic regression and negative binomial regression, respectively. The results demonstrated that both the propensity and intensity of home-based nurse and PSW visits fell with socioeconomic status. The use of home-based palliative care services was not concentrated in high socioeconomic status groups. The common predictors of health service use in the three service categories were patient age, the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) score and place of death. These findings may assist health service planners in the appropriate allocation of resources and service packages to meet the complex needs of palliative care populations.

Differences in home-based palliative care service utilisation of people with cancer and non-cancer conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kralik, Debbie; Anderson, Barbara

2008-11-01

To identify home-based palliative care service utilisation by people with cancer and non-cancer conditions. Palliative care knowledge and skill have been derived from working with people with cancer. People with chronic conditions are now referred for home-based palliative care; however, there has been few studies published that have explored the impact of service utilisation by people with end-stage chronic conditions. The Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS) scale was calculated for each person upon referral for home-based palliative care services to determine the functional capacity of the individual at the point of referral. Clients were divided into those with cancer diagnosis and those with non-cancer diagnosis. Service utilisation of the individual client was determined until separation from the palliative care service. The study was undertaken in 2007. The majority of people with cancer (63%) and non-cancer (71%) were assessed as having an AKPS score between 50-60. Thirty-one cancer clients (18·7%) and three non-cancer clients (7·1%) had an AKPS score between 70-90. This suggests that people with cancer are referred to palliative care services earlier than people with non-cancer conditions. People with non-cancer conditions were substantially higher users of home-based palliative care services over a longer period of time. Home-based palliative care service utilisation was higher for people with non-cancer conditions. Cost analysis research is recommended to delineate the actual costs of home-based palliative care service provision between people with cancer and non-cancer conditions. There is growing awareness of the need for palliative care services for people with non-cancer conditions. However, these services are provided for longer periods of time for this client group. Implications for practice are that the palliative care needs of people with non-cancer conditions may not be met within current palliative care service provision

Suboptimal palliative sedation in primary care: an exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Pype, Peter; Teuwen, Inge; Mertens, Fien; Sercu, Marij; De Sutter, An

2018-02-01

Palliative sedation is a therapeutic option to control refractory symptoms in terminal palliative patients. This study aims at describing the occurrence and characteristics of suboptimal palliative sedations in primary care and at exploring the way general practitioners (GPs) experience suboptimal palliative sedation in their practice. We conducted a mixed methods study with a quantitative prospective survey in primary care and qualitative semi-structured interviews with GPs. The research team defined suboptimal palliative sedation as a time interval until deep sleep >1.5 h and/ or >2 awakenings after the start of the unconsciousness. Descriptive statistics were calculated on the quantitative data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts. We registered 63 palliative sedations in 1181 home deaths, 27 forms were completed. Eleven palliative sedations were suboptimal: eight due to the long time span until deep sleep; three due the number of unintended awakenings. GPs' interview analysis revealed two major themes: the shifting perception of failure and the burden of responsibility. Suboptimal palliative sedation occurs frequently in primary palliative care. Efficient communication towards family members is needed to prevent them from having unrealistic expectations and to prevent putting pressure on the GP to hasten the procedure. Sharing the burden of decision-making during the procedure with other health care professionals might diminish the heavy responsibility as perceived by GPs.

An integrated course in pain management and palliative care bridging the basic sciences and pharmacy practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kullgren, Justin; Radhakrishnan, Rajan; Unni, Elizabeth; Hanson, Eric

2013-08-12

To describe the development of an integrated pain and palliative care course and to investigate the long-term effectiveness of the course during doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and in their practice after graduation. Roseman University College of Pharmacy faculty developed a 3-week elective course in pain and palliative care by integrating relevant clinical and pharmaceutical sciences. Instructional strategies included lectures, team and individual activities, case studies, and student presentations. Students who participated in the course in 2010 and 2011 were surveyed anonymously to gain their perception about the class as well as the utility of the course during their APPEs and in their everyday practice. Traditional and nontraditional assessment of students confirmed that the learning outcomes objectives were achieved. Students taking the integrated course on pain management and palliative care achieved mastery of the learning outcome objectives. Surveys of students and practicing pharmacists who completed the course showed that the learning experience as well as retention was improved with the integrated mode of teaching. Integrating basic and clinical sciences in therapeutic courses is an effective learning strategy.

Palliative care and neurology: time for a paradigm shift.

Science.gov (United States)

Boersma, Isabel; Miyasaki, Janis; Kutner, Jean; Kluger, Benzi

2014-08-05

Palliative care is an approach to the care of patients and families facing progressive and chronic illnesses that focuses on the relief of suffering due to physical symptoms, psychosocial issues, and spiritual distress. As neurologists care for patients with chronic, progressive, life-limiting, and disabling conditions, it is important that they understand and learn to apply the principles of palliative medicine. In this article, we aim to provide a practical starting point in palliative medicine for neurologists by answering the following questions: (1) What is palliative care and what is hospice care? (2) What are the palliative care needs of neurology patients? (3) Do neurology patients have unique palliative care needs? and (4) How can palliative care be integrated into neurology practice? We cover several fundamental palliative care skills relevant to neurologists, including communication of bad news, symptom assessment and management, advance care planning, caregiver assessment, and appropriate referral to hospice and other palliative care services. We conclude by suggesting areas for future educational efforts and research. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... The Keeney Family discuss pediatric palliative care - Duration: 12:07. Hospice of the Western Reserve 12,073 views 12:07 Perinatal Palliative Care - The Zimmer Family Story - ...

Palliative prostate radiotherapy for symptomatic advanced prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Din, Omar S.; Thanvi, Narottam; Ferguson, Catherine J.; Kirkbride, Peter

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: To report the results for the use of short-course palliative radiotherapy to the prostate for localised symptoms. Materials and methods: Fifty-eight patients were identified from radiotherapy records between 2003 and 2007. Data were collected retrospectively on patients' demographics, radiotherapy details and response. Symptoms and toxicity were scored, retrospectively, according to the following scale: 0 = no symptoms, 1 = mild symptoms, 2 = moderate symptoms, and 3 = severe symptoms. Results: All the 58 patients had advanced prostate carcinoma. The median age at radiotherapy was 76.6 years (range 54-91). Fifty-six patients (97%) had hormone refractory disease. Twenty-seven patients (47%) had evidence of metastatic disease. 20Gy in 5 fractions was the most commonly used fractionation. The most frequent baseline symptom was haematuria (54%). Eighty-nine percent (31/35) of the patients had a complete or partial resolution of symptoms at 4 months. Response rates for individual symptoms (including unknown responses) were: rectal symptoms (75%), pelvic pain (69%), urinary obstruction (54%) and haematuria (42%). A >50% reduction in PSA occurred in five patients. Toxicity was mild to moderate only and was self-limiting. Conclusion: Palliative radiotherapy to the prostate gland for local symptoms appears to be an effective means of palliation with minimal toxic side effects. Prospective studies are now required to assess its benefits in more detail.

Defining palliative care in cystic fibrosis: A Delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellon, E P; Goggin, J; Chen, E; Sabadosa, K; Hempstead, S E; Faro, A; Homa, K

2018-05-01

The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life for people with serious illness. We aimed to create a cystic fibrosis (CF)-specific definition of palliative care. A working group of 36 CF care providers, researchers, palliative care providers, quality improvement experts, individuals with CF, and CF caregivers completed a series of questionnaires to rate the value of each of 22 attributes of palliative care, rank top attributes to construct definitions of palliative care, and then rate proposed definitions. An average of 28 participants completed each of four questionnaires, with consistent distribution of stakeholder roles across questionnaires. Many identified overlaps in routine CF care and palliative care and highlighted the importance of a definition that feels relevant across the lifespan. Modified Delphi methodology was used to define palliative care in CF. The definition will be used as the foundation for development of CF-specific palliative care guidelines. Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Palliative sedation, not slow euthanasia: a prospective, longitudinal study of sedation in Flemish palliative care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Claessens, Patricia; Menten, Johan; Schotsmans, Paul; Broeckaert, Bert

2011-01-01

Palliative sedation remains a much debated and controversial issue. The limited literature on the topic often fails to answer ethical questions concerning this practice. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients who are being sedated for refractory symptoms in palliative care units (PCUs) from the time of admission until the day of death. A prospective, longitudinal, descriptive design was used to assess data in eight PCUs. The total sample consisted of 266 patients. Information on demographics, medication, food and fluid intake, decision making, level of consciousness, and symptom experience were gathered by nurses and researchers three times a week. If patients received palliative sedation, extra information was gathered. Of all included patients (n=266), 7.5% received palliative sedation. Sedation started, on average, 2.5 days before death and for half of these patients, the form of sedation changed over time. At the start of sedation, patients were in the end stage of their illness and needed total care. Patients were fully conscious and had very limited oral food or fluid intake. Only three patients received artificial fluids at the start of sedation. Patients reported, on average, two refractory symptoms, the most important ones being pain, fatigue, depression, drowsiness, and loss of feeling of well-being. In all cases, the patient gave consent to start palliative sedation because of increased suffering. This study revealed that palliative sedation is only administered in exceptional cases where refractory suffering is evident and for those patients who are close to the ends of their lives. Moreover, this study supports the argument that palliative sedation has no life-shortening effect. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... and Legacy through Pediatric Palliative Care - Duration: 5:39. Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) 26,045 views 5:39 Little Stars – Paediatric Palliative Care – Charlie's Story - Duration: ...

Palliative Care Scorecard.

Science.gov (United States)

Kittelson, Sheri; Pierce, Read; Youngwerth, Jeanie

2017-05-01

In response to poor healthcare quality outcomes and rising costs, healthcare reform triple aim has increased requirements for providers to demonstrate value to payers, partners, and the public. Electronically automating measurement of the meaningful impact of palliative care (PC) programs on clinical, operational, and financial systems over time is imperative to the success of the field and the goal of development of this automated PC scorecard. The scorecard was organized into a format of quality measures identified by the Measuring What Matters (MWM) project that are defined as important to the team, automatically extracted from the electronic health record, valid, and can be impacted over time. The scorecard was initially created using University of Florida Health (UF) data, a new PC program, and successfully applied and implemented at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU), a second institution with a mature PC program. Clinical metrics are organized in the scorecard based on MWM and described in terms of the metric definition, rationale for selection, measure type (structure, process, or outcome), and whether this represents a direct or proxy measure. The process of constructing the scorecard helped identify areas within both systems for potential improvement in team structure, clinical processes, and outcomes. In addition, by automating data extraction, the scorecard decreases costs associated with manual data entry and extraction, freeing clinical staff to care for patients and increasing the value of PC delivered to patients.

Team networking in palliative care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odette Spruyt

2011-01-01

Full Text Available "If you want to travel quickly, go alone. But if you want to travel far, you must go together". African proverb. The delivery of palliative care is often complex and always involves a group of people, the team, gathered around the patient and those who are close to them. Effective communication and functional responsive systems of care are essential if palliative care is to be delivered in a timely and competent way. Creating and fostering an effective team is one of the greatest challenges for providers of palliative care. Teams are organic and can be life giving or life sapping for their members.

Team Networking in Palliative Care

Science.gov (United States)

Spruyt, Odette

2011-01-01

“If you want to travel quickly, go alone. But if you want to travel far, you must go together”. African proverb. The delivery of palliative care is often complex and always involves a group of people, the team, gathered around the patient and those who are close to them. Effective communication and functional responsive systems of care are essential if palliative care is to be delivered in a timely and competent way. Creating and fostering an effective team is one of the greatest challenges for providers of palliative care. Teams are organic and can be life giving or life sapping for their members. PMID:21811361

Strategies for Introducing Outpatient Specialty Palliative Care in Gynecologic Oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hay, Casey M; Lefkowits, Carolyn; Crowley-Matoka, Megan; Bakitas, Marie A; Clark, Leslie H; Duska, Linda R; Urban, Renata R; Creasy, Stephanie L; Schenker, Yael

2017-09-01

Concern that patients will react negatively to the idea of palliative care is cited as a barrier to timely referral. Strategies to successfully introduce specialty palliative care to patients have not been well described. We sought to understand how gynecologic oncologists introduce outpatient specialty palliative care. We conducted a national qualitative interview study at six geographically diverse academic cancer centers with well-established palliative care clinics between September 2015 and March 2016. Thirty-four gynecologic oncologists participated in semistructured telephone interviews focusing on attitudes, experiences, and practices related to outpatient palliative care. A multidisciplinary team analyzed interview transcripts using constant comparative methods to inductively develop and refine a coding framework. This analysis focuses on practices for introducing palliative care. Mean participant age was 47 years (standard deviation, 10 years). Mean interview length was 25 minutes (standard deviation, 7 minutes). Gynecologic oncologists described the following three main strategies for introducing outpatient specialty palliative care: focus initial palliative care referral on symptom management to dissociate palliative care from end-of-life care and facilitate early relationship building with palliative care clinicians; use a strong physician-patient relationship and patient trust to increase acceptance of referral; and explain and normalize palliative care referral to address negative associations and decrease patient fear of abandonment. These strategies aim to decrease negative patient associations and encourage acceptance of early referral to palliative care specialists. Gynecologic oncologists have developed strategies for introducing palliative care services to alleviate patient concerns. These strategies provide groundwork for developing system-wide best practice approaches to the presentation of palliative care referral.

Pain palliation therapy of bone metastases: palliative or curative?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, M.

2007-01-01

In Germany the incidence of breast cancer is about 85 and of prostate cancer about 50 new patients per 100.000 inhabitants/year. In about 80% of prostate cancer patients and 75% of breast cancer patients bone metastases are observed in autopsy. Most of these patients develop severe pain syndrome from bone metastases reducing quality of life during life time. Therapy of these patients should aim at adding life to the years not years to their life. The knowledge of metastatic cell biology, of cell-cell interaction and of tumor-cell, tumor cell-skeleton interaction may modify the therapeutic procedure. Already in 1940/41, Pecher treated a patient suffering from painful prostate cancer bone metastases administering 296 MBq 89 Strontium chloride. About 10 years later, Friedell introduced 32 Phosphorus for treatment of bone metastases from breast cancer. Today in Europe 3 radionuclides are approved for pain palliation therapy as shown in Table.1. Indication: - pain palliation therapy of bone metastases from prostate cancer ( 89 Sr and 186 Re); - pain palliation of all osteoblastic metastases independent from primary tumors ( 153 Sm). Contraindications: - pregnant and lactating females - myelosuppression ( 3 granulocytes; 3 platelets); - impaired renal function (urea >12 mmol/l; creatinine > 150 mmol/l) - incontinence; - acute or chronic spinal cord compression and/or brain metastases causing neurological symptoms; - disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. The recommended activities per treatment are: 89 Sr 150 MBq, 186 Re 1.295 MBq, and 153 Sm 37 MBq/kg BW. Shortly (6-8 weeks) prior to radionuclide therapy for pain palliation no high dose chemotherapy or large field radiation therapy should be performed. Stopping unlabelled bisphosphonate therapy prior to pain palliation therapy is not necessary. This radionuclide therapy may be repeated several time, the interval between tracer administration depends on blood cell count rate. The recommended intervals are for 89 Sr

Radiotherapy in Palliative Cancer Care: Development and Implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

It is estimated that in 2008 there were over 12 million new cancer diagnoses and 7 million cancer deaths worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that cancer rates will increase from 10 million to 24 million in the next 50 years. More than half of cancer cases will be diagnosed in low income nations, where 80% or more of patients will have incurable disease at diagnosis. In situations where most patients are diagnosed with incurable disease or where curative treatment is logistically unavailable, as is the case in many low income countries, the allocation of limited health care resources should reflect a greater emphasis on palliative care. Ironically, access to palliative care is greater in health care systems with well developed infrastructures and facilities for prevention, early detection, and curative treatment of cancer. To provide comprehensive cancer care, a multidisciplinary approach is needed. This maximizes the available treatments and interventions, whilst ensuring a cost effective and ethically sound approach to the treatment of patients at each stage of the disease. Barriers to palliative care may result from its low prioritization in health care policy and education. The WHO expert committee on cancer pain and palliative care report of 1990 called for the integration of efforts directed at maintaining patient quality of life through all stages of cancer treatment. As a result supportive interventions aimed at improving quality of life are needed for patients undergoing both curative and palliative cancer treatment. The International Atomic Energy Agency is currently collaborating with the Open Society Institute to develop palliative care programmes in Eastern Europe, Africa and India, as well as supporting programmes in other regions of the world, through the International Palliative Care Initiative. OSI partners with the IAEA's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research

Online palliative care and oncology patient education resources through Google: Do they meet national health literacy recommendations?

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhu, Arpan V; Crihalmeanu, Tudor; Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Glaser, Christine; Clump, David A; Heron, Dwight E; Beriwal, Sushil

The Google search engine is a resource commonly used by patients to access health-related patient education information. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that patient education resources be written at a level between the third and seventh grade reading levels. We assessed the readability levels of online palliative care patient education resources using 10 readability algorithms widely accepted in the medical literature. In October 2016, searches were conducted for 10 individual terms pertaining to palliative care and oncology using the Google search engine; the first 10 articles written for the public for each term were downloaded for a total of 100 articles. The terms included palliative care, hospice, advance directive, cancer pain management, treatment of metastatic disease, treatment of brain metastasis, treatment of bone metastasis, palliative radiation therapy, palliative chemotherapy, and end-of-life care. We determined the average reading level of the articles by readability scale and Web site domain. Nine readability assessments with scores equivalent to academic grade level found that the 100 palliative care education articles were collectively written at a 12.1 reading level (standard deviation, 2.1; range, 7.6-17.3). Zero articles were written below a seventh grade level. Forty-nine (49%) articles were written above a high school graduate reading level. The Flesch Reading Ease scale classified the articles as "difficult" to read with a score of 45.6 of 100. The articles were collected from 62 Web site domains. Seven domains were accessed 3 or more times; among these, www.mskcc.org had the highest average reading level at a 14.5 grade level (standard deviation, 1.4; range, 13.4-16.1). Most palliative care education articles readily available on Google are written above national health literacy recommendations. There is need to revise these resources to allow patients and their families to derive the most

The African Palliative Care Association (APCA Atlas of Palliative Care Development in Africa: a comparative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Y Rhee

2018-03-01

Funding: Arnhold Institute of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the African Palliative Care Association, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, and the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Navarra.

At-home palliative sedation for end-of-life cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso-Babarro, Alberto; Varela-Cerdeira, Maria; Torres-Vigil, Isabel; Rodríguez-Barrientos, Ricardo; Bruera, Eduardo

2010-07-01

Using a decision-making and treatment checklist developed to facilitate the at-home palliative sedation process, we assessed the incidence and efficacy of palliative sedation for end-of-life cancer patients with intractable symptoms who died at home. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 370 patients who were followed by a palliative home care team. Twenty-nine of 245 patients (12%) who died at home had received palliative sedation. The mean age of the patients who received palliative sedation was 58 +/- 17 years, and the mean age of the patients who did not receive palliative sedation was 69 +/- 15 years (p = 0.002). No other differences were detected between patients who did or did not receive palliative sedation. The most common indications for palliative sedation were delirium (62%) and dyspnea (14%). Twenty-seven patients (93%) received midazolam for palliative sedation (final mean dose of 74 mg), and two (7%) received levomepromazine (final mean dose of 125 mg). The mean time between palliative sedation initiation and time of death was 2.6 days. In 13 of the cases (45%), the palliative sedation decision was made with the patient and his or her family members, and in another 13 patients (45%), the palliative sedation decision was made only with the patient's family members. We concluded that palliative sedation may be used safely and efficaciously to treat dying cancer patients with refractory symptoms at home.

Hope in palliative care: A longitudinal qualitative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olsman, E.

2015-01-01

This thesis describes hope in palliative care patients, their family members and their healthcare professionals. An interpretative synthesis of the literature (chapter 2) and a metaphor analysis of semi-structured interviews with palliative care professionals (chapter 3) highlight palliative care

Feasibility of a rural palliative supportive service.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesut, B; Hooper, B P; Robinson, C A; Bottorff, J L; Sawatzky, R; Dalhuisen, M

2015-01-01

Healthcare models for the delivery of palliative care to rural populations encounter common challenges: service gaps, the cost of the service in relation to the population, sustainability, and difficulty in demonstrating improvements in outcomes. Although it is widely agreed that a community capacity-building approach to rural palliative care is essential, how that approach can be achieved, evaluated and sustained remains in question. The purpose of this community-based research project is to test the feasibility and identify potential outcomes of implementing a rural palliative supportive service (RPaSS) for older adults living with life-limiting chronic illness and their family caregiver in the community. This paper reports on the feasibility aspects of the study. RPaSS is being conducted in two co-located rural communities with populations of approximately 10 000 and no specialized palliative services. Participants living with life-limiting chronic illness and their family caregivers are visited bi-weekly in the home by a nurse coordinator who facilitates symptom management, teaching, referrals, psychosocial and spiritual support, advance care planning, community support for practical tasks, and telephone-based support for individuals who must commute outside of the rural community for care. Mixed-method collection strategies are used to collect data on visit patterns; healthcare utilization; family caregiver needs; and participant needs, functional performance and quality of life. A community-based advisory committee worked with the investigative team over a 1-year period to plan RPaSS, negotiating the best fit between research methods and the needs of the community. Recruitment took longer than anticipated with service capacity being reached at 8 months. Estimated service capacity of one nurse coordinator, based on bi-weekly visits, is 25 participants and their family caregivers. A total of 393 in-person visits and 53 telephone visits were conducted between

Palliation of Malignant Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction with Self-Expandable Metal Stent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morikawa, Soichiro; Suzuki, Azumi; Nakase, Kojiro; Yasuda, Kenjiro [Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital, Kyoto (Japan)

2012-02-15

To assess the technical success, ability to eat, complications and clinical outcomes of patients with self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placed for malignant upper gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction. Data was collected retrospectively on patients who underwent SEMS placement for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction by reviewing hospital charts from June 1998 to May 2011. Main outcome measurements were technical success, gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score before and after treatment, complications, and survival. A total of 82 patients underwent SEMS placement with malignant upper GI obstruction. The initial SEMS placement was successful in 77 patients (93.9%). The mean GOOSS score was 0.56 before stenting and 1.92 (p < 0.001) after treatment. Complications arose in 12 patients (14.6%): stent migration in 1 patient (1.2%), perforation in 1 (1.2%), and obstruction of stent due to tumor ingrowth in 10 (12.2%). The median survival time after stenting was 52 days (6-445). SEMS placement is an effective and safe treatment for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction. It provides lasting relief in dysphagia and improves the QOL of patients.

Palliation of Malignant Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction with Self-Expandable Metal Stent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morikawa, Soichiro; Suzuki, Azumi; Nakase, Kojiro; Yasuda, Kenjiro

2012-01-01

To assess the technical success, ability to eat, complications and clinical outcomes of patients with self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placed for malignant upper gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction. Data was collected retrospectively on patients who underwent SEMS placement for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction by reviewing hospital charts from June 1998 to May 2011. Main outcome measurements were technical success, gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score before and after treatment, complications, and survival. A total of 82 patients underwent SEMS placement with malignant upper GI obstruction. The initial SEMS placement was successful in 77 patients (93.9%). The mean GOOSS score was 0.56 before stenting and 1.92 (p < 0.001) after treatment. Complications arose in 12 patients (14.6%): stent migration in 1 patient (1.2%), perforation in 1 (1.2%), and obstruction of stent due to tumor ingrowth in 10 (12.2%). The median survival time after stenting was 52 days (6-445). SEMS placement is an effective and safe treatment for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction. It provides lasting relief in dysphagia and improves the QOL of patients.

Commissioning of specialist palliative care services in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Lancaster, Harriet; Finlay, Ilora; Downman, Maxwell; Dumas, James

2018-03-01

Some failures in end-of-life care have been attributed to inconsistent provision of palliative care across England. We aimed to explore the variation in commissioning of services by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) using a data collection exercise. We sent a Freedom of Information request in the form of an open questionnaire to all 209 CCGs in England to assess their commissioning of palliative and end-of-life care services, mainly focused on the provision of specialist palliative care services. 29 CCGs provided information about the number of patients with some form of palliative care needs in their population. For specialist palliative care services, CCGs allocated budgets ranging from £51.83 to £2329.19 per patient per annum. 163 CCGs (77.90%) currently commission 7-day admission to their specialist palliative care beds. 82.84% of CCGs commission 7-day specialist palliative care services in patients' own homes and out-of-hours services rely heavily on hospice provision. 64 CCGs (31.37%) commission pain control teams, the majority of whom only operate in regular working hours. 68.14% of CCGs reported commissioning palliative care education of any sort for healthcare professionals and 44.85% of CCGs had no plans to update or review their palliative care services. The most important finding from this exercise is that the information CCGs hold about their population and services is not standardised. However, information based on data that are more objective, for example, population and total budget for palliative care, demonstrate wide variations in commissioning. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Palliative care in Africa: a global challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Ntizimira, Christian R; Nkurikiyimfura, Jean Luc; Mukeshimana, Olive; Ngizwenayo, Scholastique; Mukasahaha, Diane; Clancy, Clare

2014-01-01

We are often asked what challenges Rwanda has faced in the development of palliative care and its integration into the healthcare system. In the past, patients have been barred from accessing strong analgesics to treat moderate to severe pain, but thanks to health initiatives, this is slowly changing. Rwanda is an example of a country where only a few years ago, access to morphine was almost impossible. Albert Einsten said 'in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity' and this sentiment could not be more relevant to the development of palliative care programmes. Through advocacy, policy, and staunch commitment to compassion, Rwandan healthcare workers are proving how palliative care can be successfully integrated into a healthcare system. As a global healthcare community, we should be asking what opportunities exist to do this across the African continent. Champions of palliative care have a chance to forge lasting collaborations between international experts and African healthcare workers. This global network could not only advocate for palliative care programmes but it would also help to create a culture where palliative care is viewed as a necessary part of all healthcare systems.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of home palliative care services for adults with advanced illness and their caregivers

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Barbara; Calanzani, Natalia; Curiale, Vito; McCrone, Paul; Higginson, Irene J

2013-01-01

Background Extensive evidence shows that well over 50% of people prefer to be cared for and to die at home provided circumstances allow choice. Despite best efforts and policies, one-third or less of all deaths take place at home in many countries of the world. Objectives 1. To quantify the effect of home palliative care services for adult patients with advanced illness and their family caregivers on patients' odds of dying at home; 2. to examine the clinical effectiveness of home palliative care services on other outcomes for patients and their caregivers such as symptom control, quality of life, caregiver distress and satisfaction with care; 3. to compare the resource use and costs associated with these services; 4. to critically appraise and summarise the current evidence on cost-effectiveness. Search methods We searched 12 electronic databases up to November 2012. We checked the reference lists of all included studies, 49 relevant systematic reviews, four key textbooks and recent conference abstracts. We contacted 17 experts and researchers for unpublished data. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), controlled before and after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series (ITSs) evaluating the impact of home palliative care services on outcomes for adults with advanced illness or their family caregivers, or both. Data collection and analysis One review author assessed the identified titles and abstracts. Two independent reviewers performed assessment of all potentially relevant studies, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality. We carried out meta-analysis where appropriate and calculated numbers needed to treat to benefit (NNTBs) for the primary outcome (death at home). Main results We identified 23 studies (16 RCTs, 6 of high quality), including 37,561 participants and 4042 family caregivers, largely with advanced cancer but also congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... report inappropriate content. Sign in Transcript Add translations 4,609 views Like this video? Sign in to ... Palliative Care - Duration: 3:29. American Cancer Society 4,363 views 3:29 Pediatric Palliative Care and ...

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... it free Find out why Close Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story NINRnews Loading... Unsubscribe from NINRnews? ... and her family. The story demonstrates how palliative care can positively influence a patient's and family's experience ...

A randomised, multicentre clinical trial of specialised palliative care plus standard treatment versus standard treatment alone for cancer patients with palliative care needs: the Danish palliative care trial (DanPaCT) protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, Anna Thit; Damkier, Anette; Vejlgaard, Tove Bahn

2013-01-01

Advanced cancer patients experience considerable symptoms, problems, and needs. Early referral of these patients to specialised palliative care (SPC) could improve their symptoms and problems.The Danish Palliative Care Trial (DanPaCT) investigates whether patients with metastatic cancer, who report...... palliative needs in a screening, will benefit from being referred to 'early SPC'....

Can elearning be used to teach palliative care? - medical students' acceptance, knowledge, and self-estimation of competence in palliative care after elearning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz-Quach, Christian; Wenzel-Meyburg, Ursula; Fetz, Katharina

2018-04-27

Undergraduate palliative care education (UPCE) was mandatorily incorporated in medical education in Germany in 2009. Implementation of the new cross-sectional examination subject of palliative care (QB13) continues to be a major challenge for medical schools. It is clear that there is a need among students for more UPCE. On the other hand, there is a lack of teaching resources and patient availabilities for the practical lessons. Digital media and elearning might be one solution to this problem. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the elearning course Palliative Care Basics, with regard to students' acceptance of this teaching method and their performance in the written examination on the topic of palliative care. In addition, students' self-estimation in competence in palliative care was assessed. To investigate students' acceptance of the elearning course Palliative Care Basics, we conducted a cross-sectional study that is appropriate for proof-of-concept evaluation. The sample consisted of three cohorts of medical students of Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf (N = 670). The acceptance of the elearning approach was investigated by means of the standard evaluation of Heinrich Heine University. The effect of elearning on students' self-estimation in palliative care competencies was measured by means of the German revised version of the Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice Questionnaire (PCEP-GR). The elearning course Palliative Care Basics was well-received by medical students. The data yielded no significant effects of the elearning course on students' self-estimation in palliative care competencies. There was a trend of the elearning course having a positive effect on the mark in written exam. Elearning is a promising approach in UPCE and well-accepted by medical students. It may be able to increase students' knowledge in palliative care. However, it is likely that there are other approaches needed to change students' self

Delirium Frequency and Risk Factors Among Patients With Cancer in Palliative Care Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Şenel, Gülcin; Uysal, Neşe; Oguz, Gonca; Kaya, Mensure; Kadioullari, Nihal; Koçak, Nesteren; Karaca, Serife

2017-04-01

Introductıon: Delirium is a complex but common disorder in palliative care with a prevalence between 13% and 88% but a particular frequency at the end of life yet often remains insufficiently diagnosed and managed. The aim of our study is to determine the frequency of delirium and identify factors associated with delirium at palliative care unit. Two hundred thirteen consecutive inpatients from October 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013, were studied prospectively. Age, gender, Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI), length of stay in hospital, and delirium etiology and subtype were recorded. Delirium was diagnosed with using Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Text Revision ( DSM-IV TR) criteria. The incidence of delirium among the patients with cancer was 49.8%. Mean age was 60.3 ± 14.8 (female 41%, male 59%, PPS 39.8%, PPI 5.9 ± 3.0, length of stay in hospital 8.6 ± 6.9 days). Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that use of opioids, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, steroids, polypharmacy, infection, malnutrition, immobilization, sleep disturbance, constipation, hyperbilirubinemia, liver/renal failure, pulmonary failure/hypoxia, electrolyte imbalance, brain cancer/metastases, decreased PPS, and increased PPI were risk factors. Subtypes of delirium included hypoactive 49%, mixed 41%, and hyperactive 10%. The communicative impediments associated with delirium generate distress for the patient, their family, and health care practitioners who might have to contend with agitation and difficulty in assessing pain and other symptoms. To manage delirium in patients with cancer, clinicians must be able to diagnose it accurately and undertake appropriate assessment of underlying causes.

Specialist palliative care services for adults with advanced, incurable illness in hospital, hospice, or community settings--protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaertner, Jan; Siemens, Waldemar; Antes, Gerd; Meerpohl, Joerg J; Xander, Carola; Schwarzer, Guido; Stock, Stephanie; Becker, Gerhild

2015-09-25

Specialist palliative care (SPC) interventions aim to relieve and prevent suffering in the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domain. Therefore, SPC is carried out by a multi-professional team with different occupations (e.g., physician, nurse, psychologist, and social worker). Remaining skepticism concerning the need for SPC may be based on the scarcity of high-quality evaluations about the external evidence for SPC. Therefore, we will conduct a systematic review according to Cochrane standards to examine the effects of SPC for adults with advanced illness. The comprehensive systematic literature search will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs. We will search the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and PsycINFO. Patients must be adults suffering from life-limiting diseases. Proxy and caregiver outcomes will not be assessed in order to ensure a clear and well-defined research question for this review. Interventions may be in an in- or outpatient setting, e.g., consulting service, palliative care ward, and palliative outpatient clinic. In line with the multi-dimensional scope of palliative care, the primary outcome is quality of life (QoL). Key secondary outcomes are patients' symptom burden, place of death and survival, and health economic aspects. Subgroup analysis will assess results according to cancer type, age, early vs not early SPC, site of care, and setting. Analysis will be performed with the current RevMan software. We will use the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias assessment tool. The quality of evidence will be judged according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The available evidence will be summarized and discussed to provide a basis for decision-making among health care professionals and policy makers. For SPC, we believe that multi-professional care is of utmost importance. Therefore, single

Policy analysis: palliative care in Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Larkin, P

2014-03-01

Palliative care for patients with advanced illness is a subject of growing importance in health services, policy and research. In 2001 Ireland became one of the first nations to publish a dedicated national palliative care policy. This paper uses the \\'policy analysis triangle\\' as a framework to examine what the policy entailed, where the key ideas originated, why the policy process was activated, who were the key actors, and what were the main consequences. Although palliative care provision expanded following publication, priorities that were unaddressed or not fully embraced on the national policy agenda are identified. The factors underlying areas of non-fulfilment of policy are then discussed. In particular, the analysis highlights that policy initiatives in a relatively new field of healthcare face a trade-off between ambition and feasibility. Key policy goals could not be realised given the large resource commitments required; the competition for resources from other, better-established healthcare sectors; and challenges in expanding workforce and capacity. Additionally, the inherently cross-sectoral nature of palliative care complicated the co-ordination of support for the policy. Policy initiatives in emerging fields such as palliative care should address carefully feasibility and support in their conception and implementation.

High dose rate brachytherapy for the palliation of malignant dysphagia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homs, Marjolein Y.V.; Eijkenboom, Wilhelmina M.H.; Coen, Veronique L.M.A.; Haringsma, Jelle; Blankenstein, Mark van; Kuipers, Ernst J.; Siersema, Peter D.

2003-01-01

Background and purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a commonly used palliative treatment for esophageal carcinoma. We evaluated the outcome of HDR brachytherapy in patients with malignant dysphagia. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis over a 10-year period was performed of 149 patients treated with HDR brachytherapy, administered in one or two sessions, at a median dose of 15 Gy. Patients were evaluated for functional outcome, complications, recurrent dysphagia, and survival. Results: At 6 weeks after HDR brachytherapy, dysphagia scores had improved from a median of 3 to 2 (n=104; P<0.001), however, dysphagia had not improved in 51 (49%) patients. Procedure-related complications occurred in seven (5%) patients. Late complications, including fistula formation or bleeding, occurred in 11 (7%) patients. Twelve (8%) patients experienced minor retrosternal pain. Median survival of the patients was 160 days with a 1-year survival rate of 15%. Procedure-related mortality was 2%. At follow-up, 55 (37%) patients experienced recurrent dysphagia. In 34 (23%) patients a metal stent was placed to relieve persistent or recurrent dysphagia. Conclusion: HDR brachytherapy is a moderately effective treatment for the palliation of malignant dysphagia. The incidence of early major complications is low, however, persistent and recurrent dysphagia occur frequently, and require often additional treatment

Continuous Palliative Sedation for Cancer and Noncancer Patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swart, S.J.; Rietjens, J.A.C.; van Zuylen, L.; Zuurmond, W.W.A.; Perez, R.S.G.M.; van der Maas, P.J.; van Delden, J.J.M.; van der Heide, A.

2012-01-01

Context: Palliative care is often focused on cancer patients. Palliative sedation at the end of life is an intervention to address severe suffering in the last stage of life. Objectives: To study the practice of continuous palliative sedation for both cancer and noncancer patients. Methods: In 2008,

Aggressive palliative surgery in metastatic phyllodes tumor: Impact on quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A S Kapali

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Metastatic phyllodes tumor has very few treatment options. Phyllodes tumor in metastatic setting has limited role of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy or combined treatment. Most of the patients receive symptomatic management only. We present a case of metastatic phyllodes tumor managed with aggressive margin negative resection of primary tumor leading to palliation of almost all the symptoms, which eventually led to improved quality of life and probably to improved survival. The improved quality of life was objectively assessed with Hamilton depression rating scale. Surgery may be the only mode of palliation in selected patients that provides a better quality of life and directly or indirectly may lead to improved survival.

An Innovative Role for Faith Community Nursing: Palliative Care Ministry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lentz, Judy C

Although the specialty of palliative nursing and palliative care continues to grow in hospital and outpatient settings, a paucity of home-based palliative services remains. This article discusses a new paradigm of faith-based palliative care ministry using faith community nurses (FCNs). Under the leadership of a palliative care doula (a nurse expert in palliative care), nurses in the faith community can offer critical support to those with serious illness. Models such as this provide stimulating content for FCN practice and opportunity to broaden health ministry within faith communities.

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 014 views 6:28 Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care Music Therapy & Alzheimer's - Duration: 6:24. Seasons Hospice & Palliative ...

Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Queue __count__/__total__ It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and videos with zero ads? Get YouTube Red. ... 010 views 1:55 Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care Music Therapy & Alzheimer's - Duration: 6:24. Seasons Hospice & Palliative ...

Palliative care and spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narayanasamy Aru

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Critical junctures in patients′ lives such as chronic illnesses and advanced diseases may leave the persons in a state of imbalance or disharmony of body, mind and spirit. With regard to spirituality and healing, there is a consensus in literature about the influence of spirituality on recovery and the ability to cope with and adjust to the varying and demanding states of health and illness. Empirical evidence suggests that spiritual support may act as an adjunct to the palliative care of those facing advanced diseases and end of life. In this article, the author draws from his empirical work on spirituality and culture to develop a discourse on palliative care and spirituality in both secular and non-secular settings. In doing so, this paper offers some understanding into the concept of spirituality, spiritual needs and spiritual care interventions in palliative care in terms of empirical evidence. Responding to spiritual needs could be challenging, but at the same time it could be rewarding to both healthcare practitioner (HCP and patient in that they may experience spiritual growth and development. Patients may derive great health benefits with improvements in their quality of life, resolutions and meaning and purpose in life. It is hoped that the strategies for spiritual support outlined in this paper serve as practical guidelines to HCPs for development of palliative care in South Asia.

Healing ministry and palliative care in Christianity.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayard, S Stephen; Irudayadason, Nishant A; Davis, J Charles

2017-01-01

Death is inevitable, but that does not mean it can be planned or imposed. It is an ethical imperative that we attend to the unbearable pain and suffering of patients with incurable and terminal illnesses. This is where palliative care plays a vital role. Palliative care has been growing faster in the world of medicine since its emergence as a specialty in the last decade. Palliative care helps to reduce physical pain while affirming the aspect of human suffering and dying as a normal process. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life both of the patient and the family. Palliative care resonates with the healing ministry of Christianity that affirms the sanctity and dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Christianity is convinced that patients at the very end of their lives, with all their ailments and agonies, are still people who have been created in the image and likeness of God. The human person is always precious, even when marked by age and sickness. This is one of the basic convictions that motivate Christians to take care of the sick and the dying. Palliative care is a great opportunity for Christians to manifest God's unfailing love for the terminally ill and the dying.

Palliative Care

Science.gov (United States)

Palliative care is treatment of the discomfort, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. It provides relief from distressing symptoms ... of the medical treatments you're receiving. Hospice care, care at the end of life, always includes ...

How useful are systematic reviews for informing palliative care practice? Survey of 25 Cochrane systematic reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadley Gina

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In contemporary medical research, randomised controlled trials are seen as the gold standard for establishing treatment effects where it is ethical and practical to conduct them. In palliative care such trials are often impractical, unethical, or extremely difficult, with multiple methodological problems. We review the utility of Cochrane reviews in informing palliative care practice. Methods Published reviews in palliative care registered with the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group as of December 2007 were obtained from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, issue 1, 2008. We reviewed the quality and quantity of primary studies available for each review, assessed the quality of the review process, and judged the strength of the evidence presented. There was no prior intention to perform any statistical analyses. Results 25 published systematic reviews were identified. Numbers of included trials ranged from none to 54. Within each review, included trials were heterogeneous with respect to patients, interventions, and outcomes, and the number of patients contributing to any single analysis was generally much lower than the total included in the review. A variety of tools were used to assess trial quality; seven reviews did not use this information to exclude low quality studies, weight analyses, or perform sensitivity analysis for effect of low quality. Authors indicated that there were frequently major problems with the primary studies, individually or in aggregate. Our judgment was that the reviewing process was generally good in these reviews, and that conclusions were limited by the number, size, quality and validity of the primary studies. We judged the evidence about 23 of the 25 interventions to be weak. Two reviews had stronger evidence, but with limitations due to methodological heterogeneity or definition of outcomes. No review provided strong evidence of no effect. Conclusion Cochrane reviews

PALLIATIVE CARE IN GERIATRICS: CURRENT ISSUES AND PROSPECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. P. Рonomareva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to identify the main problems and prospects of development of palliative care in geriatrics at the present stage. Method of research was to analyze the printed and electronic databases that meet the stated issues. The results of the study highlight the problems of the development of palliative care in geriatric practice: the lack of a developed procedure of rendering palliative care and adequate elderly patient selection criteria, the lack of trained professional staff. The main prospects-association of palliative practices and concepts of modern geriatrics required specialized geriatric assessment and the provision of clinical, medical, social and socio-psychological geriatric syndromes. While promising option for the development of palliative care geriatrics is the integration into the existing health care system, acceptance of the fact that it is a part of the specialized geriatric care. This requires the involvement and training of not only specialists with medical education, but also persons without medical training from among social workers and volunteers working in palliative care. Therefore, the obtained data allowed to conclude that topical is the development of palliative care in geriatrics, taking into account not only clinical but medico-social, socio-psychological features.

PROGRAM OF PALLIATIVE CANCER CARE – OUR EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iva Slánská

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Annually more than 27,000 persons die of cancer in the Czech Republic and the overall incidence of malignancies is still increasing. These data shows the need for affordable and good follow-up care especially for patients without any cancer treatment due to irreversible progression of tumor. Currently the outpatient palliative cancer care gets more into the forefront. Prerequisite for a well working outpatient palliative care is cooperation with general practitioners and home health care agencies. The purpose of the so called program of palliative cancer care is to guide a patient in palliative cancer care and to improve the cooperation among health care providers. Methods: During the period from January 2008 to October 2010 we evaluated in patient without any oncology treatment due to irreversible progression of tumor. Results: In palliative outpatient clinic we treated 446 patients, 119 of them received home care services with average length of 27.8 days. 77 patients died at home, 51 in health facilities and 41 in inpatient hospice care. Conclusion: We present pilot study focusing on outpatient palliative cancer care which shows the real benefit from early indication of palliative cancer care. This type of care allows patients to stay as long as possible at home among their close relatives.

Is Palliative Care Right for You?

Science.gov (United States)

... to you, need help with: Coping with the stress of a serious illness Emotional support Spiritual or religious support Talking with your family about your illness and what is important to ... What Is Palliative Care Definition Pediatric Palliative Care Disease Types FAQ Handout for ...

Improving communication on hope in palliative care. A qualitative study of palliative care professionals' metaphors of hope: grip, source, tune, and vision

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olsman, Erik; Duggleby, Wendy; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Willems, Dick; Gagnon, Judith; Kruizinga, Renske; Leget, Carlo

2014-01-01

Hope is important in palliative care. However, palliative care professionals' perspectives on hope are not well understood. Metaphors of hope are a way of better understanding these perspectives. To describe palliative care professionals' perspectives on hope by examining the hope metaphors they

[eLearning service for home palliative care].

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuyama, Toshikazu; Komatsu, Kazuhiro; Inoue, Daisuke; Fukushima, Osamu

2008-12-01

In order to support the home palliative care learning, we made the eLearning service for home palliative care (beta version) and tried to teach the palliative care to the medical staffs in the community. The various learners (such as nurses, pharmacists and the like) accessed to the online learning and used this eLearning service. After the learners finished eLearning for home palliative care, some questionnaires were distributed to the learners and analyzed by us. The analysis of questionnaires revealed that almost all were satisfied with our eLearning services. Especially the learners were not only interested in using the skills of opioids and the management of pain control, but they had a good cognition for the usage of opioids.

Palliative care in India: Current progress and future needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divya Khosla

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Despite its limited coverage, palliative care has been present in India for about 20 years. Obstacles in the growth of palliative care in India are too many and not only include factors like population density, poverty, geographical diversity, restrictive policies regarding opioid prescription, workforce development at base level, but also limited national palliative care policy and lack of institutional interest in palliative care. Nonetheless we have reasons to be proud in that we have overcome several hurdles and last two decades have seen palpable changes in the mindset of health care providers and policy makers with respect to need of palliative care in India. Systematic and continuous education for medical staff is mandatory, and a major break-through for achieving this purpose would be to increase the number of courses and faculties in palliative medicine at most universities.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of home palliative care services for adults with advanced illness and their caregivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Gomes

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Extensive evidence shows that well over 50% of people prefer to be cared for and to die at home provided circumstances allow choice. Despite best efforts and policies, one-third or less of all deaths take place at home in many countries of the world. OBJECTIVES: 1. to quantify the effect of home palliative care services for adult patients with advanced illness and their family caregivers on patients' odds of dying at home; 2. to examine the clinical effectiveness of home palliative care services on other outcomes for patients and their caregivers such as symptom control, quality of life, caregiver distress and satisfaction with care; 3. to compare the resource use and costs associated with these services; 4. to critically appraise and summarize the current evidence on cost-effectiveness. METHODS: Search methods: We searched 12 electronic databases up to November 2012. We checked the reference lists of all included studies, 49 relevant systematic reviews, four key textbooks and recent conference abstracts. We contacted 17 experts and researchers for unpublished data. Selection criteria: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs, controlled clinical trials (CCTs, controlled before and after studies (CBAs and interrupted time series (ITSs evaluating the impact of home palliative care services on outcomes for adults with advanced illness or their family caregivers, or both. Data collection and analysis: One review author assessed the identified titles and abstracts. Two independent reviewers performed assessment of all potentially relevant studies, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality. We carried out meta-analysis where appropriate and calculated numbers needed to treat to benefit (NNTBs for the primary outcome (death at home. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 23 studies (16 RCTs, 6 of high quality, including 37,561 participants and 4042 family caregivers, largely with advanced cancer but also congestive heart failure

Integrating Palliative Care Services in Ambulatory Oncology: An Application of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.

Science.gov (United States)

Rauenzahn, Sherri L; Schmidt, Susanne; Aduba, Ifeoma O; Jones, Jessica T; Ali, Nazneen; Tenner, Laura L

2017-04-01

Research in palliative care demonstrates improvements in overall survival, quality of life, symptom management, and reductions in the cost of care. Despite the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendation for early concurrent palliative care in patients with advanced cancer and high symptom burden, integrating palliative services is challenging. Our aims were to quantitatively describe the palliative referral rates and symptom burden in a South Texas cancer center and establish a palliative referral system by implementing the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). As part of our Plan-Do-Study-Act process, all staff received an educational overview of the ESAS tool and consultation ordering process. The ESAS form was then implemented across five ambulatory oncology clinics to assess symptom burden and changes therein longitudinally. Referral rates and symptom assessment scores were tracked as metrics for quality improvement. On average, one patient per month was referred before implementation of the intervention compared with 10 patients per month after implementation across all clinics. In five sample clinics, 607 patients completed the initial assessment, and 430 follow-up forms were collected over 5 months, resulting in a total of 1,037 scores collected in REDCap. The mean ESAS score for initial patient visits was 20.0 (standard deviation, 18.1), and referred patients had an initial mean score of 39.0 (standard deviation, 19.0). This project highlights the low palliative care consultation rate, high symptom burden of oncology patients, and underuse of services by oncologists despite improvements with the introduction of a symptom assessment form and referral system.

Integrating palliative care within acute stroke services: developing a programme theory of patient and family needs, preferences and staff perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burton Christopher R

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Palliative care should be integrated early into the care trajectories of people with life threatening illness such as stroke. However published guidance focuses primarily on the end of life, and there is a gap in the evidence about how the palliative care needs of acute stroke patients and families should be addressed. Synthesising data across a programme of related studies, this paper presents an explanatory framework for the integration of palliative and acute stroke care. Methods Data from a survey (n=191 of patient-reported palliative care needs and interviews (n=53 exploring experiences with patients and family members were explored in group interviews with 29 staff from 3 United Kingdom stroke services. A realist approach to theory building was used, constructed around the mechanisms that characterise integration, their impacts, and mediating, contextual influences. Results The framework includes two cognitive mechanisms (the legitimacy of palliative care and individual capacity, and behavioural mechanisms (engaging with family; the timing of intervention; working with complexity; and the recognition of dying through which staff integrate palliative and stroke care. A range of clinical (whether patients are being ‘actively treated’, and prognostic uncertainty and service (leadership, specialty status and neurological focus factors appear to influence how palliative care needs are attended to. Conclusions Our framework is the first, empirical explanation of the integration of palliative and acute stroke care. The specification in the framework of factors that mediate integration can inform service development to improve the outcomes and experiences of patients and families.

An instrument to measure nurses' knowledge in palliative care: Validation of the Spanish version of Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Chover-Sierra

Full Text Available Palliative care is nowadays essential in nursing care, due to the increasing number of patients who require attention in final stages of their life. Nurses need to acquire specific knowledge and abilities to provide quality palliative care. Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses is a questionnaire that evaluates their basic knowledge about palliative care. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses (PCQN is useful to evaluate basic knowledge about palliative care, but its adaptation into the Spanish language and the analysis of its effectiveness and utility for Spanish culture is lacking.To report the adaptation into the Spanish language and the psychometric analysis of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses.The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses-Spanish Version (PCQN-SV was obtained from a process including translation, back-translation, comparison with versions in other languages, revision by experts, and pilot study. Content validity and reliability of questionnaire were analyzed. Difficulty and discrimination indexes of each item were also calculated according to Item Response Theory (IRT.Adequate internal consistency was found (S-CVI = 0.83; Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.67 and KR-20 test result of 0,72 reflected the reliability of PCQN-SV. The questionnaire had a global difficulty index of 0,55, with six items which could be considered as difficult or very difficult, and five items with could be considered easy or very easy. The discrimination indexes of the 20 items, show us that eight items are good or very good while six items are bad to discriminate between good and bad respondents.Although in shows internal consistency, reliability and difficulty indexes similar to those obtained by versions of PCQN in other languages, a reformulation of the items with lowest content validity or discrimination indexes and those showing difficulties with their comprehension is an aspect to take into account in order to improve the PCQN-SV.The PCQN-SV is a useful

Defining High-Quality Palliative Care in Oncology Practice: An American Society of Clinical Oncology/American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Guidance Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickel, Kathleen E; McNiff, Kristen; Buss, Mary K; Kamal, Arif; Lupu, Dale; Abernethy, Amy P; Broder, Michael S; Shapiro, Charles L; Acheson, Anupama Kurup; Malin, Jennifer; Evans, Tracey; Krzyzanowska, Monika K

2016-09-01

Integrated into routine oncology care, palliative care can improve symptom burden, quality of life, and patient and caregiver satisfaction. However, not all oncology practices have access to specialist palliative medicine. This project endeavored to define what constitutes high-quality primary palliative care as delivered by medical oncology practices. An expert steering committee outlined 966 palliative care service items, in nine domains, each describing a candidate element of primary palliative care delivery for patients with advanced cancer or high symptom burden. Using modified Delphi methodology, 31 multidisciplinary panelists rated each service item on three constructs: importance, feasibility, and scope within medical oncology practice. Panelists endorsed the highest proportion of palliative care service items in the domains of End-of-Life Care (81%); Communication and Shared Decision Making (79%); and Advance Care Planning (78%). The lowest proportions were in Spiritual and Cultural Assessment and Management (35%) and Psychosocial Assessment and Management (39%). In the largest domain, Symptom Assessment and Management, there was consensus that all symptoms should be assessed and managed at a basic level, with more comprehensive management for common symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspnea, and pain. Within the Appropriate Palliative Care and Hospice Referral domain, there was consensus that oncology practices should be able to describe the difference between palliative care and hospice to patients and refer patients appropriately. This statement describes the elements comprising high-quality primary palliative care for patients with advanced cancer or high symptom burden, as delivered by oncology practices. Oncology providers wishing to enhance palliative care delivery may find this information useful to inform operational changes and quality improvement efforts. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

A social capital framework for palliative care: supporting health and well-being for people with life-limiting illness and their carers through social relations and networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Joanne M; DiGiacomo, Michelle; Luckett, Tim; Davidson, Patricia M; Currow, David C

2013-01-01

Social relations and networks are vital for sustaining and enhancing end-of-life care. The social capital concept supports a framework to understand the association between social relations and well-being; yet, to date, there has been very limited investigation of social capital in the palliative care literature. A framework for understanding social contexts in end-of-life care is necessary. To summarize the literature on social capital, well-being, and quality of life for key outcomes to inform a model of social capital in palliative care. The electronic databases MEDLINE (1997 to March 2011), Embase (1997 to March 2011), CINAHL (1997 to March 2011), and PsycINFO (1997 to March 2011) were searched using key/MeSH search terms of "social capital," "palliative care," and "well-being" and/or "quality of life." The literature was reviewed to identify key concepts to develop and inform a palliative care social capital framework. A total of 93 articles were included in the literature review, with only two articles identifying discourse on social capital and palliative care. Four key areas integrating the social capital outcomes informed a framework for palliative care. The social capital concept provides a structure for understanding how the organization and meaning of social contexts can potentially enhance or hinder end-of-life care. Research that identifies specificity in application of social capital concepts is fundamental to issues of access to services, sustaining levels of care, quality of life, and well-being. The importance of "bridged" social capital relations and networks for improved resource acquisition and information flow was identified in the literature and outlined within the palliative care social capital framework. Differential access to social capital by disadvantaged groups provides further impetus to engage a model of social capital for palliative care. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Endoscopic Palliation for Pancreatic Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihir Bakhru

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Pancreatic cancer is devastating due to its poor prognosis. Patients require a multidisciplinary approach to guide available options, mostly palliative because of advanced disease at presentation. Palliation including relief of biliary obstruction, gastric outlet obstruction, and cancer-related pain has become the focus in patients whose cancer is determined to be unresectable. Endoscopic stenting for biliary obstruction is an option for drainage to avoid the complications including jaundice, pruritus, infection, liver dysfunction and eventually failure. Enteral stents can relieve gastric obstruction and allow patients to resume oral intake. Pain is difficult to treat in cancer patients and endoscopic procedures such as pancreatic stenting and celiac plexus neurolysis can provide relief. The objective of endoscopic palliation is to primarily address symptoms as well improve quality of life.

The effect of weekly specialist palliative care teleconsultations in patients with advanced cancer -a randomized clinical trial.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoek, P.D.; Schers, H.J.; Bronkhorst, E.M.; Vissers, K.C.P.; Hasselaar, J.G.J.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Teleconsultation seems to be a promising intervention for providing palliative care to home-dwelling patients; however, its effect on clinically relevant outcome measures remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether weekly teleconsultations

Palliative care in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Robyna Irshad

2017-01-01

Pakistan is a developing country of South East Asia, with all the incumbent difficulties currently being faced by the region. Insufficient public healthcare facilities, poorly regulated private health sector, low budgetary allocation for health, improper priority setting while allocating limited resources, have resulted essentially in an absence of palliative care from the healthcare scene. Almost 90% of healthcare expenditure is out of the patient's pocket with more than 45% of population living below the poverty line. All these factors have a collective potential to translate into an end-of-life care disaster as a large percentage of population is suffering from chronic debilitating/terminal diseases. So far, such a disaster has not materialised, the reason being a family based culture emphasising the care of the sick and old at home, supported by religious teachings. This culture is not limited to Pakistan but subsists in the entire sub-continent, where looking after the sick/elderly at home is considered to be the duty of the younger generation. With effects of globalisation, more and more older people are living alone and an increasing need for palliative care is being realised. However, there does not seem to be any plan on the part of the public or private sectors to initiate palliative care services. This paper seeks to trace the social and cultural perspectives in Pakistan with regards to accessing palliative care in the context of healthcare facilities available.

Music therapy for palliative care: A realist review.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Tracey; Porter, Sam

2017-08-01

Music therapy has experienced a rising demand as an adjunct therapy for symptom management among palliative care patients. We conducted a realist review of the literature to develop a greater understanding of how music therapy might benefit palliative care patients and the contextual mechanisms that promote or inhibit its successful implementation. We searched electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and PsychINFO) for literature containing information on music therapy for palliative care. In keeping with the realist approach, we examined all relevant literature to develop theories that could explain how music therapy works. A total of 51 articles were included in the review. Music therapy was found to have a therapeutic effect on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering of palliative care patients. We also identified program mechanisms that help explain music therapy's therapeutic effects, along with facilitating contexts for implementation. Music therapy may be an effective nonpharmacological approach to managing distressing symptoms in palliative care patients. The findings also suggest that group music therapy may be a cost-efficient and effective way to support staff caring for palliative care patients. We encourage others to continue developing the evidence base in order to expand our understanding of how music therapy works, with the aim of informing and improving the provision of music therapy for palliative care patients.

Palliative care nurses' views on euthanasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Verpoort, Charlotte; Gastmans, Chris; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette

2004-09-01

In debates on euthanasia legalization in Belgium, the voices of nurses were scarcely heard. Yet studies have shown that nurses are involved in the caring process surrounding euthanasia. Consequently, they are in a position to offer valuable ideas about this problem. For this reason, the views of these nurses are important because of their palliative expertise and their daily confrontation with dying patients. The aim of this paper is to report a study of the views of palliative care nurses about euthanasia. A grounded theory approach was chosen, and interviews were carried out with a convenience sample of 12 palliative care nurses in Flanders (Belgium). The data were collected between December 2001 and April 2002. The majority of the nurses were not a priori for or against euthanasia, and their views were largely dependent on the situation. What counted was the degree of suffering and available palliative options. Depending on the situation, we noted both resistance and acceptance towards euthanasia. The underlying arguments for resistance included respect for life and belief in the capabilities of palliative care; arguments underlying acceptance included the quality of life and respect for patient autonomy. The nurses commented that working in palliative care had a considerable influence on one's opinion about euthanasia. In light of the worldwide debate on euthanasia, it is essential to know how nurses, who are confronted with terminally ill patients every day, think about it. Knowledge of these views can also contribute to a realistic and qualified view on euthanasia itself. This can be enlightening to the personal views of caregivers working in a diverse range of care settings.

Factors affecting rural volunteering in palliative care - an integrated review.

Science.gov (United States)

Whittall, Dawn; Lee, Susan; O'Connor, Margaret

2016-12-01

To review factors shaping volunteering in palliative care in Australian rural communities using Australian and International literature. Identify gaps in the palliative care literature and make recommendations for future research. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Proquest, Scopus, Sage Premier, Wiley online, Ovid, Cochran, Google Scholar, CINAHL and Informit Health Collection. The literature was synthesised and presented in an integrated thematic narrative. Australian Rural communities. While Australia, Canada, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) are leaders in palliative care volunteer research, limited research specifically focuses on volunteers in rural communities with the least occurring in Australia. Several interrelated factors influence rural palliative care provision, in particular an increasingly ageing population which includes an ageing volunteer and health professional workforce. Also current and models of palliative care practice fail to recognise the innumerable variables between and within rural communities such as distance, isolation, lack of privacy, limited health care services and infrastructure, and workforce shortages. These issues impact palliative care provision and are significant for health professionals, volunteers, patients and caregivers. The three key themes of this integrated review include: (i) Geography, ageing rural populations in palliative care practice, (ii) Psychosocial impact of end-end-of life care in rural communities and (iii) Palliative care models of practice and volunteering in rural communities. The invisibility of volunteers in rural palliative care research is a concern in understanding the issues affecting the sustainability of quality palliative care provision in rural communities. Recommendations for future Australian research includes examination of the suitability of current models of palliative care practice in addressing the needs of rural communities; the recruitment

Self-assessment in cancer patients referred to palliative care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strömgren, Annette S; Goldschmidt, Dorthe; Groenvold, Mogens

2002-01-01

the symptomatology of participating patients and examines differences in symptomatology between patients in three palliative care functions: inpatient, outpatient, and palliative home care. RESULTS: Of 267 eligible patients who were referred to a department of palliative medicine, initial self......-based study of symptomatology in consecutive cancer patients in palliative care, achieving rather complete data from the participants. The symptomatology in these patients was very pronounced. The questionnaires were able to detect clinically important differences between places of service....

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... Getting Involved Communities Advanced Lung Disease Forum Psychiatry, Psychology, Mental Health Forum Social Work Forum SIG Instructions ... MOC/OCC Workforce Study Global Palliative Care About History Position Statements Access to Palliative Care and Hospice ...

The Impact of a Novel Tool for Comprehensive Assessment of Palliative Care (MPCAT) on Assessment Outcome at 6- and 12-Month Follow-Up.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Reilly, Martina

2016-07-01

Assessment in palliative care settings should be focused, sensitive, specific, and effective to minimize discomfort to vulnerable and often highly morbid patients. This report describes the development of an admission assessment protocol for a Specialist Palliative Care Inpatient Unit and its implementation into clinical practice.

Cooperating with a palliative home-care team

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goldschmidt, Dorthe; Groenvold, Mogens; Johnsen, Anna Thit

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: Palliative home-care teams often cooperate with general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses. Our aim was to evaluate a palliative home-care team from the viewpoint of GPs and district nurses. METHODS: GPs and district nurses received questionnaires at the start of home-care and one...... month later. Questions focussed on benefits to patients, training issues for professionals and cooperation between the home-care team and the GP/ district nurse. A combination of closed- and open-ended questions was used. RESULTS: Response rate was 84% (467/553). Benefits to patients were experienced...... by 91 %, mainly due to improvement in symptom management, 'security', and accessibility of specialists in palliative care. After one month, 57% of the participants reported to have learnt aspects of palliative care, primarily symptom control, and 89% of them found cooperation satisfactory...

Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia: a quantitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gielen, Joris; van den Branden, Stef; van Iersel, Trudie; Broeckaert, Bert

2009-10-01

To adequately measure the attitudes of Flemish palliative care nurses toward euthanasia, and assess the relationship between these attitudes and demographic factors and the (perceived) influence of experience in palliative care on death anxiety. An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all nurses (n=589) employed in palliative care in Flanders, Belgium: 70.5% of the nurses (n=415) responded. A majority of the nurses supported the Belgian law regulating euthanasia but also believed that most euthanasia requests disappear as soon as a patient experiences the benefits of good palliative care. Three clusters were discovered: staunch advocates of euthanasia (150 nurses, 41.1%); moderate advocates of euthanasia (135 nurses, 37%); and (moderate) opponents of euthanasia (80 nurses, 21.9%). An absolute opposition between advocates and opponents of euthanasia was not observed. A statistically significant relationship was found between the euthanasia clusters and years of experience in palliative care, and (perceived) influence of experience in palliative care on anxiety when a patient dies. Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia are nuanced and contextual. By indicating that most euthanasia requests disappear as soon as a patient experiences the benefits of good palliative care, the nurses applied a 'palliative filter' a standard procedure in the case of a euthanasia request.

Palliative and end-of-life care in South Dakota.

Science.gov (United States)

Minton, Mary E; Kerkvliet, Jennifer L; Mitchell, Amanda; Fahrenwald, Nancy L

2014-05-01

Geographical disparities play a significant role in palliative and end-of-life care access. This study assessed availability of palliative and end of life (hospice) care in South Dakota. Grounded in a conceptual model of advance care planning, this assessment explored whether South Dakota health care facilities had contact persons for palliative care, hospice services, and advance directives; health care providers with specialized training in palliative and hospice care; and a process for advance directives and advance care planning. Trained research assistants conducted a brief telephone survey. Of 668 health care eligible facilities, 455 completed the survey for a response rate of 68 percent (455 out of 668). Over one-half of facilities had no specific contact person for palliative care, hospice services and advance directives. Nursing homes reported the highest percentage of contacts for palliative care, hospice services and advance directives. Despite a lack of a specific contact person, nearly 75 percent of facilities reported having a process in place for addressing advance directives with patients; slightly over one-half (53 percent) reported having a process in place for advance care planning. Of participating facilities, 80 percent had no staff members with palliative care training, and 73 percent identified lack of staff members with end-of-life care training. Palliative care training was most commonly reported among hospice/home health facilities (45 percent). The results of this study demonstrate a clear need for a health care and allied health care workforce with specialized training in palliative and end-of-life care.

Palliative care in home care: perceptions of occupational therapists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Séfora Gomez Portela

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This research aimed at understanding and reflecting on the perceptions of occupational therapists regarding the implementation of palliative care in home care. This is an exploratory, qualitative study, through semi-structured interviews, conducted in the second semester of 2012 with eight occupational therapists with experience in palliative care in the city of São Paulo. Content analysis identified four themes: characterization and professional trajectory in the field, understanding the concepts of palliative care, home care and palliative care, and occupational therapy and palliative care in home care. The results suggest that the role of the occupational therapist in this field has taken place at different levels of health care, being addressed to people with varying needs. The use of the concept of palliative care by the interviewees exceeds the notion of end of life, following the changes in the epidemiological transition. They understand that professional services follow the trend of national palliative care services with focus on specialized levels, but manifest the importance of its implementation in primary and home care. Among the barriers to practice, they identified the complexity of “being at home “, peculiarities of palliative care with high cost demands, lack of infrastructure and implementation of the current policy. Professional training and scientific roduction in the area were viewed as inadequate, although they identified a call for change. The interviewees recognized palliative care in home care as a strong professional field, but one still requiring study and discussions regarding its limits and conditions of implementation, especially in the Unified Health System.

Treatment of bone metastases with palliative radiotherapy: Patients' treatment preferences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szumacher, Ewa; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hillary; Franssen, Edmee; Chow, Edward; Boer, Gerrit de; Danjoux, Cyril; Hayter, Charles; Barnes, Elizabeth; Andersson, Lourdes

2005-01-01

Purpose: To determine the proportion of patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy (RT) for bone pain who would like to participate in the decision-making process, and to determine their choice of palliative RT regimen (2000 cGy in five fractions vs. 800 cGy in one fraction) for painful bone metastases. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients were approached and all patients agreeing to participate provided written informed consent. Patients' decisional preferences were studied using a five-statement preference instrument. A decision board was used to help patients decide their preferred palliative RT regimen. Factors influencing patients' choices were studied using a visual analog scale. Results: A total of 101 patients were enrolled in the study (55 women and 46 men). The preferences for decision-making were as follows: 30 active, 47 collaborative, and 24 passive. Most (55 [76%] of 72) patients favored one fraction of palliative RT (95% confidence interval, 65-86%). Patients were more likely to select the 800 cGy in one fraction because of the convenience of the treatment plan (odds ratio, 1.024; 95% confidence interval, 1.004-1044) but were less likely to choose it because of the chance of bone fracture (odds ratio, 0.973; 95% confidence interval, 0.947-1.000) compared with 2000 cGy in five fractions. Conclusion: Most participating patients preferred to decide either by themselves or with the radiation oncologists which treatment option they preferred. An 800-cGy-in-one-fraction regimen was favored, independent of the treated site. The convenience of the treatment plan and the likelihood of bone fracture were the most important factors influencing patients' choice

Qualitative Research in Palliative Care: Applications to Clinical Trials Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Christopher T; Tadmor, Avia; Fujisawa, Daisuke; MacDonald, James J; Gallagher, Emily R; Eusebio, Justin; Jackson, Vicki A; Temel, Jennifer S; Greer, Joseph A; Hagan, Teresa; Park, Elyse R

2017-08-01

While vast opportunities for using qualitative methods exist within palliative care research, few studies provide practical advice for researchers and clinicians as a roadmap to identify and utilize such opportunities. To provide palliative care clinicians and researchers descriptions of qualitative methodology applied to innovative research questions relative to palliative care research and define basic concepts in qualitative research. Body: We describe three qualitative projects as exemplars to describe major concepts in qualitative analysis of early palliative care: (1) a descriptive analysis of clinician documentation in the electronic health record, (2) a thematic content analysis of palliative care clinician focus groups, and (3) a framework analysis of audio-recorded encounters between patients and clinicians as part of a clinical trial. This study provides a foundation for undertaking qualitative research within palliative care and serves as a framework for use by other palliative care researchers interested in qualitative methodologies.

Leadership Development Initiative: Growing Global Leaders… Advancing Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, Frank D; Moore, Shannon Y; Callaway, Mary V; Foley, Kathleen M

2018-02-01

The International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) was a model demonstration project that aimed to expand the global network of palliative care leaders in low- and moderate-resource countries who are well positioned to apply their new leadership skills. Thirty-nine palliative medicine physicians from 25 countries successfully completed the two-year curriculum that included three thematic residential courses, mentorship, and site visits by senior global palliative care leaders and personal projects to apply their new leadership skills. The focus on self-reflection, leadership behaviors and practices, strategic planning, high-level communication, and teaching skills led to significant personal and professional transformation among the participants, mentors, and the LDI team. The resulting residential course curriculum and the personal leadership stories and biosketches of the leaders are now available open access at IPCRC.net. Already, within their first-year postgraduation, the leaders are using their new leadership skills to grow palliative care capacity through significant changes in policy, improved opioid/other medication availability, new and enhanced educational curricula and continuing education activities, and development/expansion of palliative care programs in their organizations and regions. We are not aware of another palliative care initiative that achieves the global reach and ripple effect that LDI has produced. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness of palliative care among diploma nursing students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suja Karkada

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The goal of palliative care is not to cure, but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life for as long as life remains. The knowledge of nurses influences the quality of care provided to these patients. The present study aimed at identifying the level of knowledge and attitude of nursing students who are the future caretakers of patients, which helps to make recommendations in incorporating palliative care concepts in the nursing curriculum. Objectives: (1 To assess the level of knowledge of nursing students on palliative care; (2 To identify the attitude of nursing students towards palliative care; (3 To find the correlation between the knowledge and attitude of nursing students; (4 To find the association between nursing students′ knowledge, attitude and selected demographic variables. Materials and Methods: A correlative survey was carried out among 83 third-year Diploma Nursing students by using cluster sampling method from selected nursing schools of Udupi district. Results: The data analyzed showed that the majority (51% of them was in the age group of 21years and 92% of them were females. Only 43.4% of them were aware of the term palliative care and it was during their training period. The data showed that 79.5% of students had poor knowledge (6.4± 1.64 on palliative care and 92.8% of them had favorable attitude (56.7± 8.5 towards palliative care. The chi-square showed a significant association between knowledge and age (χ2 =18.52,P<0.01 of the nursing students. Conclusion: Palliative care aspects should be incorporated in the diploma nursing curriculum.

Palliative sedation in advanced cancer patients hospitalized in a specialized palliative care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Parra Palacio, Santiago; Giraldo Hoyos, Clara Elisa; Arias Rodríguez, Camilo; Mejía Arrieta, Daniel; Vargas Gómez, John Jairo; Krikorian, Alicia

2018-03-29

To describe the practice of palliative sedation (PS) in patients with advanced cancer in a specialized palliative care (PC) unit in Colombia. Descriptive prospective study including all adults with cancer hospitalized under PS in a cancer institute between January and July 2015 in Colombia. Variables examined were diagnosis, physical functioning, symptoms at the start of sedation, medications and dosages used, and type, level, and time of sedation. Descriptive and correlational statistics were obtained. Sixty-six patients were included, 70% of which were women. The patients had an average age of 61 years (range 24-87), and 74% had a Karnofsky Index (KI) of 50% or less. The most frequent diagnosis was breast cancer (22%), and 82% had metastatic cancer. The prevalence of palliative sedation was 2% and the most common symptoms indicating it were dyspnea (59%), delirium (45%), and pain (32%). All patients received midazolam as a sedative. The average time between the interval start and culmination of sedation was 44 h. There was a significant and inverse relationship between functionality and time under sedation. Palliative sedation is a valid therapeutic option for refractory symptoms causing suffering. The results correspond to international reports and guidelines, which suggests that PS is tailored to the needs of the individual patient while maintaining a high scientific standard, even in a context where PC is under development. However, further development of strategies and clear indications towards the use of PS in Colombia are needed, given its still scarce use.

Palliative Sedation: An Analysis of International Guidelines and Position Statements.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurschick, Lauren; Mayer, Deborah K; Hanson, Laura C

2015-09-01

To describe the suggested clinical practice of palliative sedation as it is presented in the literature and discuss available guidelines for its use. CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for publications since 1997 for recommended guidelines and position statements on palliative sedation as well as data on its provision. Keywords included palliative sedation, terminal sedation, guidelines, United States, and end of life. Inclusion criteria were palliative sedation policies, frameworks, guidelines, or discussion of its practice, general or oncology patient population, performance of the intervention in an inpatient unit, for humans, and in English. Exclusion criteria were palliative sedation in children, acute illness, procedural, or burns, and predominantly ethical discussions. Guidelines were published by American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (2000), Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (2003), American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2006), American Medical Association (2008), Royal Dutch Medical Association (2009), European Association for Palliative Care (2009), National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (2010), and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2012). Variances throughout guidelines include definitions of the practice, indications for its use, continuation of life-prolonging therapies, medications used, and timing/prognosis. The development and implementation of institutional-based guidelines with clear stance on the discussed variances is necessary for consistency in practice. Data on provision of palliative sedation after implementation of guidelines needs to be collected and disseminated for a better understanding of the current practice in the United States. © The Author(s) 2014.

Developing collaborative person-centred practice: a pilot project on a palliative care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Pippa; Weaver, Lynda; Gravelle, Debbie; Thibault, Hélène

2007-02-01

Maximizing interprofessional collaborative patient-centred practice holds promise for improving patient care and creating satisfying work roles. In Canada's evolving health care system, there are demands for increased efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality improvement. Interprofessional collaboration warrants re-examination because maximizing interprofessional collaboration, especially nurse-physician collaboration, holds promise for improving patient care and creating satisfying work roles. A palliative care team seized the opportunity to pilot a different approach to patient and family care when faced with a reduction in medical staff. Grounded in a collaborative patient-centred practice approach, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association's National Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care (2002), and outcomes from program retreats and workgroups, a collaborative person-centred model of care was developed for a 12-bed pilot project. Preliminary findings show that the pilot project team perceived some specific benefits in continuity of care and interprofessional collaboration, while the presence of the physician was reduced to an average of 3.82 hours on the pilot wing, compared with 8 hours on the non-pilot wings. This pilot study suggests that a person-centred model, when focused on the physician-nurse dyad, may offer improved efficiency, job satisfaction and continuity of care on a palliative care unit. Incorporating all team members and developing strategies to successfully expand the model across the whole unit are the next challenges. Further research into the impact of these changes on the health care professionals, management and patients and families is essential.

Introducing a model incorporating early integration of specialist palliative care: A qualitative research study of staff's perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Natasha; O'Callaghan, Clare; Brooker, Joanne E; Walker, Helen; Hiscock, Richard; Phillips, David

2016-03-01

Palliative care has evolved to encompass early integration, with evaluation of patient and organisational outcomes. However, little is known of staff's experiences and adaptations when change occurs within palliative care services. To explore staff experiences of a transition from a service predominantly focused on end-of-life care to a specialist service encompassing early integration. Qualitative research incorporating interviews, focus groups and anonymous semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using a comparative approach. Service activity data were also aggregated. A total of 32 medical, nursing, allied health and administrative staff serving a 22-bed palliative care unit and community palliative service, within a large health service. Patients cared for within the new model were significantly more likely to be discharged home (7.9% increase, p = 0.003) and less likely to die in the inpatient unit (10.4% decrease, p management was considered valuable, nurses particularly found additional skill expectations challenging, and perceived patients' acute care needs as detracting from emotional and end-of-life care demands. Staff views varied on whether they regarded the new model's faster-paced work-life as consistent with fundamental palliative care principles. Less certainty about care goals, needing to prioritise care tasks, reduced shared support rituals and other losses could intensify stress, leading staff to develop personalised coping strategies. Services introducing and researching innovative models of palliative care need to ensure adequate preparation, maintenance of holistic care principles in faster work-paced contexts and assist staff dealing with demands associated with caring for patients at different stages of illness trajectories. © The Author(s) 2015.

Challenges of using methadone in the Indian pain and palliative care practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidya Viswanath

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Palliative care providers across India lobbied to gain access to methadone for pain relief and this has finally been achieved. Palliative care activists will count on the numerous strengths for introducing methadone in India, including the various national and state government initiatives that have been introduced recognizing the importance of palliative care as a specialty in addition to improving opioid accessibility and training. Adding to the support are the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs, the medical fraternity and the international interactive and innovative programs such as the Project Extension for Community Health Outcome. As compelling as the need for methadone is, many challenges await. This article outlines the challenges of procuring methadone and also discusses the challenges specific to methadone. Balancing the availability and diversion in a setting of opioid phobia, implementing the amended laws to improve availability and accessibility in a country with diverse health-care practices are the major challenges in implementing methadone for relief of pain. The unique pharmacology of the drug requires meticulous patient selection, vigilant monitoring, and excellent communication and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and caregivers. The psychological acceptance of the patient, the professional training of the team and the place where care is provided are also challenges which need to be overcome. These challenges could well be the catalyst for a more diligent and vigilant approach to opioid prescribing practices. Start low, go slow could well be the way forward with caregiver education to prescribe methadone safely in the Indian palliative care setting.

Challenges of Using Methadone in the Indian Pain and Palliative Care Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanath, Vidya; Palat, Gayatri; Chary, Srini; Broderick, Ann

2018-01-01

Palliative care providers across India lobbied to gain access to methadone for pain relief and this has finally been achieved. Palliative care activists will count on the numerous strengths for introducing methadone in India, including the various national and state government initiatives that have been introduced recognizing the importance of palliative care as a specialty in addition to improving opioid accessibility and training. Adding to the support are the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the medical fraternity and the international interactive and innovative programs such as the Project Extension for Community Health Outcome. As compelling as the need for methadone is, many challenges await. This article outlines the challenges of procuring methadone and also discusses the challenges specific to methadone. Balancing the availability and diversion in a setting of opioid phobia, implementing the amended laws to improve availability and accessibility in a country with diverse health-care practices are the major challenges in implementing methadone for relief of pain. The unique pharmacology of the drug requires meticulous patient selection, vigilant monitoring, and excellent communication and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and caregivers. The psychological acceptance of the patient, the professional training of the team and the place where care is provided are also challenges which need to be overcome. These challenges could well be the catalyst for a more diligent and vigilant approach to opioid prescribing practices. Start low, go slow could well be the way forward with caregiver education to prescribe methadone safely in the Indian palliative care setting.

A critical realist evaluation of a music therapy intervention in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Sam; McConnell, Tracey; Clarke, Mike; Kirkwood, Jenny; Hughes, Naomi; Graham-Wisener, Lisa; Regan, Joan; McKeown, Miriam; McGrillen, Kerry; Reid, Joanne

2017-12-08

Music therapy is increasingly used as an adjunct therapy to support symptom management in palliative care. However, studies to date have paid little attention to the processes that lead to changes in patient outcomes. To fill this gap, we examined the processes and experiences involved in the introduction of music therapy as an adjunct complementary therapy to palliative care in a hospice setting in the United Kingdom (UK). Using a realistic evaluation approach, we conducted a qualitative study using a variety of approaches. These consisted of open text answers from patients (n = 16) on how music therapy helped meet their needs within one hospice in Northern Ireland, UK. We also conducted three focus groups with a range of palliative care practitioners (seven physicians, seven nursing staff, two social workers and three allied health professionals) to help understand their perspectives on music therapy's impact on their work setting, and what influences its successful implementation. This was supplemented with an interview with the music therapist delivering the intervention. Music therapy contains multiple mechanisms that can provide physical, psychological, emotional, expressive, existential and social support. There is also evidence that the hospice context, animated by a holistic approach to healthcare, is an important facilitator of the effects of music therapy. Examination of patients' responses helped identify specific benefits for different types of patients. There is a synergy between the therapeutic aims of music therapy and those of palliative care, which appealed to a significant proportion of participants, who perceived it as effective.

Towards a standardised approach for evaluating guidelines and guidance documents on palliative sedation: study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Abarshi, Ebun; Rietjens, Judith; Caraceni, Augusto; Payne, Sheila; Deliens, Luc; Van Den Block, Lieve

2014-01-01

Sedation in palliative care has received growing attention in recent years; and so have guidelines, position statements, and related literature that provide recommendations for its practice. Yet little is known collectively about the content, scope and methodological quality of these materials. According to research, there are large variations in palliative sedation practice, depending on the definition and methodology used. However, a standardised approach to comparing and contrasting related documents, across countries, associations and governmental bodies is lacking. This paper reports on a protocol designed to enable thorough and systematic comparison of guidelines and guidance documents on palliative sedation. A multidisciplinary and international group of palliative care researchers, identified themes and clinical issues on palliative sedation based on expert consultations and evidence drawn from the EAPC (European Association of Palliative Care) framework for palliative sedation and AGREE II (Appraisal Guideline Research and Evaluation) instrument for guideline assessment. The most relevant themes were selected and built into a comprehensive checklist. This was tested on people working closely with practitioners and patients, for user-friendliness and comprehensibility, and modified where necessary. Next, a systematic search was conducted for guidelines in English, Dutch, Flemish, or Italian. The search was performed in multiple databases (PubMed, CancerLit, CNAHL, Cochrane Library, NHS Evidence and Google Scholar), and via other Internet resources. Hereafter, the final version of the checklist will be used to extract data from selected literature, and the same will be compiled, entered into SPSS, cleaned and analysed systematically for publication. We have together developed a comprehensive checklist in a scientifically rigorous manner to allow standardised and systematic comparison. The protocol is applicable to all guidelines on palliative sedation, and

Palliative home care intervention to improve the quality of life of women with advanced breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueredo Villa, Katiuska

2013-01-01

The quality of life is affected frequently observed in women with advanced breast cancer and is considered a leading indicator of effectiveness of palliative care. A descriptive, quasi-experimental study is presented ex-ante / ex-post, by applying open-ended interviews to explore the effects on the processes of adaptation of each patient and a self-administrable scale identified specific dimensions of quality of life, satisfaction with care and overall quality of life. The intervention was performed palliative home care to 52 women, according to the damages identified in the baseline diagnosis. The overall strategy included four steps: clinical and socio-demographic characterization of women; identification of the effects on the processes of adaptation by the theoretical model of Roy and dimensions of quality of life frequently affected, to design individually oriented actions on the drive shaft of Nursing Interventions Classification and evaluation of results intervention. The dimensions achieved higher frequency of involvement were: behavior, physical symptoms, pain interference and leisure activities, social life and family. Data were analyzed with qualitative methodologies and uni and multivariate statistical processing. After the intervention favorable changes in adaptive processes and dimensions of quality of life were observed; well as in the assessment of overall satisfaction with life. It was interesting that the dimensions of satisfaction assessed at the end of the intervention obtained an unfavorable assessment, outcome associated with sociodemographic variables. (author)

European Association for Palliative Care: Forging a Vision of Excellence in Palliative Care in Central and Eastern European and Former Soviet Union Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Radbruch, Lukas; Ling, Julie; Hegedus, Katalin; Larkin, Philip

2018-02-01

The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) represents many thousands of health care workers and volunteers working in or with an interest in palliative care. In 2016, the EAPC has individual members from 48 nations across the world, and collective members from 57 national palliative care associations in 32 European countries. Throughout its history, the EAPC has produced guidance on a range of palliative care issues. The biennial congresses and research congresses and the comprehensive Web site (www.eapcnet.eu) are renowned and well utilized platforms for dissemination and exchange of palliative care information. The EAPC has also published a newsletter specifically for Eastern European and Central Asian countries that has been available in both English and Russian from 2005 to 2012. In addition, for a period of time, a Russian Web site (www.eapcspeaksrussian.eu) was also available. A survey of palliative care in Central and Eastern European nations sponsored by Open Society Foundation's International Palliative Care Initiative found that in most countries, the national language is preferred rather than using English or Russian for the provision of information. Accordingly, the EAPC Web site provides translations of white papers, position papers, and blog posts in a number of languages. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of two types of palliative sedation therapy defined using intervention protocols: proportional vs. deep sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, Kengo; Morita, Tatsuya; Yokomichi, Naosuke; Mori, Masanori; Naito, Akemi Shirado; Tsukuura, Hiroaki; Yamauchi, Toshihiro; Kawaguchi, Takashi; Fukuta, Kaori; Inoue, Satoshi

2018-06-01

This study investigated the effect of two types of palliative sedation defined using intervention protocols: proportional and deep sedation. We retrospectively analyzed prospectively recorded data of consecutive cancer patients who received the continuous infusion of midazolam in a palliative care unit. Attending physicians chose the sedation protocol based on each patient's wish, symptom severity, prognosis, and refractoriness of suffering. The primary endpoint was a treatment goal achievement at 4 h: in proportional sedation, the achievement of symptom relief (Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) ≤ 1) and absence of agitation (modified Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) ≤ 0) and in deep sedation, the achievement of deep sedation (RASS ≤ - 4). Secondary endpoints included mean scores of STAS and RASS, deep sedation as a result, and adverse events. Among 398 patients who died during the period, 32 received proportional and 18 received deep sedation. The treatment goal achievement rate was 68.8% (22/32, 95% confidence interval 52.7-84.9) in the proportional sedation group vs. 83.3% (15/18, 66.1-100) in the deep sedation group. STAS decreased from 3.8 to 0.8 with proportional sedation at 4 h vs. 3.7 to 0.3 with deep sedation; RASS decreased from + 1.2 to - 1.7 vs. + 1.4 to - 3.7, respectively. Deep sedation was needed as a result in 31.3% (10/32) of the proportional sedation group. No fatal events that were considered as probably or definitely related to the intervention occurred. The two types of intervention protocol well reflected the treatment intention and expected outcomes. Further, large-scale cohort studies are promising.

Identifying the barriers and enablers to palliative care nurses' recognition and assessment of delirium symptoms: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosie, Annmarie; Lobb, Elizabeth; Agar, Meera; Davidson, Patricia M; Phillips, Jane

2014-11-01

Delirium is underrecognized by nurses, including those working in palliative care settings where the syndrome occurs frequently. Identifying contextual factors that support and/or hinder palliative care nurses' delirium recognition and assessment capabilities is crucial, to inform development of clinical practice and systems aimed at improving patients' delirium outcomes. The aim of the study was to identify nurses' perceptions of the barriers and enablers to recognizing and assessing delirium symptoms in palliative care inpatient settings. A series of semistructured interviews, guided by critical incident technique, were conducted with nurses working in Australian palliative care inpatient settings. A hypoactive delirium vignette prompted participants' recall of delirium and identification of the perceived factors (barriers and enablers) that impacted on their delirium recognition and assessment capabilities. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Thirty participants from nine palliative care services provided insights into the barriers and enablers of delirium recognition and assessment in the inpatient setting that were categorized as patient and family, health professional, and system level factors. Analysis revealed five themes, each reflecting both identified barriers and current and/or potential enablers: 1) value in listening to patients and engaging families, 2) assessment is integrated with care delivery, 3) respecting and integrating nurses' observations, 4) addressing nurses' delirium knowledge needs, and 5) integrating delirium recognition and assessment processes. Supporting the development of palliative care nursing delirium recognition and assessment practice requires attending to a range of barriers and enablers at the patient and family, health professional, and system levels. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of a Cognitive-Behavioral and Environmental Intervention for Sleep-Wake Difficulties in Community-Dwelling Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernatchez, Marie Solange; Savard, Josée; Savard, Marie-Hélène; Aubin, Michèle

2018-05-14

High rates of sleep-wake difficulties have been found in patients with cancer receiving palliative care. Pharmacotherapy is the most frequently used treatment option to manage these difficulties despite numerous adverse effects and the absence of empirical evidence of its efficacy and innocuity in palliative care. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a cognitive-behavioral and environmental intervention (CBT-E) to improve insomnia and hypersomnolence in patients with a poor functioning level and to collect preliminary data on its effects. Six patients with cancer receiving palliative care (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score 2-3), who had insomnia and/or hypersomnolence, received 1 CBT-E individual session at home. They applied the strategies for 3 weeks. Patients completed the Insomnia Severity Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a daily sleep diary, and a 24-hour actigraphic recording (7 days) at pretreatment and posttreatment, in addition to a semistructured interview (posttreatment). Participants found strategies easy to apply most of the time, and none was rated as impossible to use because of their health condition. However, their adherence and satisfaction toward CBT-E were highly variable. Results on the effects of CBT-E were heterogeneous, but improvements were observed in patients with a persistent insomnia disorder. The CBT-E protocol tested among this highly selected sample was fairly well received and suggested positive outcomes in some patients, particularly those with an insomnia complaint alone. Efforts should be pursued to adapt CBT-E and develop other nonpharmacological interventions, in order to provide an alternative to pharmacotherapy for sleep-wake difficulties in this population.

[Providing regular relief; considerations for palliative care in the Netherlands].

Science.gov (United States)

Crul, B J; van Weel, C

2001-10-20

Over the last few decades the attention devoted to the palliative aspects of medicine, particularly those in hospital care, has declined due to the emphasis on medical technology. In Anglo-Saxon countries a review of this development resulted in structured palliative care that benefited terminally ill patients with a progressive fatal disease, especially cancer patients. Due to increasing national and international criticism of both the practice of euthanasia (assumed to be too liberal) and the lack of attention devoted to structured palliative care in the Netherlands, the Dutch government decided to improve the structure of palliative care. The government's viewpoint is based on the assumption that good palliative care that includes adequate pain control benefits patient care and might eventually lead to fewer requests for euthanasia. The improvements to palliative care should be realised by means of improvements in the structure, training and knowledge. Six academic medical clusters have been designated as Centres for the Development of Palliative Care (Dutch acronym: COPZ) for a 5-year period. Each COPZ must develop the various aspects needed to improve palliative care within the region it serves and ensure that its activities are carefully coordinated with those in the other centres. Research will focus on measuring the efficacy of palliative care as well as ethical and epidemiological aspects. A government committee will assess the appropriateness of the activities undertaken by each of the centres.

Patient-reported symptoms during radiotherapy : Clinically relevant symptom burden in patients treated with palliative and curative intent.

Science.gov (United States)

Körner, Philipp; Ehrmann, Katja; Hartmannsgruber, Johann; Metz, Michaela; Steigerwald, Sabrina; Flentje, Michael; van Oorschot, Birgitt

2017-07-01

The benefits of patient-reported symptom assessment combined with integrated palliative care are well documented. This study assessed the symptom burden of palliative and curative-intent radiation oncology patients. Prior to first consultation and at the end of RT, all adult cancer patients planned to receive fractionated percutaneous radiotherapy (RT) were asked to answer the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS; nine symptoms from 0 = no symptoms to 10 = worst possible symptoms). Mean values were used for curative vs. palliative and pre-post comparisons, and the clinical relevance was evaluated (symptom values ≥ 4). Of 163 participating patients, 151 patients (90.9%) completed both surveys (116 curative and 35 palliative patients). Before beginning RT, 88.6% of palliative and 72.3% of curative patients showed at least one clinically relevant symptom. Curative patients most frequently named decreased general wellbeing (38.6%), followed by tiredness (35.0%), anxiety (32.4%), depression (30.0%), pain (26.3%), lack of appetite (23.5%), dyspnea (17.8%), drowsiness (8.0%) and nausea (6.1%). Palliative patients most frequently named decreased general wellbeing (62.8%), followed by pain (62.8%), tiredness (60.0%), lack of appetite (40.0%), anxiety (38.0%), depression (33.3%), dyspnea (28.5%), drowsiness (25.7%) and nausea (14.2%). At the end of RT, the proportion of curative and palliative patients with a clinically relevant symptom had increased significantly to 79.8 and 91.4%, respectively; whereas the proportion of patients reporting clinically relevant pain had decreased significantly (42.8 vs. 62.8%, respectively). Palliative patients had significantly increased tiredness. Curative patients reported significant increases in pain, tiredness, nausea, drowsiness, lack of appetite and restrictions in general wellbeing. Assessment of patient-reported symptoms was successfully realized in radiation oncology routine. Overall, both groups showed a high symptom

Patient-reported symptoms during radiotherapy. Clinically relevant symptom burden in patients treated with palliative and curative intent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koerner, Philipp; Ehrmann, Katja; Hartmannsgruber, Johann; Metz, Michaela; Steigerwald, Sabrina; Flentje, Michael; Oorschot, Birgitt van

2017-01-01

The benefits of patient-reported symptom assessment combined with integrated palliative care are well documented. This study assessed the symptom burden of palliative and curative-intent radiation oncology patients. Prior to first consultation and at the end of RT, all adult cancer patients planned to receive fractionated percutaneous radiotherapy (RT) were asked to answer the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS; nine symptoms from 0 = no symptoms to 10 = worst possible symptoms). Mean values were used for curative vs. palliative and pre-post comparisons, and the clinical relevance was evaluated (symptom values ≥ 4). Of 163 participating patients, 151 patients (90.9%) completed both surveys (116 curative and 35 palliative patients). Before beginning RT, 88.6% of palliative and 72.3% of curative patients showed at least one clinically relevant symptom. Curative patients most frequently named decreased general wellbeing (38.6%), followed by tiredness (35.0%), anxiety (32.4%), depression (30.0%), pain (26.3%), lack of appetite (23.5%), dyspnea (17.8%), drowsiness (8.0%) and nausea (6.1%). Palliative patients most frequently named decreased general wellbeing (62.8%), followed by pain (62.8%), tiredness (60.0%), lack of appetite (40.0%), anxiety (38.0%), depression (33.3%), dyspnea (28.5%), drowsiness (25.7%) and nausea (14.2%). At the end of RT, the proportion of curative and palliative patients with a clinically relevant symptom had increased significantly to 79.8 and 91.4%, respectively; whereas the proportion of patients reporting clinically relevant pain had decreased significantly (42.8 vs. 62.8%, respectively). Palliative patients had significantly increased tiredness. Curative patients reported significant increases in pain, tiredness, nausea, drowsiness, lack of appetite and restrictions in general wellbeing. Assessment of patient-reported symptoms was successfully realized in radiation oncology routine. Overall, both groups showed a high symptom burden

Integrated palliative care is about professional networking rather than standardisation of care: A qualitative study with healthcare professionals in 19 integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

den Herder-van der Eerden, Marlieke; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen; Payne, Sheila; Preston, Nancy; Linge-Dahl, Lisa; Radbruch, Lukas; Van Beek, Karen; Menten, Johan; Busa, Csilla; Csikos, Agnes; Vissers, Kris; van Gurp, Jelle; Hasselaar, Jeroen

2018-06-01

Integrated palliative care aims at improving coordination of palliative care services around patients' anticipated needs. However, international comparisons of how integrated palliative care is implemented across four key domains of integrated care (content of care, patient flow, information logistics and availability of (human) resources and material) are lacking. To examine how integrated palliative care takes shape in practice across abovementioned key domains within several integrated palliative care initiatives in Europe. Qualitative group interview design. A total of 19 group interviews were conducted (2 in Belgium, 4 in the Netherlands, 4 in the United Kingdom, 4 in Germany and 5 in Hungary) with 142 healthcare professionals from several integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries. The majority were nurses ( n = 66; 46%) and physicians ( n = 50; 35%). The dominant strategy for fostering integrated palliative care is building core teams of palliative care specialists and extended professional networks based on personal relationships, shared norms, values and mutual trust, rather than developing standardised information exchange and referral pathways. Providing integrated palliative care with healthcare professionals in the wider professional community appears difficult, as a shared proactive multidisciplinary palliative care approach is lacking, and healthcare professionals often do not know palliative care professionals or services. Achieving better palliative care integration into regular healthcare and convincing the wider professional community is a difficult task that will take time and effort. Enhancing standardisation of palliative care into education, referral pathways and guidelines and standardised information exchange may be necessary. External authority (policy makers, insurance companies and professional bodies) may be needed to support integrated palliative care practices across settings.

Bypass laparoscopic procedure for palliation of esophageal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Siosaki, Marcos Duarte; Lacerda, Croider Franco; Bertulucci, Paulo Anderson; da Costa Filho, José Orlando; de Oliveira, Antônio Talvane Torres

2013-03-26

Esophageal cancer is a devastating disease with rapidly increasing incidence in Western countries. Dysphagia is the most common complication, causing severe malnutrition and reduced quality of life. A 69-year-old male with persistent esophageal cancer after radiation therapy was subjected to palliative by-pass surgery using a laparoscopic approach. Due to the advanced stage at diagnosis, palliative treatment was a more realistic option. Dysphagia is a most distressing symptom of this disease, causing malnutrition and reducing quality of life. The goal of palliation is to improve swallowing. The most common methods applied are endoscopic stenting, radiation therapy (external or brachytherapy), chemotherapy, yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser rechanneling or endoscopic dilatation. Palliative surgery is rarely proposed due to morbidity and complications. This paper demonstrates an update in the technique proposed by Postlethwait in 1979 for palliation of esophageal cancer. Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. © The Author 2013.

Expert opinion on detecting and treating depression in palliative care: A Delphi study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hotopf Matthew

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a dearth of data regarding the optimal method of detecting and treating depression in palliative care. This study applied the Delphi method to evaluate expert opinion on choice of screening tool, choice of antidepressant and choice of psychological therapy. The aim was to inform the development of best practice recommendations for the European Palliative Care Research Collaborative clinical practice guideline on managing depression in palliative care. Methods 18 members of an international, multi-professional expert group completed a structured questionnaire in two rounds, rating their agreement with proposed items on a scale from 0-10 and annotating with additional comments. The median and range were calculated to give a statistical average of the experts' ratings. Results There was contention regarding the benefits of screening, with 'routine informal asking' (median 8.5 (0-10 rated more highly than formal screening tools such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (median 7.0 (1-10. Mirtazapine (median 9 (7-10 and citalopram (median 9 (5-10 were the considered the best choice of antidepressant and cognitive behavioural therapy (median 9.0 (3-10 the best choice of psychological therapy. Conclusions The range of expert ratings was broad, indicating discordance in the views of experts. Direct comparative data from randomised controlled trials are needed to strengthen the evidence-base and achieve clarity on how best to detect and treat depression in this setting.

Attitudes of palliative home care physicians towards palliative sedation at home in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercadante, Sebastiano; Masedu, Francesco; Mercadante, Alessandro; Marinangeli, Franco; Aielli, Federica

2017-05-01

Information about the attitudes towards palliative sedation (PS) at home is limited. The aim of this survey was to assess the attitudes of palliative care physicians in Italy regarding PS at home. A questionnaire was submitted to a sample of palliative care physicians, asking information about their activity and attitudes towards PS at home. This is a survey of home care physicians in Italy who were involved in end-of-life care decisions at home. One hundred and fifty participants responded. A large heterogeneity of home care organizations that generate some problems was found. Indications, intention and monitoring of PS seem to be appropriate, although some cultural and logistic conditions were limiting the use of PS. Specialized home care physicians are almost involved to start PS at home. Midazolam was seldom available at home and opioids were more frequently used. These data should prompt health care agencies to make a minimal set of drugs easily available for home care. Further research is necessary to compare attitudes in countries with different sociocultural profiles.

The magnitude, share and determinants of unpaid care costs for home-based palliative care service provision in Toronto, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Huamin; Guerriere, Denise N; Zagorski, Brandon; Coyte, Peter C

2014-01-01

With increasing emphasis on the provision of home-based palliative care in Canada, economic evaluation is warranted, given its tremendous demands on family caregivers. Despite this, very little is known about the economic outcomes associated with home-based unpaid care-giving at the end of life. The aims of this study were to (i) assess the magnitude and share of unpaid care costs in total healthcare costs for home-based palliative care patients, from a societal perspective and (ii) examine the sociodemographic and clinical factors that account for variations in this share. One hundred and sixty-nine caregivers of patients with a malignant neoplasm were interviewed from time of referral to a home-based palliative care programme provided by the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada, until death. Information regarding palliative care resource utilisation and costs, time devoted to care-giving and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics was collected between July 2005 and September 2007. Over the last 12 months of life, the average monthly cost was $14 924 (2011 CDN$) per patient. Unpaid care-giving costs were the largest component - $11 334, accounting for 77% of total palliative care expenses, followed by public costs ($3211; 21%) and out-of-pocket expenditures ($379; 2%). In all cost categories, monthly costs increased exponentially with proximity to death. Seemingly unrelated regression estimation suggested that the share of unpaid care costs of total costs was driven by patients' and caregivers' sociodemographic characteristics. Results suggest that overwhelming the proportion of palliative care costs is unpaid care-giving. This share of costs requires urgent attention to identify interventions aimed at alleviating the heavy financial burden and to ultimately ensure the viability of home-based palliative care in future. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validity and reliability of the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C).

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, Daniela; Mastroianni, Chiara; Artico, Marco; Biagioli, Valentina; Latina, Roberto; Guarda, Michela; Piredda, Michela; De Marinis, Maria Grazia

2018-01-21

Patients suffering from advanced disease face different care transitions. The transition from acute to palliative care is challenging and may lead to the discontinuity of care. Family caregivers become important sources of information, as patients begin to experience difficulties in coping with emotional transition events. The Care Transition Measure was developed to evaluate care transitions as experienced by the elderly. It has never been used in palliative care. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure, specifically the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C). The study included two main phases. Phase I focused on the construction of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure through two focus groups and by computing the content validity index. Phase II focused on testing the psychometric properties of the PCTM-C on 272 family caregivers through confirmatory factor analysis. Result The content validity index for each of the items was higher than 0.80, whereas that for the scale was 0.95. The model tested with confirmatory factor analysis fitted the data well and confirmed that the transition measures referred to communication, integrated care and a trusting-relationship, and therefore the core dimensions of continuity according to existing conceptual models. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). Significance of results The PCTM-C proved to be a suitable measure of the quality of such transitions. It may be used in clinical practice as a continuity quality indicator and has the potential to guide interventions to enhance family caregivers' experience of care continuity.

Medical Students' Death Anxiety: Severity and Association With Psychological Health and Attitudes Toward Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiemann, Pia; Quince, Thelma; Benson, John; Wood, Diana; Barclay, Stephen

2015-09-01

Death anxiety (DA) is related to awareness of the reality of dying and death and can be negatively related to a person's psychological health. Physicians' DA also may influence their care for patients approaching death. Doctors face death in a professional context for the first time at medical school, but knowledge about DA among medical students is limited. This study examined medical students' DA in relation to: 1) its severity, gender differences, and trajectory during medical education and 2) its associations with students' attitudes toward palliative care and their psychological health. Four cohorts of core science and four cohorts of clinical students at the University of Cambridge Medical School took part in a questionnaire survey with longitudinal follow-up. Students who provided data on the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale were included in the analysis (n = 790). Medical students' DA was moderate, with no gender differences and remained very stable over time. High DA was associated with higher depression and anxiety levels and greater concerns about the personal impact of providing palliative care. The associations between high DA and lower psychological health and negative attitudes toward palliative care are concerning. It is important to address DA during medical education to enhance student's psychological health and the quality of their future palliative care provision. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Key features of palliative care service delivery to Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States: a comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Shaouli; Taylor, Emma V; Cheetham, Shelley; Woods, John A; Aoun, Samar M; Thompson, Sandra C

2018-05-08

Indigenous peoples in developed countries have reduced life expectancies, particularly from chronic diseases. The lack of access to and take up of palliative care services of Indigenous peoples is an ongoing concern. To examine and learn from published studies on provision of culturally safe palliative care service delivery to Indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand (NZ), Canada and the United States of America (USA); and to compare Indigenous peoples' preferences, needs, opportunities and barriers to palliative care. A comprehensive search of multiple databases was undertaken. Articles were included if they were published in English from 2000 onwards and related to palliative care service delivery for Indigenous populations; papers could use quantitative or qualitative approaches. Common themes were identified using thematic synthesis. Studies were evaluated using Daly's hierarchy of evidence-for-practice in qualitative research. Of 522 articles screened, 39 were eligible for inclusion. Despite diversity in Indigenous peoples' experiences across countries, some commonalities were noted in the preferences for palliative care of Indigenous people: to die close to or at home; involvement of family; and the integration of cultural practices. Barriers identified included inaccessibility, affordability, lack of awareness of services, perceptions of palliative care, and inappropriate services. Identified models attempted to address these gaps by adopting the following strategies: community engagement and ownership; flexibility in approach; continuing education and training; a whole-of-service approach; and local partnerships among multiple agencies. Better engagement with Indigenous clients, an increase in number of palliative care patients, improved outcomes, and understanding about palliative care by patients and their families were identified as positive achievements. The results provide a comprehensive overview of identified effective practices with regards to

Supportive and palliative care for metastatic breast cancer: resource allocations in low- and middle-income countries. A Breast Health Global Initiative 2013 consensus statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, James; Ddungu, Henry; Distelhorst, Sandra R; Ripamonti, Carla; Rodin, Gary M; Bushnaq, Mohammad A; Clegg-Lamptey, Joe N; Connor, Stephen R; Diwani, Msemo B; Eniu, Alexandru; Harford, Joe B; Kumar, Suresh; Rajagopal, M R; Thompson, Beti; Gralow, Julie R; Anderson, Benjamin O

2013-10-01

Many women diagnosed with breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) present with advanced-stage disease. While cure is not a realistic outcome, site-specific interventions, supportive care, and palliative care can achieve meaningful outcomes and improve quality of life. As part of the 5th Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) Global Summit, an expert international panel identified thirteen key resource recommendations for supportive and palliative care for metastatic breast cancer. The recommendations are presented in three resource-stratified tables: health system resource allocations, resource allocations for organ-based metastatic breast cancer, and resource allocations for palliative care. These tables illustrate how health systems can provide supportive and palliative care services for patients at a basic level of available resources, and incrementally add services as more resources become available. The health systems table includes health professional education, patient and family education, palliative care models, and diagnostic testing. The metastatic disease management table provides recommendations for supportive care for bone, brain, liver, lung, and skin metastases as well as bowel obstruction. The third table includes the palliative care recommendations: pain management, and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care. The panel considered pain management a priority at a basic level of resource allocation and emphasized the need for morphine to be easily available in LMICs. Regular pain assessments and the proper use of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are recommended. Basic-level resources for psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care include health professional and patient and family education, as well as patient support, including community-based peer support. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Developing a pediatric palliative care service in a large urban hospital: challenges, lessons, and successes.

Science.gov (United States)

Edlynn, Emily S; Derrington, Sabrina; Morgan, Helene; Murray, Jennifer; Ornelas, Beatriz; Cucchiaro, Giovanni

2013-04-01

We report the process of creating a new palliative care service at a large, urban children's hospital. Our aim was to provide a detailed guide to developing an inpatient consultation service, along with reporting on the challenges, lessons, and evaluation. We examined the hiring process of personnel and marketing strategies, a clinical database facilitated ongoing quality review and identified trends, and a survey project assessed provider satisfaction and how referring physicians used the palliative care service. The pilot phase of service delivery laid the groundwork for a more effective service by creating documentation templates and identifying relevant data to track growth and outcomes. It also allowed time to establish a clear delineation of team members and distinction of roles. The survey of referring physicians proved a useful evaluation starting point, but conclusions could not be generalized because of the low response rate. It may be necessary to reconsider the survey technique and to expand the sample to include patients and families. Future research is needed to measure the financial benefits of a well-staffed inpatient pediatric palliative care service.

Palliative Care: A Partnership Across the Continuum of Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Spaulding, Aaron; Harrison, Debra A; Harrison, Jeffrey P

2016-01-01

Palliative care services are becoming more prevalent in the United States as greater portions of the population are requiring end-of-life services. Furthermore, recent policy changes and service foci have promoted more continuity and encompassing care. This study evaluates characteristics that distinguish hospitals with a palliative care program from hospitals without such a program in order to better define the markets and environments that promote the creation and usage of these programs. This study demonstrates that palliative care programs are more likely in communities with favorable economic factors and higher Medicare populations. Large hospitals with high occupancy rates and a high case mix index use palliative care programs to better meet patient needs and improve hospital efficiency. Managerial, nursing, and policy implications are discussed relating to further usage and implementation of palliative care programs.

Palliative Care in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Mert

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Heart failure is an important health problem since its incidence and prevalence is increasing year by year. Since symptom burden and mortality are high in heart failure, supportive and palliative care should be provided. However, very few patients are referred to palliative care services. In comparison with cancer patients, it is difficult to identify end of life care for patients with heart failure, because these patients are hospitalized when the signs of acute decompensation appear, and their symptoms decrease and functional status improve before they are discharged. Therefore, palliative care, which is a holistic approach aiming to improve patients’ quality of life, to detect and treat the attacks of the disease before they become severe, and to deal with patients’ physical, psychological, social, and mental health altogether during their care, should be integrated into heart failure patients’ care. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(2.000: 217-222

Moving toward quality palliative cancer care: parent and clinician perspectives on gaps between what matters and what is accessible.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassam, Alisha; Skiadaresis, Julia; Habib, Sharifa; Alexander, Sarah; Wolfe, Joanne

2013-03-01

The National Consensus Project (NCP) published a set of standards for quality palliative care delivery. A key step before applying these guidelines to pediatric oncology is to evaluate how much families and clinicians value these standards. We aimed to determine which elements of palliative care are considered important according to bereaved parents and pediatric oncology clinicians and to determine accessibility of these elements. We administered questionnaires to 75 bereaved parents (response rate, 54%) and 48 pediatric oncology clinicians (response rate, 91%) at a large teaching hospital. Outcome measures included importance ratings and accessibility of core elements of palliative care delivery. Fifteen of 20 core elements were highly valued by both parents and clinicians (defined as > 60% of parents and clinicians reporting the item as important). Compared with clinicians, parents gave higher ratings to receiving cancer-directed therapy during the last month of life (P involvement of a spiritual mentor (P = .03). Of the valued elements, only three were accessible more than 60% of the time according to clinicians and parents. Valued elements least likely to be accessible included a direct admission policy to hospital, sibling support, and parent preparation for medical aspects surrounding death. Parents and clinicians highly value a majority of palliative care elements described in the NCP framework. Children with advanced cancer may not be receiving key elements of palliative care despite parents and clinicians recognizing them as important. Evaluation of barriers to provision of quality palliative care and strategies for overcoming them are critical.

Evaluating palliative care needs in Middle Eastern countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Silbermann, Michael; Fink, Regina M; Min, Sung-Joon; Mancuso, Mary P; Brant, Jeannine; Hajjar, Ramzi; Al-Alfi, Nesreen; Baider, Lea; Turker, Ibrahim; ElShamy, Karima; Ghrayeb, Ibtisam; Al-Jadiry, Mazin; Khader, Khaled; Kav, Sultan; Charalambous, Haris; Uslu, Ruchan; Kebudi, Rejin; Barsela, Gil; Kuruku, Nilgün; Mutafoglu, Kamer; Ozalp-Senel, Gulsin; Oberman, Amitai; Kislev, Livia; Khleif, Mohammad; Keoppi, Neophyta; Nestoros, Sophia; Abdalla, Rasha Fahmi; Rassouli, Maryam; Morag, Amira; Sabar, Ron; Nimri, Omar; Al-Qadire, Mohammad; Al-Khalaileh, Murad; Tayyem, Mona; Doumit, Myrna; Punjwani, Rehana; Rasheed, Osaid; Fallatah, Fatimah; Can, Gulbeyaz; Ahmed, Jamila; Strode, Debbie

2015-01-01

Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is predicted to double in the next 10 years, greater than in any other part of the world. While progress has been made in cancer diagnosis/treatment, much remains to be done to improve palliative care for the majority of patients with cancer who present with advanced disease. To determine knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in Middle Eastern countries and use findings to inform future educational and training activities. Descriptive survey. Fifteen Middle Eastern countries; convenience sample of 776 nurses (44.3%), physicians (38.3%) and psychosocial, academic, and other health care professionals (17.4%) employed in varied settings. Palliative care needs assessment. Improved pain management services are key facilitators. Top barriers include lack of designated palliative care beds/services, community awareness, staff training, access to hospice services, and personnel/time. The nonexistence of functioning home-based and hospice services leaves families/providers unable to honor patient wishes. Respondents were least satisfied with discussions around advance directives and wish to learn more about palliative care focusing on communication techniques. Populations requiring special consideration comprise: patients with ethnic diversity, language barriers, and low literacy; pediatric and young adults; and the elderly. The majority of Middle Eastern patients with cancer are treated in outlying regions; the community is pivotal and must be incorporated into future plans for developing palliative care services. Promoting palliative care education and certification for physicians and nurses is crucial; home-based and hospice services must be sustained.

Participation of radiotherapy in interdisciplinary palliative care units. Challenge and chance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momm, F.; Frommhold, H.; Becker, G.; Ewald, H.; Baumgartner, J.; Adamietz, I.A.

2004-01-01

Background: in Germany, a sufficient system of palliative care does not exist. Possibilities for participation of radiooncologists in the further development of this promising part of medical action are reported. Material and methods: experiences from interdisciplinary work in the field of palliative care are described. This experience is communicated for use in the actual discussion about the future of palliative care in Germany, especially in the field of radiooncology. Results: a palliative care unit can only work in a team of different professions, which means different physicians, but also nurses, social workers, psychologists or pastors. A palliative care unit will benefit from working with radiooncologists as well as radiooncologists will do from working in the field of palliative care. Conclusion: in times of growing interest in and need for palliative care, radiooncologists should actively participate in the development of palliative care units in Germany. The aim of this participation should be to reasonably arrange the treatment of incurably ill patients with the chances of modern radiotherapy. Another aim should be to improve the treatment of ''classic'' radiation oncology patients by ideas of pallative care. The further development of palliative care in Germany should not take place without the participation of radiooncologists. This will meet the interests of palliative care and radiotherapy and - most importantly - the patients' interests. (orig.) [de

Current status of palliative care--clinical implementation, education, and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Marcia; Elk, Ronit; Ferrell, Betty; Morrison, R Sean; von Gunten, Charles F

2009-01-01

Palliative and end-of-life care is changing in the United States. This dynamic field is improving care for patients with serious and life-threatening cancer through creation of national guidelines for quality care, multidisciplinary educational offerings, research endeavors, and resources made available to clinicians. Barriers to implementing quality palliative care across cancer populations include a rapidly expanding population of older adults who will need cancer care and a decrease in the workforce available to give care. Methods of integrating current palliative care knowledge into care of patients include multidisciplinary national education and research endeavors, and clinician resources. Acceptance of palliative care as a recognized medical specialty provides a valuable resource for improvement of care. Although compilation of evidence for the importance of palliative care specialities is in its initial stages, national research grants have provided support to build the knowledge necessary for appropriate palliative care. Opportunities are available to clinicians for understanding and applying appropriate palliative and end-of-life care to patients with serious and life-threatening cancers. (c) 2009 American Cancer Society, Inc.

The Effect of Communication Skills Training for Generalist Palliative Care Providers on Patient-Reported Outcomes and Clinician Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Selman, Lucy Ellen; Brighton, Lisa J; Hawkins, Amy; McDonald, Christine; O'Brien, Suzanne; Robinson, Vicky; Khan, Shaheen A; George, Rob; Ramsenthaler, Christine; Higginson, Irene J; Koffman, Jonathan

2017-09-01

As most end-of-life care is provided by health care providers who are generalists rather than specialists in palliative care, effective communication skills training for generalists is essential. To determine the effect of communication training interventions for generalist palliative care providers on patient-reported outcomes and trainee behaviors. Systematic review from searches of 10 databases to December 2015 (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Web of Science, ICTRP, CORDIS, and OpenGrey) plus hand searching. Randomized controlled trials of training interventions intended to enhance generalists' communication skills in end-of-life care were included. Two authors independently assessed eligibility after screening, extracted data, and graded quality. Data were pooled for meta-analysis using a random-effects model. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Nineteen of 11,441 articles were eligible, representing 14 trials. Eleven were included in meta-analyses (patients n = 3144, trainees n = 791). Meta-analysis showed no effect on patient outcomes (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.10, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.24) and high levels of heterogeneity (chi-square = 21.32, degrees of freedom [df] = 7, P = 0.003; I 2  = 67%). The effect on trainee behaviors in simulated interactions (SMD = 0.50, 95% CI 0.19-0.81) was greater than in real patient interactions (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.43) with moderate heterogeneity (chi-square = 8.90, df = 5, P = 0.11; I 2  = 44%; chi-square = 5.96, df = 3, P = 0.11; I 2  = 50%, respectively). Two interventions with medium effects on showing empathy in real patient interactions included personalized feedback on recorded interactions. The effect of communication skills training for generalists on patient-reported outcomes remains unclear. Training can improve clinicians' ability to show empathy and discuss emotions, at least in simulated consultations. Personalized feedback on recorded patient

Dental expression and role in palliative treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajiv Saini

2009-01-01

Full Text Available World Health Organization defines palliative care as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responding to curative treatment. Palliative care for the terminally ill is based on a multidimensional approach to provide whole-person comfort care while maintaining optimal function; dental care plays an important role in this multidisciplinary approach. The aim of the present study is to review significance of dentist′s role to determine whether mouth care was effectively assessed and implemented in the palliative care setting. The oral problems experienced by the hospice head and neck patient clearly affect the quality of his or her remaining life. Dentist plays an essential role in palliative care by the maintenance of oral hygiene; dental examination may identify and cure opportunistic infections and dental disease like caries, periodontal disease, oral mucosal problems or prosthetic requirement. Oral care may reduce not only the microbial load of the mouth but the risk for pain and oral infection as well. This multidisciplinary approach to palliative care, including a dentist, may reduce the oral debilities that influence the patient′s ability to speak, eat or swallow. This review highlighted that without effective assessment of the mouth, the appropriate implementation of care will not be delivered. Palliative dental care has been fundamental in management of patients with active, progressive, far-advanced disease in which the oral cavity has been compromised either by the disease directly or by its treatment; the focus of care is quality of life.

Strange Bedfellows No More: How Integrated Stem-Cell Transplantation and Palliative Care Programs Can Together Improve End-of-Life Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Deena R; Baker, Justin N; Wolfe, Joanne; Lehmann, Leslie E; Ullrich, Christina

2017-09-01

In the intense, cure-oriented setting of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), delivery of high-quality palliative and end-of-life care is a unique challenge. Although HSCT affords patients a chance for cure, it carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. During HSCT, patients usually experience high symptom burden and a significant decrease in quality of life that can persist for long periods. When morbidity is high and the chance of cure remote, the tendency after HSCT is to continue intensive medical interventions with curative intent. The nature of the complications and overall condition of some patients may render survival an unrealistic goal and, as such, continuation of artificial life-sustaining measures in these patients may prolong suffering and preclude patient and family preparation for end of life. Palliative care focuses on the well-being of patients with life-threatening conditions and their families, irrespective of the goals of care or anticipated outcome. Although not inherently at odds with HSCT, palliative care historically has been rarely offered to HSCT recipients. Recent evidence suggests that HSCT recipients would benefit from collaborative efforts between HSCT and palliative care services, particularly when initiated early in the transplantation course. We review palliative and end-of-life care in HSCT and present models for integrating palliative care into HSCT care. With open communication, respect for roles, and a spirit of collaboration, HSCT and palliative care can effectively join forces to provide high-quality, multidisciplinary care for these highly vulnerable patients and their families.

Palliative care in Argentina: perspectives from a country in crisis.

Science.gov (United States)

De Simone, Gustavo G

2003-01-01

Argentina is a large South American country with a high prevalence of chronic disease-related mortality and a clear need for implementation of palliative care. Primary concerns related to palliative care are cultural, socio-economic and educational. Increasing poverty, patients and families receiving inadequate information about their diagnosis or prognosis, drug availability and costs, and insufficient knowledge by health care providers are obstacles to palliative care. Palliative care programs are developing throughout the country and methods by which they are meeting their needs are described. Several Argentinean palliative care initiatives are described and the role of the Pallium Latinomérica training program is discussed.

How to Manage Hospital-Based Palliative Care Teams Without Full-Time Palliative Care Physicians in Designated Cancer Care Hospitals: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakashita, Akihiro; Kishino, Megumi; Nakazawa, Yoko; Yotani, Nobuyuki; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Kizawa, Yoshiyuki

2016-07-01

To clarify how highly active hospital palliative care teams can provide efficient and effective care regardless of the lack of full-time palliative care physicians. Semistructured focus group interviews were conducted, and content analysis was performed. A total of 7 physicians and 6 nurses participated. We extracted 209 codes from the transcripts and organized them into 3 themes and 21 categories, which were classified as follows: (1) tips for managing palliative care teams efficiently and effectively (7 categories); (2) ways of acquiring specialist palliative care expertise (9 categories); and (3) ways of treating symptoms that are difficult to alleviate (5 categories). The findings of this study can be used as a nautical chart of hospital-based palliative care team (HPCT) without full-time PC physician. Full-time nurses who have high management and coordination abilities play a central role in resource-limited HPCTs. © The Author(s) 2015.

Attitude to Euthanasia of Workers in Palliative Care

OpenAIRE

Poštová, Lenka

2015-01-01

This bsachelor thesis is devided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The work focuses on opinions of workers in palliative care on euthanasia. The theoretical part deals with the definition of palliative care, its goals and principles. Futhermore, it also introduced quality of palliative care in Czech Republic. Second chapter explains the term euthanasia and its forms. It also contains opinions of citizens of the Czech Republic on euthanasia. Third chapter is dedicated to terms such as...

Palliative care guidelines in oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krizanova, K.

2006-01-01

Palliative care has its roots in hospice movement arising in the 1970s in Europe and later also in America. From its beginning it has had connection with patients in terminal phase of cancer disease who suffered from many serious symptoms. Nowadays palliative care is also being provided to patients in terminal phase of certain neurological disorders, AIDS, exceptionally for patients with heart, lung or kidney failure. It has become part of modern medicine and of good clinical practice. (author)

PALLIATIVE CARE – ITS ROLE IN HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urška Lunder

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Background. In the last decades a palliative care has been well established in the majority of West European countries. However, majority of these countries are not able to follow needs for palliative care because of demographic changes (older population, changes of morbidity pattern (increase of chronic progressive diseases and social changes (disability of families to care for their relatives at their homes. Research is showing evidence on palliative care effectiveness at end of life and in bereavement. There is still a great need for healthcare professionals’ change in their attitudes, knowledge and skills. In many National strategic plans (United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada palliative care becomes a priority in the national public health. New organizational planning supports establishement of palliative care departments in hospitals and other healthcare settings and consultant teams at all levels of healthcare system. Hospices, caritative and independent organizations, will remain as a source of good clinical practice and philosophy of care at the end of life also in the future.

Launching a palliative care homepage: the Edmonton experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, J; Macmillan, A; Bruera, E

1997-11-01

The Internet, with its graphical subdivision, the World Wide Web (WWW). has become a powerful tool for the dissemination of information and for communication. This paper discusses the authors' experiences with creating, launching and maintaining an official publication on the Internet by the Edmonton Regional Palliative Care Program and the Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada. It describes the content and format of the homepage and the process of publication. Over a six-month period there were 892 visits to the site and 84 separate items of correspondence to the site's editors. Of these correspondence items, 36 were requesting further information regarding clinical and other programme information. Sixty-nine of the 84 communications came from North America and Europe. The pattern of readership is briefly discussed as are some of the potential advantages and challenges when utilizing this electronic medium. To promote the dissemination of reliable information on the Internet, the authors encourage other palliative care groups and organizations to publish on the WWW. The URL is http:/(/)www.palliative.org (previously http:/(/)www.caritas.ab.ca/approximately palliate).

Experimental classroom games: a didactic tool in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso, Ana Isabel López; Martínez, Maria Elena Fernández; Presa, Cristina Liébana; Casares, Ana Maria Vázquez; González, Maria Paz Castro

2018-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effect of a games-based intervention on palliative care nursing students' scores on the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. The challenge was to innovate and integrate grief-related theory and experiences into the classroom. Method Quasi-experimental study. Before and after the games-based intervention, 101 and 111 students completed the questionnaires, respectively. The intervention was performed in the context of a palliative care class taught during the first semester of the third year of the nursing programme. Results The students obtained moderate mean scores on the variable fear of death (between 14 and 19) at both time points (pre- and post-intervention). Both men and women indicated a heightened sense of fear post-intervention and a decrease in self-perceived emotional preparedness, which support the value of the games for exposing the student to situations that closely approximated reality. Conclusion The use of games as a didactic tool in the classroom context helped the students recognize the fear generated by proximity to death in the patient and family and in the student him- or herself.

Single-dose brachytherapy versus metal stent placement for the palliation of dysphagia from oesophageal cancer: multicentre randomised trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Homs, Marjolein Y. V.; Steyerberg, Ewout W.; Eijkenboom, Wilhelmina M. H.; Tilanus, Hugo W.; Stalpers, Lukas J. A.; Bartelsman, Joep F. W. M.; van Lanschot, Jan J. B.; Wijrdeman, Harm K.; Mulder, Chris J. J.; Reinders, Janny G.; Boot, Henk; Aleman, Berthe M. P.; Kuipers, Ernst J.; Siersema, Peter D.

2004-01-01

Background Both single-dose brachytherapy and self-expanding metal stent placement are commonly used for palliation of oesophageal obstruction due to inoperable cancer, but their relative merits are unknown. We under-took a randomised trial to compare the outcomes of brachytherapy and stent

Palliative radiotherapy for multiple myeloma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furusawa, Mitsuhiro; Baba, Yuji; Murakami, Ryuji; Yokoyama, Toshimi; Nishimura, Ryuichi; Uozumi, Hideaki; Takada, Chitose; Takahashi, Mutsumasa

1995-01-01

This study reviews the experience of palliative radiotherapy to patients with multiple myeloma to define the optimal dose for pain relief. The records of 31 patients (66 sites) with multiple myeloma irradiated for palliation at Kumamoto University hospital between 1985 and 1994 were reviewed. Total dose ranged from 8 to 50 Gy, with a mean of 32.2 Gy. Symptoms included pain (78.1%), neurological abnormalities (28.1%), and palpable masses (34.3%). Symptomatic remission was obtained in 45 of 46 evaluable sites (97.8%). Complete remission of symptoms were obtained in 28.3%, and partial remission in 69.6%. According to fraction size, there was no significant difference between 3-5 Gy and 1.8-2 Gy. The incidence of complete remission increased when a total dose of more than 20 Gy was given. When the quality of life is considered, hypofractionation was recommended for the palliative radiation therapy of multiple myeloma. (author)

Improving aspects of palliative care for children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jagt, C.T.

2017-01-01

This thesis is about improving aspects of palliative care for children, and covers three different areas of quality of care. First of all, palliative care should be anticipating. To be able to deliver this anticipating care, caregivers should know what to expect. The first two chapters of the thesis

Addressing Palliative Sedation during Expert Consultation: A Descriptive Analysis of the Practice of Dutch Palliative Care Consultation Teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoek, Patrick; Grandjean, Ilse; Verhagen, Constans A H H V M; Jansen-Landheer, Marlies L E A; Schers, Henk J; Galesloot, Cilia; Vissers, Kris C P; Engels, Yvonne; Hasselaar, Jeroen G J

2015-01-01

Since palliative sedation is considered a complex intervention, consultation teams are increasingly established to support general practice. This study aims to offer insight into the frequency and characteristics of expert consultations regarding palliative sedation. We performed a retrospective analysis of a longitudinal database. This database contained all patient-related consultations by Dutch Palliative Care Consultation teams, that were requested between 2004 and 2011. We described the frequency and characteristics of these consultations, in particular of the subgroup of consultations in which palliative sedation was addressed (i.e. PSa consultations). We used multivariate regression analysis to explore consultation characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of PSa consultations. Of the 44,443 initial consultations, most were requested by general practitioners (73%) and most concerned patients with cancer (86%). Palliative sedation was addressed in 18.1% of all consultations. Palliative sedation was relatively more often discussed during consultations for patients with a neurologic disease (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.51-2.12) or COPD (OR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.69) than for patients with cancer. We observed a higher likelihood of PSa consultations if the following topics were also addressed during consultation: dyspnoea (OR 1.30; 95% CI: 1.22-1.40), agitation/delirium (OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.47-1.68), exhaustion (OR 2.89; 95% CI: 2.61-3.20), euthanasia-related questions (OR 2.65; 95% CI: 2.37-2.96) or existential issues (OR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.31-1.83). In conclusion, PSa consultations accounted for almost one-fifth of all expert consultations and were associated with several case-related characteristics. These characteristics may help clinicians in identifying patients at risk for a more complex disease trajectory at the end of life.

Addressing Palliative Sedation during Expert Consultation: A Descriptive Analysis of the Practice of Dutch Palliative Care Consultation Teams.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick Hoek

Full Text Available Since palliative sedation is considered a complex intervention, consultation teams are increasingly established to support general practice. This study aims to offer insight into the frequency and characteristics of expert consultations regarding palliative sedation.We performed a retrospective analysis of a longitudinal database. This database contained all patient-related consultations by Dutch Palliative Care Consultation teams, that were requested between 2004 and 2011. We described the frequency and characteristics of these consultations, in particular of the subgroup of consultations in which palliative sedation was addressed (i.e. PSa consultations. We used multivariate regression analysis to explore consultation characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of PSa consultations.Of the 44,443 initial consultations, most were requested by general practitioners (73% and most concerned patients with cancer (86%. Palliative sedation was addressed in 18.1% of all consultations. Palliative sedation was relatively more often discussed during consultations for patients with a neurologic disease (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.51-2.12 or COPD (OR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.69 than for patients with cancer. We observed a higher likelihood of PSa consultations if the following topics were also addressed during consultation: dyspnoea (OR 1.30; 95% CI: 1.22-1.40, agitation/delirium (OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.47-1.68, exhaustion (OR 2.89; 95% CI: 2.61-3.20, euthanasia-related questions (OR 2.65; 95% CI: 2.37-2.96 or existential issues (OR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.31-1.83.In conclusion, PSa consultations accounted for almost one-fifth of all expert consultations and were associated with several case-related characteristics. These characteristics may help clinicians in identifying patients at risk for a more complex disease trajectory at the end of life.

Endoscopic palliation in gastric cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdivieso, Eduardo

2010-01-01

The integral search for improved living conditions for those patients with gastric cancer who have not received curative surgical treatment continues to challenge the knowledge, dexterity and ethical foundations of medical teams. The justification for palliative treatment must be based on a thorough consideration of the available options and the particular situation in each case. This article reviews endoscopic therapy with auto expandable prosthetics for palliative treatment of gastric cancer, as well as the scientific evidence that supports its use and the factors that determine its indication.

[Palliative home care in Westfalia-Lippe--baseline study 12 and 36 months after coming into effect of the "agreement to the implementation of ambulant home palliative careforterminally ill patients"].

Science.gov (United States)

Lux, E A; Althaus, A; Classen, B; Hilscher, H; Hofmeister, U; Holtappels, P; Mansfeld-Nies, R; Weller, H U

2013-07-25

On 2009-04-01 the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Westfalia-Lippe and health insurance organizations made an agreement to implement palliative home care for terminally ill patients. Based on this agreement, family doctors and palliativecardoctorscooperate,supported by coordinators. 12 and 36 months after coming into effect of the agreement a questionnaire was sent to the regional palliative care networks to collect data about supply structure, number of patients and their place of death. In the year 2011 85,410 people died in Westfalia-Lippe, 9.0% of them were included in palliative care structures. 69.5% of the included patients died at home, 9.9% in hospital (in 2010: 68.7% at home, 14.7% in hospital). A correlation between the population density or the number of included patients per palliative networkcould not be detected. Low-threshold access to palliative care networks(bothfamilydoctorand patientcancontact the palliative care team at any time) improves ambulant palliative care. Non-bureaucratic change from general home palliative care (German abbreviation: AAPV) to specialized home palliative care (SAPV) has proven successful in Westfalia-Lippe. Well-trained and experienced coordinators guarantee multidisciplinary and multiprofessional working of palliative care teams. In order to enhance palliative care in Westfalia-Lippe, data for quality assurance should be defined, periodically collected and evaluated in the future.

Paediatric palliative medicine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of health workers to prescribe and/or administer morphine despite the availability of essential ... doses are complex, largely weight related, and side-effect profiles can differ from those of ... psychological, and social distress. • Effective palliative ...

PALLIATIVE CARE IN ROMANIA : NEEDS AND RIGHTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, Wim J. A.; Olaroiu, Marinela

2008-01-01

Palliative care is directed to maintenance of quality of life and to prevent and to relief suffering of those with a life-threatening disease. Palliative care does not only concern the patient, but also the quality of life of family members and it deals with physical symptoms as well as with

[Knowledge and experience of palliative medicine among general practitioners in Germany].

Science.gov (United States)

Papke, J; Freier, W

2007-12-01

Levels of experience and competence in palliative medicine vary considerably among physicians. The aim of the study was to collect information from specially interested general practitioners on education, pivotal lectures and experience regarding the delivery of palliative care. 92 general practitioners (41 women and 22 men) attending a basic course in palliative medicine were asked to fill in a standardized questionnaire relating to their knowledge and experience of palliative medicine. 63 responded (68%), 54 in general private practice, nine worked in a hospital. The same number worked in urban and in rural health care facilities. The majority of those questioned (53%) gained their first experience in palliative medicine as junior hospital doctors about a quarter (26%) only after starting in private practice. Many of the doctors (31%) admitted to taking more interest in palliative medicine only after having made mistakes, a significant percentage (20%) after the death of a relative. 28% expressed the view that practical courses were an important part in learning about palliative medicine. The implementation of practice-based c tuition of medical students and of continuing education of established general practitioners and hospital physicians in palliative medicine is indispensable.

Future care planning: a first step to palliative care for all patients with advanced heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Denvir, M A; Murray, S A; Boyd, K J

2015-07-01

Palliative care is recommended for patients with end-stage heart failure with several recent, randomised trials showing improvements in symptoms and quality of life and more studies underway. Future care planning provides a framework for discussing a range of palliative care problems with patients and their families. This approach can be introduced at any time during the patient's journey of care and ideally well in advance of end-of-life care. Future care planning is applicable to a wide range of patients with advanced heart disease and could be delivered systematically by cardiology teams at the time of an unplanned hospital admission, akin to cardiac rehabilitation for myocardial infarction. Integrating cardiology care and palliative care can benefit many patients with advanced heart disease at increased risk of death or hospitalisation. Larger, randomised trials are needed to assess the impact on patient outcomes and experiences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The views of patients with brain cancer about palliative care: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vierhout, M; Daniels, M; Mazzotta, P; Vlahos, J; Mason, W P; Bernstein, M

2017-12-01

Palliative care, a specialty aimed at providing optimal care to patients with life-limiting and chronic conditions, has several benefits. Although palliative care is appropriate for neurosurgical conditions, including brain cancer, few studies have examined the views of brain cancer patients about palliative care. We aimed to explore the thoughts of brain cancer patients about palliative care, their opinions about early palliative care, and their preferred care setting. Semi-structured interviews and the qualitative research methodologies of grounded theory were used to explore perceptions of palliative care on the part of 39 brain cancer outpatients. Seven overarching actions emerged: ■Patients would prefer to receive palliative care in the home.■Increased time with caregivers and family are the main appeals of home care.■Patients express dissatisfaction with brief and superficial interactions with health care providers.■Patients believe that palliative care can contribute to their emotional well-being.■Patients are open to palliative care if they believe that it will not diminish optimism.■There is a preconceived idea that palliative care is directly linked to active dying, and that supposed link generates fear in some patients.■Patients prefer to be educated about palliative care as an option early in their illness, even if they are fearful of it. Overall, when educated about the true meaning of palliative care, most patients express interest in accessing palliative care services. Although the level of fear concerning palliative care varies in patients, most recognize the associated benefits.

Accuracy of the Distress Thermometer for home care patients with palliative care needs in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Wüller, Johannes; Küttner, Stefanie; Foldenauer, Ann Christina; Rolke, Roman; Pastrana, Tania

2017-06-01

Our aim was to examine the accuracy of the German version of the Distress Thermometer (DT) compared with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in patients with palliative care needs living at home. Ours was a 15-month cross-sectional study beginning in September of 2013 in Germany with consecutive patients cared for by a palliative home care service. The survey was implemented during the initial visit by a home care team. Patients were excluded if they were under 18 years of age, mentally or physically unable to complete the assessment questionnaires as judged by their healthcare worker, or unable to understand the German language. During the first encounter, the DT and HADS were applied, and sociodemographic and medical data were collected. A total of 89 persons completed both the HADS and DT questionnaires (response rate = 59.7%; mean age = 67 years; female = 55.1%; married = 65.2%; living home with relatives = 73.0%; oncological condition = 92.1%; Karnofsky Performance Scale [KPS] score: 0-40 = 30.3%, 50-70 = 57.3%, >80 = 6.7%). The mean DT score was 6.3 (±2.3), with 84.3% of participants scoring above the DT cutoff (≥4). The mean HADStotal score was 17.9 (±7.8), where 64% of participants had a total HADS score (HADStotal) ≥15, 51.7% reported anxiety (HADSanxiety ≥ 8), and 73% reported depression (HADSdepression ≥ 8). Using the HADS as a gold standard, a DT cutoff score ≥5 was optimal for identifying severe distress in patients with palliative care needs, with a sensitivity of 93.0%, a specificity of 34.4%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 73.3%, and likelihood ratios LR+ = 1.42 (home with palliative care needs in order to offer adequate support.

Performance and palliative care: a drama module for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey, Ewan James; Goddard, Jen; Jeffrey, David

2012-12-01

This paper describes an innovative 2 weeks module for medical students facilitated by drama educators and a palliative medicine doctor. The module incorporates drama, end-of-life care, teamwork and reflective practice. The module contents, practical aspects of drama teaching and learning outcomes are discussed. Various themes emerged from a study of Harold Pinter's play, The Caretaker, which were relevant to clinical practice: silence, power, communication, uncertainty and unanswered questions. Drama teaching may be one way of enhancing students' confidence, increasing self- awareness, developing ethical thinking and fostering teamworking.

Improving communication on hope in palliative care. A qualitative study of palliative care professionals' metaphors of hope: grip, source, tune, and vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsman, Erik; Duggleby, Wendy; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Willems, Dick; Gagnon, Judith; Kruizinga, Renske; Leget, Carlo

2014-11-01

Hope is important in palliative care. However, palliative care professionals' perspectives on hope are not well understood. Metaphors of hope are a way of better understanding these perspectives. To describe palliative care professionals' perspectives on hope by examining the hope metaphors they spontaneously used to describe their own hope and their perspectives on the hope of patients and their families. Semistructured interviews with palliative care professionals were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a narrative approach. Results were discussed until the researchers reached consensus and reinforced by other health-care professionals and by observing several palliative care settings. The 64 participants (mean (SD) age, 48.42 (9.27) years and 72% female) were physicians (41%), nurses (34%), chaplains (20%), or other professionals (5%), working in Canada (19%) or The Netherlands (81%). Participants described the hope of patients, their families, or themselves as a 1) grip, which implied safety; 2) source, which implied strength; 3) tune, which implied harmony; and 4) vision, which implied a positive perspective. Compared with Dutch participants, Canadian participants generally put more emphasis on spirituality and letting go of their own hope as a grip (safety). Compared with other included professionals, physicians used hope as a grip (safety) most often, whereas chaplains used hope as a tune (harmony) most often. Our findings help to increase the understanding of hope and contribute to improving communication skills in palliative care professionals. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pediatric Palliative Care Resources for You | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

Science.gov (United States)

... Pediatric Palliative Care Resources for You Follow us Pediatric Palliative Care Resources for You Dealing with a ... The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) offers pediatric palliative care resources to help you, your family, ...

Organisation and Evaluation of General Palliative Care in a Danish Hospital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Heidi; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Jarlbæk, Lene

2015-01-01

and evaluation of generalist palliative care in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to investigate the organization and evaluation of generalist palliative care in a large regional hospital by comparing results from existing evaluations. Methods: Results from three different data sets, all aiming...... of palliative care in order to identify concordances and/or discrepancies. Results: The triangulation indicated poor validity of the results from existing methods used to evaluate palliativecare in hospitals. When the datasets were compared, several discrepancies occurred with regard to the organizationand...... the performance of generalist palliative care. Five types of discrepancies were found in 35 out of 56 sections inthe fulfilment of the national accreditation standard for palliative care. Responses from the hospital management and the department managements indicated that generalist palliative care was organized...

Continuous palliative sedation for cancer and noncancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Swart, Siebe J; Rietjens, Judith A C; van Zuylen, Lia; Zuurmond, Wouter W A; Perez, Roberto S G M; van der Maas, Paul J; van Delden, Johannes J M; van der Heide, Agnes

2012-02-01

Palliative care is often focused on cancer patients. Palliative sedation at the end of life is an intervention to address severe suffering in the last stage of life. To study the practice of continuous palliative sedation for both cancer and noncancer patients. In 2008, a structured questionnaire was sent to 1580 physicians regarding their last patient receiving continuous sedation until death. A total of 606 physicians (38%) filled out the questionnaire, of whom 370 (61%) reported on their last case of continuous sedation (cancer patients: n=282 [76%] and noncancer patients: n=88 [24%]). More often, noncancer patients were older, female, and not fully competent. Dyspnea (odds ratio [OR]=2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22, 3.72) and psychological exhaustion (OR=2.64; 95% CI: 1.26, 5.55) were more often a decisive indication for continuous sedation for these patients. A palliative care team was consulted less often for noncancer patients (OR=0.45; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.96). Also, preceding sedation, euthanasia was discussed less often with noncancer patients (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.73), whereas their relatives more often initiated discussion about euthanasia than relatives of cancer patients (OR=3.75; 95% CI: 1.26, 11.20). The practice of continuous palliative sedation in patients dying of cancer differs from patients dying of other diseases. These differences seem to be related to the less predictable course of noncancer diseases, which may reduce physicians' awareness of the imminence of death. Increased attention to noncancer diseases in palliative care practice and research is, therefore, crucial as is more attention to the potential benefits of palliative care consultation. Copyright © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Implementation of a Pediatric Palliative Care Program in a Developing Country

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan Doherty

2018-04-01

Full Text Available BackgroundPalliative care is recognized as an important component of care for children with cancer and other life-limiting conditions. In resource limited settings, palliative care is a key component of care for children with cancer and other life-limiting conditions. Globally, 98% of children who need palliative care live in low- or middle-income countries, where there are very few palliative care services available. There is limited evidence describing the practical considerations for the development and implementation of sustainable and cost-effective palliative care services in developing countries.ObjectivesOur aim is to describe the key considerations and initiatives that were successful in planning and implementing a hospital-based pediatric palliative care service specifically designed for a resource-limited setting.SettingBangabandu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU is a tertiary referral hospital in Bangladesh. Local palliative care services are very limited and focused on adult patients. In partnership with World Child Cancer, a project establishing a pediatric palliative care service was developed for children with cancer at BSMMU.ResultsWe describe four key elements which were crucial for the success of this program: (1 raising awareness and sensitizing hospital administrators and clinical staff about pediatric palliative care; (2 providing education and training on pediatric palliative care for clinical staff; (3 forming a pediatric palliative care team; and (4 collecting data to characterize the need for pediatric palliative care.ConclusionThis model of a hospital-based pediatric palliative care service can be replicated in other resource-limited settings and can be expanded to include children with other life-limiting conditions. The development of pilot programs can generate interest among local physicians to become trained in pediatric palliative care and can be used to advocate for the palliative care needs of children.

Palliative and low cost radiotherapy in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, Barry; Hussein, S.M.A.

2011-01-01

Full text: The International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that cancer incidence in developing countries will increase dramatically in the first two decades of this millennium. Already some 80% of cancer patients in developing countries present with incurable disease. In many cases pain is a severe problem and palliation is needed to improve quality of life as well as extending survival. This paper will consider the physical and clinical aspects of palliative radiotherapy (PRT), choice of radiation modality, alternative approaches to imaging and therapy and cost-benefit considerations. The potential benefits of a dedicated palliative care centre include lower cost and therefore more centres, enabling more patients access to regional palliative care. Simple curative treatments could also be managed. Co60 radiotherapy has important advantages in developing countries, because of the higher initial cost of a linear accelerator, as well as the need for reliable power supply and the level of skill required by linac technicians and physicists. The beam characteristics of both Co60 units and low energy linacs are compared and both are found to be acceptable for palliation. The role of palliative and low cost radiotherapy in Bangladesh is reviewed. The concept of telemedicine is also discussed, using mobile phones and internet communication to allow rural clinics to receive support from specialists based in the cities, to send images for remote diagnosis and remote dose planning for radiotherapy.

Overcoming recruitment challenges in palliative care clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Thomas W; Lodato, Jordan E; Currow, David C; Abernethy, Amy P

2013-11-01

Palliative care is increasingly viewed as a necessary component of cancer care, especially for patients with advanced disease. Rigorous clinical trials are thus needed to build the palliative care evidence base, but clinical research-especially participant recruitment-is difficult. Major barriers include (1) patient factors, (2) "gatekeeping," and (3) ethical concerns. Here we discuss an approach to overcoming these barriers, using the Palliative Care Trial (PCT) as a case study. The PCT was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) of different service delivery models to improve pain control in the palliative setting. It used a recruitment protocol that fused evidence-based strategies with principles of "social marketing," an approach involving the systematic application of marketing techniques. Main components included (1) an inclusive triage algorithm, (2) information booklets targeting particular stakeholders, (3) a specialized recruitment nurse, and (4) standardization of wording across all study communications. From an eligible pool of 607 patients, the PCT enrolled 461 patients over 26 months. Twenty percent of patients referred to the palliative care service were enrolled (76% of those eligible after screening). Several common barriers were minimized; among those who declined participation, family disinterest was uncommon (5%), as was the perception of burden imposed (4%). Challenges to clinical trial recruitment in palliative care are significant but not insurmountable. A carefully crafted recruitment and retention protocol can be effective. Our experience with designing and deploying a social-marketing-based protocol shows the benefits of such an approach.

[Assessment of IDC-Pal as a Diagnostic Tool for Family Physicians to Identify Patients with Complex Palliative Care Needs in Germany: a Pilot Study].

Science.gov (United States)

Comino, María Rosa Salvador; Garcia, Victor Regife; López, Maria Auxiliadora Fernández; Feddersen, Berend; Roselló, María Luisa Martin; Sanftenberg, Linda; Schelling, Jörg

2017-07-11

Background Palliative medicine is an essential component of the health care system. Basic palliative care should be provided by primary care services (family physician and home nursing) with palliative-medical basic qualification. Often it is very difficult to identify patients that would profit from a specialized palliative care team. For the evaluation of the case complexity of a palliative patient, we present a Spanish diagnostic tool IDC-Pal, which tries to specify when, why and where a palliative patient should be referred. The aims of this study were the translation and cultural adaptation of the diagnostic tool for complexity in palliative care IDC-Pal to the German language, and the measurement of its feasibility and face validity. Methods During the first phase, a forward-backward translation with linguistic and cultural adaptation of the tool IDC-Pal as well as the validation of its content by a review committee was performed. During the second phase, the preliminary version of the tool was tested by 38 family physicians that were asked for a qualitative assessment using a 10-points Likert scale (1 = "strongly disagree" and 10 = "totally agree"). Finally, a definitive version was developed. Results The translation and adaptation were achieved without major problems. Both feasibility and apparent validity of the tool IDC-Pal were rated as high. The mean response in the Likert scale was 7.79, with a SD of 0.36. Participants strongly agreed on the apparent validity of the tool with a mean of 7.82 and a SD of 0.26 and on its feasibility with a mean of 7.79, and a SD of 0.39. Conclusions A conceptually, culturally and linguistically equivalent version of the original instrument IDC-Pal was obtained. German family physicians agreed on the usability of IDC-Pal as a tool for rating the case complexity of palliative patients. These results indicate that physicians in Bavaria and eventually in Germany could benefit of the full validation of IDC-Pal. © Georg Thieme

Protocol: Evaluating the impact of a nation-wide train-the-trainer educational initiative to enhance the quality of palliative care for children with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Widger, Kimberley; Friedrichsdorf, Stefan; Wolfe, Joanne; Liben, Stephen; Pole, Jason D; Bouffet, Eric; Greenberg, Mark; Husain, Amna; Siden, Harold; Whitlock, James A; Rapoport, Adam

2016-01-27

There are identified gaps in the care provided to children with cancer based on the self-identified lack of education for health care professionals in pediatric palliative care and in the perceptions of bereaved parents who describe suboptimal care. In order to address these gaps, we will implement and evaluate a national roll-out of Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Pediatrics (EPEC®-Pediatrics), using a 'Train-the-Trainer' model. In this study we are using a pre- post-test design and an integrated knowledge translation approach to assess the impact of the educational roll-out in four areas: 1) self-assessed knowledge of health professionals; 2) knowledge dissemination outcomes; 3) practice change outcomes; and 4) quality of palliative care. The quality of palliative care will be assessed using data from three sources: a) parent and child surveys about symptoms, quality of life and care provided; b) health record reviews of deceased patients; and c) bereaved parent surveys about end-of-life and bereavement care. After being trained in EPEC®-Pediatrics, 'Master Facilitators' will train 'Regional Teams' affiliated with 16 pediatric oncology programs in Canada. Each team will consist of three to five health professionals representing oncology, palliative care, and the community. Each team member will complete online modules and attend one of two face-to-face conferences, where they will receive training and materials to teach the EPEC®-Pediatrics curriculum to 'End-Users' in their region. Regional Teams will also choose a Tailored Implementation of Practice Standards (TIPS) Kit to guide implementation of a quality improvement project in their region; support will be provided via quarterly meetings with Co-Leads and via a listserv and webinars with other teams. Through this study we aim to raise the level of pediatric palliative care education amongst health care professionals in Canada. Our study will be a significant step forward in evaluation of

Patient's and health care provider's perspectives on music therapy in palliative care - an integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, W; Rosland, J H; von Hofacker, S; Hunskår, I; Bruvik, F

2018-02-20

The use of music as therapy in multidisciplinary end-of-life care dates back to the 1970s and nowadays music therapy (MT) is one of the most frequently used complementary therapy in in-patient palliative care in the US. However existing research investigated music therapy's potential impact mainly from one perspective, referring to either a quantitative or qualitative paradigm. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the users' and providers' perspectives on music therapy in palliative care within one research article. A systematic literature search was conducted using several databases supplemented with a hand-search of journals between November 1978 and December 2016. Inclusion criteria were: Music therapy with adults in palliative care conducted by a certified music therapist. Both quantitative and qualitative studies in English, German or a Scandinavian language published in peer reviewed journals were included. We aimed to identify and discuss the perspectives of both patients and health care providers on music therapy's impact in palliative care to forward a comprehensive understanding of it's effectiveness, benefits and limitations. We investigated themes mentioned by patients within qualitative studies, as well as commonly chosen outcome measures in quantitative research. A qualitative approach utilizing inductive content analysis was carried out to analyze and categorize the data. Twelve articles, reporting on nine quantitative and three qualitative research studies were included. Seven out of the nine quantitative studies investigated pain as an outcome. All of the included quantitative studies reported positive effects of the music therapy. Patients themselves associated MT with the expression of positive as well as challenging emotions and increased well-being. An overarching theme in both types of research is a psycho-physiological change through music therapy. Both quantitative as well as qualitative research showed positive changes in

Impact of Palliative Care Screening and Consultation in the ICU: A Multihospital Quality Improvement Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalenski, Robert J; Jones, Spencer S; Courage, Cheryl; Waselewsky, Denise R; Kostaroff, Anna S; Kaufman, David; Beemath, Afzal; Brofman, John; Castillo, James W; Krayem, Hicham; Marinelli, Anthony; Milner, Bradley; Palleschi, Maria Teresa; Tareen, Mona; Testani, Sheri; Soubani, Ayman; Walch, Julie; Wheeler, Judy; Wilborn, Sonali; Granovsky, Hanna; Welch, Robert D

2017-01-01

There are few multicenter studies that examine the impact of systematic screening for palliative care and specialty consultation in the intensive care unit (ICU). To determine the outcomes of receiving palliative care consultation (PCC) for patients who screened positive on palliative care referral criteria. In a prospective quality assurance intervention with a retrospective analysis, the covariate balancing propensity score method was used to estimate the conditional probability of receiving a PCC and to balance important covariates. For patients with and without PCCs, outcomes studied were as follows: 1) change to "do not resuscitate" (DNR), 2) discharge to hospice, 3) 30-day readmission, 4) hospital length of stay (LOS), 5) total direct hospital costs. In 405 patients with positive screens, 161 (40%) who received a PCC were compared to 244 who did not. Patients receiving PCCs had higher rates of DNR-adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 7.5; 95% CI 5.6-9.9) and hospice referrals-(AOR = 7.6; 95% CI 5.0-11.7). They had slightly lower 30-day readmissions-(AOR = 0.7; 95% CI 0.5-1.0); no overall difference in direct costs or LOS was found between the two groups. When patients receiving PCCs were stratified by time to PCC initiation, early consultation-by Day 4 of admission-was associated with reductions in LOS (1.7 days [95% CI -3.1, -1.2]) and average direct variable costs (-$1815 [95% CI -$3322, -$803]) compared to those who received no PCC. Receiving a PCC in the ICUs was significantly associated with more frequent DNR code status and hospice referrals, but not 30-day readmissions or hospital utilization. Early PCC was associated with significant LOS and direct cost reductions. Providing PCC early in the ICU should be considered. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The proportionate value of proportionality in palliative sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Jeffrey T

2014-01-01

Proportionality, as it pertains to palliative sedation, is the notion that sedation should be induced at the lowest degree effective for symptom control, so that the patient's consciousness may be preserved. The pursuit of proportionality in palliative sedation is a widely accepted imperative advocated in position statements and guidelines on this treatment. The priority assigned to the pursuit of proportionality, and the extent to which it is relevant for patients who qualify for palliative sedation, have been overstated. Copyright 2014 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Palliative care for Parkinson's disease: Patient and carer's perspectives explored through qualitative interview.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Siobhan; Cashell, Alison; Kernohan, W George; Lynch, Marie; McGlade, Ciara; O'Brien, Tony; O'Sullivan, Sean S; Foley, Mary J; Timmons, Suzanne

2017-07-01

Palliative care is recommended for non-malignant illnesses, including Parkinson's disease. However, past research with healthcare workers highlights unmet palliative needs in this population and referral rates to Specialist Palliative Care are low. Some healthcare workers perceive a 'fear' in their patients about introducing palliative care. However, less is known about the views of people with Parkinson's disease and their carers about palliative care. (1) To explore the palliative care and related issues most affecting people with Parkinson's disease and their families and (2) to examine perceptions about/understanding of palliative care. This was a qualitative study; semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. A total of 31 people participated, both people with Parkinson's disease ( n = 19) and carers ( n = 12), across three Movement Disorder Clinics in the Republic of Ireland. People with Parkinson's disease and their carers were unfamiliar with the term palliative care. When informed of the role of palliative care, most felt that they would benefit from this input. People with Parkinson's disease and carers experienced a high illness burden and wanted extra support. Crises requiring Specialist Palliative Care involvement may occur at diagnosis and later, with advancing illness. Participants wanted more information about palliative care and especially further supports to address their psychosocial needs. A holistic palliative care approach could address the complex physical and psychosocial symptoms experienced by people with Parkinson's disease and their carers, and people with Parkinson's disease and their carers are open to palliative care. Further research needs to explore how palliative care can be introduced into the routine care for people with Parkinson's disease.

Core attitudes of professionals in palliative care: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Steffen T; Ramsenthaler, Christina; Bausewein, Claudia; Krischke, Norbert; Geiss, Gerlinde

2009-08-01

Self-awareness of one's own reactions towards patients and their relatives is of paramount importance for all professionals in palliative care. 'Core attitude' describes the way in which a person perceives himself and the world, and forms the basis for his actions and thoughts. The aim of this study is to explore what core attitude means for palliative care professionals and whether there is a specific core attitude in palliative care. Qualitative study with 10 face-to-face in-depth interviews with experts in palliative care (nurses, physicians, social workers, psychologists, chaplain) in Germany. Core attitude in palliative care can be best described with the following three domains: 1) personal characteristics; 2) experience of care; and 3) competence in care. Authenticity is the most important characteristic of professionals, along with honesty and mindfulness. Core attitude primarily becomes apparent in the relationship with the patient. Perception and listening are key competences. The experts emphasized the universality of the core attitude in the care of ill people. They stressed the importance and relevance of teaching core attitudes in palliative care education. In the field of palliative care, core attitude consists predominately of authenticity, manifests itself in relationships, and requires a high degree of perceptiveness.

Smarter palliative care for cancer: Use of smartphone applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisha Rani Jamwal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Smartphones are technologically advanced mobile phone devices which use software similar to computer-based devices as a user-friendly interface. This review article is aimed to inform the palliative care professionals, cancer patients and their caregivers about the role of smartphone applications (apps in the delivery of palliative care services, through a brief review of existing literature on the development, feasibility, analysis, and effectiveness of such apps. There is a dearth need for sincere palliative care clinicians to work together with software professionals to develop the suitable smartphone apps in accordance with the family/caregivers' necessities and patients' biopsychosocial characteristics that influence the technology driven evidence informed palliative cancer care.

Prognosis of treatment outcomes by cognitive and physical scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakavonytė-Akstinienė Agnė

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using scales for measuring cognitive and physical functions for a prognosis of care outcomes in elderly patients. Methodology. The survey was carried out in one of the Vilnius City Hospitals for Nursing and Support Treatment. A total number of 177 respondents were involved in the study. The Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE, The Barthel Index (BI and The Morse Fall Scale were used. Results. A statistically significant correlation was revealed between the scores of MMSE and BI (Pearson R = 0.41, p < 0.01; those with severe cognitive impairment were more dependent. A statistically significant correlation (Pearson R = −0.181, p < 0.01 was reported between the scores of MMSE and the Morse Fall Scale – the risk of falling was higher in patients with severe cognitive impairment. Conclusions. The Morse Fall Scale was not suitable for the prognosis of outcomes. The MMSE was suitable for the prognosis of a patient’s discharge. The Barthel Index should be considered as the most suitable tool for the prognosis of care outcomes: the sum-score of the Barthel Index above 25 may suggest that the patient would be discharged home; the sum-score below this level was associated with a higher likelihood of patient death.

"Good idea but not feasible" – the views of decision makers and stakeholders towards strategies for better palliative care in Germany: a representative survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schneider Nils

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Statements on potential measures to improve palliative care in Germany predominantly reflect the points of view of experts from specialized palliative care organizations. By contrast, relatively little is known about the views of representatives of organizations and institutions that do not explicitly specialize in palliative care, but are involved to a relevant extent in the decision-making and policy-making processes. Therefore, for the first time in Germany, we carried out a representative study of the attitudes of a broad range of different stakeholders acting at the national or state level of the health care system. Methods 442 organizations and institutions were included and grouped as follows: patient organizations, nursing organizations, medical associations, specialized palliative care organizations, political institutions, health insurance funds and others. Using a standardized questionnaire, the participants were asked to rate their agreement with the World Health Organization's definition of palliative care (five-point scale: 1 = completely agree, 5 = completely disagree and to evaluate 18 pre-selected improvement measures with regard to their general meaningfulness and the feasibility of their introduction into the German health care system (two-point scale: 1 = good, 2 = poor. Results The response rate was 67%. Overall, the acceptance of the aims of palliative care in the WHO definition was strong. However, the level of agreement among health insurance funds' representatives was significantly less than that among representatives of the palliative care organizations. All the improvement measures selected for evaluation were rated significantly higher in respect of their meaningfulness than of their feasibility in Germany. In detail, the meaningfulness of 16 measures was evaluated positively (70–100% participants chose the answer "good"; for six of these measures feasibility was evaluated negatively (0–30

Clinical outcomes of self-expandable metal stent (SEMS placement as palliative treatment for malignant colorectal obstruction: A single-center study from Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshikatsu Nitta

2017-07-01

Conclusion: SEMS placement as a palliative treatment is likely to fail within a year, leading to re-occlusion. It is very important to maintain vigilant monitoring using X-ray, CT, and colonoscopy after SEMS placement, with close cooperation between the endoscopist and surgeon. A logistic framework involving careful follow-up, even in the absence of symptoms, and a combined team involving endoscopists and surgeons should be established to support re-intervention and surgery. We recommend vigilant monitoring of patients who received SEMS placement for palliation of malignant colorectal obstruction.

Relieving existential suffering through palliative sedation: discussion of an uneasy practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Anne; Boston, Patricia

2011-12-01

This article presents a discussion of the use of palliative sedation in response to intractable (not responsive to treatment) existential suffering. Patients suffering from a terminal illness are often faced with severe symptoms at the end of life. Although palliative sedation is sometimes used when no other options are effective in relieving unbearable pain or suffering, its use in response to intractable existential suffering in terminal illness remains controversial. A literature search was conducted for published articles addressing the use of palliative sedation between 1996 and 2009 using established databases. Palliative sedation remains an uneasy practice. The debates have centred on ethical issues surrounding decisions to use sedation and on separating the intent of palliative sedation (relief of intolerable symptoms) from the intent of euthanasia (hastening death). There is lack of consensus in defining existential suffering. Consequently, there is limited understanding of how decisions are being made when using palliative sedation to treat intractable existential suffering. Given the confusion and uncertainty about ethical and clinical justifications for palliative sedation in treating existential suffering, we argue that a better understanding of the controversies and decision-making process is needed. Greater understanding is required to prevent palliative sedation from becoming a substitute for intensive treatment of this kind of suffering. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Palliative Care To The Elderly Patient With Cancer: Speech Of Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irany Carvalho da Silva

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Palliative care is aimed at people with diseases without perspective of cure or terminally, aiming to provide a better quality of life. This study aims to investigating the discourse of nurses about their understanding of palliative care to elderly patient with cancer and identify strategies used by nurses to promote palliative care to the elderly cancer patient. It is an exploratory research of a qualitative nature, carried out with thirteen nurses from a philanthropic institution in the city of João Pessoa, through a questionnaire. The empirical material was subjected to thematic content analysis, resulting in three categories: design of nurses to assist the elderly in Palliative Care: promoting comfort and minimizing the suffering, the importance of palliative care in humanized care to the elderly with cancer and strategies for the Promotion of Care of the Elderly with Cancer. Participants highlighted the palliative care as essential in the humanization of care, ensuring the dignity and quality of life among the elderly with cancer without possibilities of cure, adding such assistance, the family. Keywords: Palliative Care; Nurse; Elderly; Cancer.

Knowledge in palliative care of nursing professionals at a Spanish hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Chover-Sierra

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Resume Objective: to determine the level of knowledge in palliative care of nursing staff at a Spanish tertiary care hospital. Method: descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were collected about the results of the Spanish version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses (PCQN, sociodemographic aspects, education level and experience in the field of palliative care. Univariate and bivariate descriptive analysis was applied. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 in all cases. Results: 159 professionals participated (mean age 39.51 years ± 10.25, with 13.96 years ± 10.79 of professional experience 54.7% possessed experience in palliative care and 64.2% educational background (mainly basic education. The mean percentage of hits on the quiz was 54%, with statistically significant differences in function of the participants’ education and experience in palliative care. Conclusions: although the participants show sufficient knowledge on palliative care, they would benefit from a specific training program, in function of the mistaken concepts identified through the quiz, which showed to be a useful tool to diagnose professionals’ educational needs in palliative care.

Perceptions of the care received from Australian palliative care services: A caregiver perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Pidgeon, Tanya M; Johnson, Claire E; Lester, Leanne; Currow, David; Yates, Patsy; Allingham, Samuel F; Bird, Sonia; Eagar, Kathy

2018-04-01

ABSTRACTBackground:Caregiver satisfaction and experience surveys help health professionals to understand, measure, and improve the quality of care provided for patients and their families. Our aim was to explore caregiver perceptions of the care received from Australian specialist palliative care services. Caregivers of patients receiving palliative care in services registered with Australia's Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration were invited to participate in a caregiver survey. The survey included the FAMCARE-2 and four items from the Ongoing Needs Identification: Caregiver Profile questionnaire. Surveys were completed by 1,592 caregivers from 49 services. Most respondents reported high satisfaction and positive experiences. Caregivers receiving care from community-based palliative care teams were less satisfied with the management of physical symptoms and comfort (odds ratio [OR] = 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI95%] = 0.14, 0.59), with patient psychological care (OR = 0.56; CI95% = 0.32, 0.98), and with family support (OR = 0.52; CI95% = 0.35, 0.77) than caregivers of patients in an inpatient setting. If aged over 60 years, caregivers were less likely to have their information needs met regarding available support services (OR = 0.98; CI95% = 0.97, 0.98) and carer payments (OR = 0.99; CI95% = 0.98, 1.00). Also, caregivers were less likely to receive adequate information about carer payments if located in an outer regional area (OR = 0.41; CI95% = 0.25, 0.64). With practical training, caregivers receiving care from community services reported inadequate information provision to support them in caring for patients (OR = 0.60; CI95% = 0.45, 0.81). While our study identified caregivers as having positive and satisfactory experiences across all domains of care, there is room for improvement in the delivery of palliative care across symptom management, as well as patient and caregiver support, especially in community settings. Caregiver surveys can facilitate the

Internship report on palliative care at St Catherine's hospice

OpenAIRE

Monteiro, Andreia Marlene da Silva

2016-01-01

This report, performed in the context of the completion of the masters in Palliative Care, presents the activities and learning experiences that I have acquired during the months of training in the different settings of palliative care. This internship was performed at St Catherine’s Hospice (Inpatient unit, Day hospice and Community team) and with the National Health Service of East Surrey Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team. Alongside the institutional involvement, internship activitie...

Assessment of Cancer-Related Fatigue, Pain, and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients at Palliative Care Team Referral: A Multicenter Observational Study (JORTC PAL-09).

Science.gov (United States)

Iwase, Satoru; Kawaguchi, Takashi; Tokoro, Akihiro; Yamada, Kimito; Kanai, Yoshiaki; Matsuda, Yoshinobu; Kashiwaya, Yuko; Okuma, Kae; Inada, Shuji; Ariyoshi, Keisuke; Miyaji, Tempei; Azuma, Kanako; Ishiki, Hiroto; Unezaki, Sakae; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro

2015-01-01

Cancer-related fatigue greatly influences quality of life in cancer patients; however, no specific treatments have been established for cancer-related fatigue, and at present, no medication has been approved in Japan. Systematic research using patient-reported outcome to examine symptoms, particularly fatigue, has not been conducted in palliative care settings in Japan. The objective was to evaluate fatigue, pain, and quality of life in cancer patients at the point of intervention by palliative care teams. Patients who were referred to palliative care teams at three institutions and met the inclusion criteria were invited to complete the Brief Fatigue Inventory, Brief Pain Inventory, and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative. Of 183 patients recruited, the majority (85.8%) were diagnosed with recurrence or metastasis. The largest group (42.6%) comprised lung cancer patients, of whom 67.2% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 0-1. The mean value for global health status/quality of life was 41.4, and the highest mean European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative symptom item score was for pain (51.0). The mean global fatigue score was 4.1, and 9.8%, 30.6%, 38.7%, and 20.8% of patients' fatigue severity was classified as none (score 0), mild (1-3), moderate (4-6), and severe (7-10), respectively. Cancer-related fatigue, considered to occur more frequently in cancer patients, was successfully assessed using patient-reported outcomes with the Brief Fatigue Inventory for the first time in Japan. Results suggested that fatigue is potentially as problematic as pain, which is the main reason for palliative care.

Practice Patterns, Attitudes, and Barriers to Palliative Care Consultation by Gynecologic Oncologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley de Meritens, Alexandre; Margolis, Benjamin; Blinderman, Craig; Prigerson, Holly G; Maciejewski, Paul K; Shen, Megan J; Hou, June Y; Burke, William M; Wright, Jason D; Tergas, Ana I

2017-09-01

We sought to describe practice patterns, attitudes, and barriers to the integration of palliative care services by gynecologic oncologists. Members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology were electronically surveyed regarding their practice of incorporating palliative care services and to identify barriers for consultation. Descriptive statistics were used, and two-sample z-tests of proportions were performed to compare responses to related questions. Of the 145 respondents, 71% were attending physicians and 58% worked at an academic medical center. The vast majority (92%) had palliative care services available for consultation at their hospital; 48% thought that palliative care services were appropriately used, 51% thought they were underused, and 1% thought they were overused. Thirty percent of respondents thought that palliative care services should be incorporated at first recurrence, whereas 42% thought palliative care should be incorporated when prognosis for life expectancy is ≤ 6 months. Most participants (75%) responded that palliative care consultation is reasonable for symptom control at any stage of disease. Respondents were most likely to consult palliative care services for pain control (53%) and other symptoms (63%). Eighty-three percent of respondents thought that communicating prognosis is the primary team's responsibility, whereas the responsibilities for pain and symptom control, resuscitation status, and goals of care discussions were split between the primary team only and both teams. The main barrier for consulting palliative care services was the concern that patients and families would feel abandoned by the primary oncologist (73%). Ninety-seven percent of respondents answered that palliative care services are useful to improve patient care. The majority of gynecologic oncologists perceived palliative care as a useful collaboration that is underused. Fear of perceived abandonment by the patient and family members was identified as a

The PAMINO-project: evaluating a primary care-based educational program to improve the quality of life of palliative patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Engeser Peter

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The care of palliative patients challenges the health care system in both quantity and quality. Especially the role of primary care givers needs to be strengthened to provide them with the knowledge and the confidence of applying an appropriate end-of-life care to palliative patients. To improve health care services for palliative patients in primary care, interested physicians in and around Heidelberg, Germany, are enabled to participate in the community-based program 'Palliative Medical Initiative North Baden (PAMINO' to improve their knowledge in dealing with palliative patients. The impact of this program on patients' health and quality of life remains to be evaluated. Methods/Design The evaluation of PAMINO is a non-randomized, controlled study. Out of the group of primary care physicians who took part in the PAMINO program, a sample of 45 physicians and their palliative patients will be compared to a sample of palliative patients of 45 physicians who did not take part in the program. Every four weeks for 6 months or until death, patients, physicians, and the patients' family caregivers in both groups answer questions to therapy strategies, quality of life (QLQ-C15-PAL, POS, pain (VAS, and burden for family caregivers (BSFC. The inclusion of physicians and patients in the study starts in March 2007. Discussion Although participating physicians value the increase in knowledge they receive from PAMINO, the effects on patients remain unclear. If the evaluation reveals a clear benefit for patients' quality of life, a larger-scale implementation of the program is considered. Trial registration: The study was registered at ‘current controlled trials (CCT’, registration number: ISRCTN78021852.

Multidisciplinary Team Contributions Within a Dedicated Outpatient Palliative Radiotherapy Clinic: A Prospective Descriptive Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pituskin, Edith; Fairchild, Alysa; Dutka, Jennifer; Gagnon, Lori; Driga, Amy; Tachynski, Patty; Borschneck, Jo-Ann; Ghosh, Sunita

2010-01-01

Purpose: Patients with bone metastases may experience pain, fatigue, and decreased mobility. Multiple medications for analgesia are often required, each with attendant side effects. Although palliative-intent radiotherapy (RT) is effective in decreasing pain, additional supportive care interventions may be overlooked. Our objective was to describe the feasibility of multidisciplinary assessment of patients with symptomatic bone metastases attending a dedicated outpatient palliative RT clinic. Methods and Materials: Consecutive patients referred for RT for painful bone metastases were screened for symptoms and needs relevant to their medications, nutritional intake, activities of daily living, and psychosocial and spiritual concerns from January 1 to December 31, 2007. Consultations by appropriate team members and resulting recommendations were collected prospectively. Patients who received RT were contacted by telephone 4 weeks later to assess symptom outcomes. Results: A total of 106 clinic visits by 82 individual patients occurred. As determined by screening form responses, the clinical Pharmacist, Occupational Therapist, Registered Dietician and Social Worker were consulted to provide assessments and recommendations within the time constraints presented by 1-day palliative RT delivery. In addition to pain relief, significant improvements in tiredness, depression, anxiety, drowsiness and overall well-being were reported at 4 weeks. Conclusions: Systematic screening of this population revealed previously unmet needs, addressed in the form of custom verbal and written recommendations. Multidisciplinary assessment is associated with a high number of recommendations and decreased symptom distress. Our findings lend strong support to the routine assessment by multiple supportive care professionals for patients with advanced cancer being considered for palliative RT.

Function of local networks in palliative care: a Dutch view.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikbakht-Van de Sande, C V M Vahedi; van der Rijt, C C D; Visser, A Ph; ten Voorde, M A; Pruyn, J F A

2005-08-01

Although network formation is considered an effective method of stimulating the integrated delivery of palliative care, scientific evidence on the usefulness of network formation is scarce. In 1998 the Ministry of Health of The Netherlands started a 5-year stimulation program on palliative care by founding and funding six regional Centres for the Development of Palliative Care. These centers were structured around pivotal organizations such as university hospitals and comprehensive cancer centers. As part of the stimulation program a locoregional network model was introduced within each center for the Development of Palliative Care to integrate palliative care services in the Dutch health care system. We performed a study on network formation in the southwestern area of The Netherlands with 2.4 million inhabitants. The study aimed to answer the following questions: (1) how do networks in palliative care develop, which care providers participate and how do they function? (2) which are the achievements of the palliative care networks as perceived by their participants? (3) which are the success factors of the palliative care networks according to their participants and which factors predict the achievements? Between September 2000 and January 2004 eight local palliative care networks in the region of the Center for Development of Palliative Care-Rotterdam (southwestern area of The Netherlands) were closely followed to gain information on their characteristics and developmental course. At the start of the study semistructured interviews were held with the coordinators of the eight networks. The information from these interviews and from the network documents were used to constitute a questionnaire to assess the opinions and experiences of the network participants. According to the vast majority of responders, the most important reason to install the networks was the lack of integration between the existing local health care services. The networks were initiated to

The role of dentist in palliative care team

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rani P Mol

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The palliative doctor gives the ′touch of God′ as he/she takes care of the terminally ill patient. The oncologist encounters great difficulties in managing oral cavity problems of these patients. A trained dental doctor can help other doctors in dealing with these situations. But the general dental surgeon does not have enough idea about his part in these treatments. The community is also unaware of the role that a nearby dentist can play. Adequate training programs have to be conducted and awareness has to be created. A trained dentist will be a good team mate for the oncologist or radiotherapist or other doctors of the palliative care team. In this paper, a brief attempt is made to list a few areas in which a palliative care dentist can help other members of the palliative care team and also the patient in leading a better life.

Nurses experiences in palliative care of terminally-ill HIV patients in a level 1 district hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nokwanda E. Bam

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Whilst the discourse of palliative care in HIV management is largely documented and regarded as being an essential component, various authors have further argued that within the context of HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa, palliative care and exploration of the dimensions thereof is largely lacking. This article presents the lived experiences of nurses involved in palliative care, thus providing the perspective of nurses and the multi-faceted dimensions of the nature of caring inherent.Objectives: This study explored the respondents’ understanding of the concepts ‘caring’ and ‘terminal patient’ and described the experiences of nurses caring for terminally-ill patients with HIV and how these experiences influence the nature of care rendered.Methods: Qualitative research using Husserl’s approach of phenomenology design underpinned the study and Giorgi’s steps of analysis were used to make meaning of the data.Results: The concept ‘caring’ was experienced by the nurses as transforming the patients’ quality of life through supportive care and hope for life. Palliative care made the nurses conscious of their own mortality, enabling them to be more sensitive, compassionate and dedicated to caring for their patients. The findings described the social networking that enabled nurses to collaborate with colleagues in the interdisciplinary teams and shared knowledge, skills and support within the palliative care team in order to optimise patient outcomes.Conclusion: Nurses with prolonged involvement in caring for terminally-ill patients with HIV experienced helplessness and emotional stress. Recommendations based on the results are that training in psychological and holistic care of the patient, professional counselling and stress management services are needed to support the nurse in this context.

Raising the Bar for the Care of Seriously Ill Patients: Results of a National Survey to Define Essential Palliative Care Competencies for Medical Students and Residents

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Kristen G.; Chittenden, Eva H.; Sullivan, Amy M.; Periyakoil, Vyjeyanth S.; Morrison, Laura J.; Carey, Elise C.; Sanchez-Reilly, Sandra; Block, Susan D.

2014-01-01

Purpose Given the shortage of palliative care specialists in the U.S., to ensure quality of care for patients with serious, life-threatening illness, generalist-level palliative care competencies need to be defined and taught. The purpose of this study was to define essential competencies for medical students and internal medicine and family medicine (IM/FM) residents through a national survey of palliative care experts. Method Proposed competencies were derived from existing Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship competencies, and revised to be developmentally appropriate for students and residents. In spring 2012, the authors administered a web-based, national cross-sectional survey of palliative care educational experts to assess ratings and rankings of proposed competencies and competency domains. Results The authors identified 18 comprehensive palliative care competencies for medical students and IM/FM residents, respectively. Over 95% of survey respondents judged the competencies as comprehensive and developmentally appropriate (survey response rate=72%, 71/98). Using predefined cut-off criteria, experts identified 7 medical student and 13 IM/FM resident competencies as essential. Communication and pain/symptom management were rated as the most critical domains. Conclusions This national survey of palliative care experts defines comprehensive and essential palliative care competencies for medical students and IM/FM residents that are specific, measurable, and can be used to report educational outcomes; provide a sequence for palliative care curricula in undergraduate and graduate medical education; and highlight the importance of educating medical trainees in communication and pain management. Next steps include seeking input and endorsement from stakeholders in the broader medical education community. PMID:24979171

Raising the bar for the care of seriously ill patients: results of a national survey to define essential palliative care competencies for medical students and residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Kristen G; Chittenden, Eva H; Sullivan, Amy M; Periyakoil, Vyjeyanth S; Morrison, Laura J; Carey, Elise C; Sanchez-Reilly, Sandra; Block, Susan D

2014-07-01

Given the shortage of palliative care specialists in the United States, to ensure quality of care for patients with serious, life-threatening illness, generalist-level palliative care competencies need to be defined and taught. The purpose of this study was to define essential competencies for medical students and internal medicine and family medicine (IM/FM) residents through a national survey of palliative care experts. Proposed competencies were derived from existing hospice and palliative medicine fellowship competencies and revised to be developmentally appropriate for students and residents. In spring 2012, the authors administered a Web-based, national cross-sectional survey of palliative care educational experts to assess ratings and rankings of proposed competencies and competency domains. The authors identified 18 comprehensive palliative care competencies for medical students and IM/FM residents, respectively. Over 95% of survey respondents judged the competencies as comprehensive and developmentally appropriate (survey response rate = 72%, 71/98). Using predefined cutoff criteria, experts identified 7 medical student and 13 IM/FM resident competencies as essential. Communication and pain/symptom management were rated as the most critical domains. This national survey of palliative care experts defines comprehensive and essential palliative care competencies for medical students and IM/FM residents that are specific, measurable, and can be used to report educational outcomes; provide a sequence for palliative care curricula in undergraduate and graduate medical education; and highlight the importance of educating medical trainees in communication and pain management. Next steps include seeking input and endorsement from stakeholders in the broader medical education community.

Differential Family Experience of Palliative Sedation Therapy in Specialized Palliative or Critical Care Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hui-Shan; Chen, Szu-Yin; Cheung, Denise Shuk Ting; Wang, Shu-Yi; Lee, Jung Jae; Lin, Chia-Chin

2018-02-21

No study has examined the varying family experience of palliative sedation therapy (PST) for terminally ill patients in different settings. To examine and compare family concerns about PST use and its effect on the grief suffered by terminally ill patients' families in palliative care units (PCUs) or intensive care units (ICUs). A total of 154 family members of such patients were recruited in Taiwan, of whom 143 completed the study, with 81 from the PCU and 62 from the ICU. Data were collected on their concerns regarding PST during recruitment. Grief levels were assessed at three days and one month after the patient's death with the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief. Families' major concern about sedated patients in the PCU was that "there might be other ways to relieve symptoms" (90.2%), whereas families of ICU sedated patients gave the highest ratings to "feeling they still had something more to do" (93.55%), and "the patient's sleeping condition was not dignified" (93.55%). Family members recruited from the ICU tended to experience more grief than those from the PCU (P = 0.005 at Day 3 and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Satisfaction with palliative care after stroke: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Blacquiere, Dylan; Bhimji, Khadija; Meggison, Hilary; Sinclair, John; Sharma, Michael

2013-09-01

The determinants of satisfaction for families of acute stroke patients receiving palliative care have not been extensively studied. We surveyed families to determine how they perceived palliative care after stroke. Families of patients palliated after ischemic stroke, intracerebral, or subarachnoid hemorrhage were approached. Four weeks after the patient's death, families were administered the After-Death Bereaved Family Member Interview to determine satisfaction with the care provided. Fifteen families participated. Families were most satisfied with participation in decision making and least satisfied with attention to emotional needs. In stroke-specific domains, families had less satisfaction with artificial feeding, hydration, and communication. Overall satisfaction was high (9.04 out of 10). Families of patients receiving palliative care at our institution showed generally high satisfaction with palliation after stroke; specific domains were identified for improvement. Further study in larger populations is required.

Age Disparity in Palliative Radiation Therapy Among Patients With Advanced Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, Jonathan [University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii (United States); Xu, Beibei [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Yeung, Heidi N.; Roeland, Eric J. [Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Martinez, Maria Elena [Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Le, Quynh-Thu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California (United States); Mell, Loren K. [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Murphy, James D., E-mail: j2murphy@ucsd.edu [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States)

2014-09-01

Purpose/Objective: Palliative radiation therapy represents an important treatment option among patients with advanced cancer, although research shows decreased use among older patients. This study evaluated age-related patterns of palliative radiation use among an elderly Medicare population. Methods and Materials: We identified 63,221 patients with metastatic lung, breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2007 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Receipt of palliative radiation therapy was extracted from Medicare claims. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis determined residual age-related disparity in the receipt of palliative radiation therapy after controlling for confounding covariates including age-related differences in patient and demographic covariates, length of life, and patient preferences for aggressive cancer therapy. Results: The use of radiation decreased steadily with increasing patient age. Forty-two percent of patients aged 66 to 69 received palliative radiation therapy. Rates of palliative radiation decreased to 38%, 32%, 24%, and 14% among patients aged 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80 to 84, and over 85, respectively. Multivariate analysis found that confounding covariates attenuated these findings, although the decreased relative rate of palliative radiation therapy among the elderly remained clinically and statistically significant. On multivariate analysis, compared to patients 66 to 69 years old, those aged 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80 to 84, and over 85 had a 7%, 15%, 25%, and 44% decreased rate of receiving palliative radiation, respectively (all P<.0001). Conclusions: Age disparity with palliative radiation therapy exists among older cancer patients. Further research should strive to identify barriers to palliative radiation among the elderly, and extra effort should be made to give older patients the opportunity to receive this quality of life-enhancing treatment at the end

An Australian casemix classification for palliative care: technical development and results.

Science.gov (United States)

Eagar, Kathy; Green, Janette; Gordon, Robert

2004-04-01

To develop a palliative care casemix classification for use in all settings including hospital, hospice and home-based care. 3866 palliative care patients who, in a three-month period, had 4596 episodes of care provided by 58 palliative care services in Australia and New Zealand. A detailed clinical and service utilization profile was collected on each patient with staff time and other resources measured on a daily basis. Each day of care was costed using actual cost data from each study site. Regression tree analysis was used to group episodes of care with similar costs and clinical characteristics. In the resulting classification, the Australian National Sub-acute and Non-acute Patient (AN-SNAP) Classification Version 1, the branch for classifying inpatient palliative care episodes (including hospice care) has 11 classes and explains 20.98% of the variance in inpatient palliative care phase costs using trimmed data. There are 22 classes in the ambulatory palliative care branch that explains 17.14% variation in ambulatory phase cost using trimmed data. The term 'subacute' is used in Australia to describe health care in which the goal--a change in functional status or improvement in quality of life--is a better predictor of the need for, and the cost of, care than the patient's underlying diagnosis. The results suggest that phase of care (stage of illness) is the best predictor of the cost of Australian palliative care. Other predictors of cost are functional status and age. In the ambulatory setting, symptom severity and the model of palliative care are also predictive of cost. These variables are used in the AN-SNAP Version 1 classification to create 33 palliative care classes. The classification has clinical meaning but the overall statistical performance is only moderate. The structure of the classification allows for it to be improved over time as models of palliative care service delivery develop.

Do palliative care interventions reduce emergency department visits among patients with cancer at the end of life? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

DiMartino, Lisa D; Weiner, Bryan J; Mayer, Deborah K; Jackson, George L; Biddle, Andrea K

2014-12-01

Frequent emergency department (ED) visits are an indicator of poor quality of cancer care. Coordination of care through the use of palliative care teams may limit aggressive care and improve outcomes for patients with cancer at the end of life. To systematically review the literature to determine whether palliative care interventions implemented in the hospital, home, or outpatient clinic are more effective than usual care in reducing ED visits among patients with cancer at the end of life. PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases were searched from database inception to May 7, 2014. Only randomized/non-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies examining the effect of palliative care interventions on ED visits among adult patients with cancer with advanced disease were considered. Data were abstracted from the articles that met all the inclusion criteria. A second reviewer independently abstracted data from 2 articles and discrepancies were resolved. From 464 abstracts, 2 RCTs, 10 observational studies, and 1 non-RCT/quasi-experimental study were included. Overall there is limited evidence to support the use of palliative care interventions to reduce ED visits, although studies examining effect of hospice care and those conducted outside of the United States reported a statistically significant reduction in ED visits. Evidence regarding whether palliative care interventions implemented in the hospital, home or outpatient clinic are more effective than usual care at reducing ED visits is not strongly substantiated based on the literature reviewed. Improvements in the quality of reporting for studies examining the effect of palliative care interventions on ED use are needed.

The use of Quality-Adjusted Life Years in cost-effectiveness analyses in palliative care: Mapping the debate through an integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wichmann, Anne B; Adang, Eddy Mm; Stalmeier, Peep Fm; Kristanti, Sinta; Van den Block, Lieve; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra Jfj; Engels, Yvonne

2017-04-01

In cost-effectiveness analyses in healthcare, Quality-Adjusted Life Years are often used as outcome measure of effectiveness. However, there is an ongoing debate concerning the appropriateness of its use for decision-making in palliative care. To systematically map pros and cons of using the Quality-Adjusted Life Year to inform decisions on resource allocation among palliative care interventions, as brought forward in the debate, and to discuss the Quality-Adjusted Life Year's value for palliative care. The integrative review method of Whittemore and Knafl was followed. Theoretical arguments and empirical findings were mapped. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL, in which MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms were Palliative Care, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Quality of Life, and Quality-Adjusted Life Years. Three themes regarding the pros and cons were identified: (1) restrictions in life years gained, (2) conceptualization of quality of life and its measurement, including suggestions to adapt this, and (3) valuation and additivity of time, referring to changing valuation of time. The debate is recognized in empirical studies, but alternatives not yet applied. The Quality-Adjusted Life Year might be more valuable for palliative care if specific issues are taken into account. Despite restrictions in life years gained, Quality-Adjusted Life Years can be achieved in palliative care. However, in measuring quality of life, we recommend to-in addition to the EQ-5D- make use of quality of life or capability instruments specifically for palliative care. Also, we suggest exploring the possibility of integrating valuation of time in a non-linear way in the Quality-Adjusted Life Year.

World Health Organization Public Health Model: A Roadmap for Palliative Care Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Callaway, Mary V; Connor, Stephen R; Foley, Kathleen M

2018-02-01

The Open Society Foundation's International Palliative Care Initiative (IPCI) began to support palliative care development in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union in 1999. Twenty-five country representatives were invited to discuss the need for palliative care in their countries and to identify key areas that should be addressed to improve the care of adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. As a public health concern, progress in palliative care requires integration into health policy, education and training of health care professionals, availability of essential pain relieving medications, and health care services. IPCI created the Palliative Care Roadmap to serve as a model for government and/or nongovernment organizations to use to frame the necessary elements and steps for palliative care integration. The roadmap includes the creation of multiple Ministry of Health-approved working groups to address: palliative care inclusion in national health policy, legislation, and finance; availability of essential palliative care medications, especially oral opioids; education and training of health care professionals; and the implementation of palliative care services at home or in inpatient settings for adults and children. Each working group is tasked with developing a pathway with multiple signposts as indicators of progress made. The roadmap may be entered at different signposts depending upon the state of palliative care development in the country. The progress of the working groups often takes place simultaneously but at variable rates. Based on our experience, the IPCI Roadmap is one possible framework for palliative care development in resource constrained countries but requires both health care professional engagement and political will for progress to be made. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Pediatrician Ambiguity in Understanding Palliative Sedation at the End of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Carrie M; FitzGerald, Michael; Hoehn, K Sarah; Weidner, Norbert

2017-02-01

Palliative sedation is a means of relieving intractable symptoms at the end of life, however, guidelines about its use lack consistency. In addition, ethical concerns persist around the practice. There are reports of palliative sedation in the pediatric literature, which highlight various institutional perspectives. This survey of 4786 pediatric providers sought to describe their knowledge of and current practices around pediatric palliative sedation. Our survey was administered to pediatricians who care for children at the end of life. The survey assessed agreement with a definition of palliative sedation, as well as thoughts about its alignment with aggressive symptom management. Bivariate analyses using χ 2 and analysis of variance were calculated to determine the relationship between responses to closed-ended questions. Open-ended responses were thematically coded by the investigators and reviewed for agreement. Nearly half (48.6%) of the respondents indicated that the stated definition of palliative sedation "completely" reflected their own views. Respondents were split when asked if they viewed any difference between palliative sedation and aggressive symptom management: Yes (46%) versus No (54%). Open-ended responses revealed specifics about the nature of variation in interpretation. Responses point to ambiguity surrounding the concept of palliative sedation. Pediatricians were concerned with a decreased level of consciousness as the goal of palliative sedation. Respondents were split on whether they view palliative sedation as a distinct entity or as one broad continuum of care, equivalent to aggressive symptom management. Institutional-based policies are essential to clarify acceptable practice, enable open communication, and promote further research.

Physiotherapy programme reduces fatigue in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care: randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyszora, Anna; Budzyński, Jacek; Wójcik, Agnieszka; Prokop, Anna; Krajnik, Małgorzata

2017-09-01

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and relevant symptom in patients with advanced cancer that significantly decreases their quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a physiotherapy programme on CRF and other symptoms in patients diagnosed with advanced cancer. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Sixty patients diagnosed with advanced cancer receiving palliative care were randomized into two groups: the treatment group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30). The therapy took place three times a week for 2 weeks. The 30-min physiotherapy session included active exercises, myofascial release and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques. The control group did not exercise. The outcomes included Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and satisfaction scores. The exercise programme caused a significant reduction in fatigue scores (BFI) in terms of severity of fatigue and its impact on daily functioning. In the control group, no significant changes in the BFI were observed. Moreover, the physiotherapy programme improved patients' general well-being and reduced the intensity of coexisting symptoms such as pain, drowsiness, lack of appetite and depression. The analysis of satisfaction scores showed that it was also positively evaluated by patients. The physiotherapy programme, which included active exercises, myofascial release and PNF techniques, had beneficial effects on CRF and other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer who received palliative care. The results of the study suggest that physiotherapy is a safe and effective method of CRF management.

A survey of palliative medicine education in Japan's undergraduate medical curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Yoichi; Takamiya, Yusuke; Saito, Mari; Kuroko, Koichi; Shiratsuchi, Tatsuko; Oshima, Kenzaburo; Ito, Yuko; Miyake, Satoshi

2017-06-07

This study aimed to examine the status of undergraduate palliative care education among Japanese medical students using data from a survey conducted in 2015. A questionnaire was originally developed, and the survey forms were sent to universities. The study's objectives, methods, disclosure of results, and anonymity were explained to participating universities in writing. Responses returned by the universities were considered to indicate consent to participate. Descriptive statistical methodology was employed. The response rate was 82.5% (66 of 80 medical faculties and colleges). Palliative care lectures were implemented in 98.5% of the institutions. Regarding lecture titles, "palliative medicine," "palliative care," and "terminal care" accounted for 42.4, 30.3, and 9.1% of the lectures, respectively. Teachers from the Department of Anesthesia, Palliative Care, and Psychiatry administered 51.5, 47.0, and 28.8% of lectures, respectively. Subjects of lectures included general palliative care (81.8%), pain management (87.9%), and symptom management (63.6%). Clinical clerkship on palliative care was a compulsory and non-compulsory course in 43.9 and 25.8% of the schools, respectively; 30.3% had no clinical clerkship curriculum. Undergraduate palliative care education is implemented in many Japanese universities. Clinical clerkship combined with participation in actual medical practice should be further improved by establishing a medical education certification system in compliance with the international standards.

[For the betterment of home palliative care].

Science.gov (United States)

Midorikawa, Yasuhiko; Iiduka, Masashi

2010-12-01

The problems we have identified to overcome for a betterment of home palliative care were as follows:(1) Staffs' low level of knowledge and a lack of interest in home care, (2) Lack of cooperation between hospital and clinic, (3) Hard to keep the medical and caregiver staffs employed in the home care settings and a technical training is behind, (4) Insufficient cooperative networks for elderly care and welfare in the region, and (5) Misunderstanding of home palliative care by patient, family and people in the region. It is important to solve these problems one by one for a betterment of home palliative care. In this paper, we reported these problems through actual activities of our hospital and Iwaki city, and we propose to deal with them.

Specialized palliative care in advanced cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmenlund, Kristina; Sjogren, Per; Nordly, Mie

2017-01-01

Objective: Due to the multiple physical, psychological, existential, and social symptoms involved, patients with advanced cancer often have a reduced quality of life (QoL), which requires specialized palliative care (SPC) interventions. The primary objective of the present systematic review...... was to review the existing literature about SPC and its effect on QoL, on physical and psychological symptoms, and on survival in adult patients with advanced cancer. Method: We utilized a search strategy based on the PICO (problem/population, intervention, comparison, and outcome) framework and employed....... The evidence in this field of study in general is still nascent, but there is growing support for the utilization of SPC to improve the quality of life of adult patients with advanced cancer. The evidence that SPC reduces physical and psychological symptoms is moderate, while the evidence that it prolongs...

Palliative care for homeless people: a systematic review of the concerns, care needs and preferences, and the barriers and facilitators for providing palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Klop, Hanna T; de Veer, Anke J E; van Dongen, Sophie I; Francke, Anneke L; Rietjens, Judith A C; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

2018-04-24

Homeless people often suffer from complex and chronic comorbidities, have high rates of morbidity and die at much younger ages than the general population. Due to a complex combination of physical, psychosocial and addiction problems at the end of life, they often have limited access to palliative care. Both the homeless and healthcare providers experience a lot of barriers. Therefore, providing palliative care that fits the needs and concerns of the homeless is a challenge to healthcare providers. This systematic review aims to summarize evidence about the concerns, palliative care needs and preferences of homeless people, as well as barriers and facilitators for delivering high quality palliative care. PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science were searched up to 10 May 2016. Included were studies about homeless people with a short life expectancy, their palliative care needs and the palliative care provided, that were conducted in Western countries. Data were independently extracted by two researchers using a predefined extraction form. Quality was assessed using a Critical Appraisal instrument. The systematic literature review was based on the PRISMA statement. Twenty-seven publications from 23 different studies met the inclusion criteria; 15 studies were qualitative and eight were quantitative. Concerns of the homeless often related to end-of-life care not being a priority, drug dependence hindering adequate care, limited insight into their condition and little support from family and relatives. Barriers and facilitators often concerned the attitude of healthcare professionals towards homeless people. A respectful approach and respect for dignity proved to be important in good quality palliative care. A patient-centred, flexible and low-threshold approach embodying awareness of the concerns of homeless people is needed so that appropriate palliative care can be provided timely. Training, education and experience of professionals can help to

A Survey of Hospice and Palliative Care Clinicians' Experiences and Attitudes Regarding the Use of Palliative Sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Maiser, Samuel; Estrada-Stephen, Karen; Sahr, Natasha; Gully, Jonathan; Marks, Sean

2017-09-01

A variety of terms and attitudes surround palliative sedation (PS) with little research devoted to hospice and palliative care (HPC) clinicians' perceptions and experiences with PS. These factors may contribute to the wide variability in the reported prevalence of PS. This study was designed to better identify hospice and palliative care (HPC) clinician attitudes toward, and clinical experiences with palliative sedation (PS). A 32-question survey was distributed to members of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (n = 4678). The questions explored the language clinicians use for PS, and their experiences with PS. Nine hundred thirty-six (20% response rate) responded to the survey. About 83.21% preferred the terminology of PS compared with other terms. A majority felt that PS is a bioethically appropriate treatment for refractory physical and nonphysical symptoms in dying patients. Most felt PS was not an appropriate term in clinical scenarios when sedation occurred as an unintended side effect from standard treatments. Hospice clinicians use PS more consistently and with less distress than nonhospice clinician respondents. Benzodiazepines (63.1%) and barbiturates (18.9%) are most commonly prescribed for PS. PS is the preferred term among HPC clinicians for the proportionate use of pharmacotherapies to intentionally lower awareness for refractory symptoms in dying patients. PS is a bioethically appropriate treatment for refractory symptoms in dying patients. However, there is a lack of clear agreement about what is included in PS and how the practice of PS should be best delivered in different clinical scenarios. Future efforts to investigate PS should focus on describing the clinical scenarios in which PS is utilized and on the level of intended sedation necessary, in an effort to better unify the practice of PS.

Review of palliative sedation and its distinction from euthanasia and lethal injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Michael P

2012-01-01

Palliative sedation evolved from within the practice of palliative medicine and has become adopted by other areas of medicine, such as within intensive care practice. Clinician's usually come across this practice for dying patients who are foregoing or having life support terminated. A number of intolerable and intractable symptom burdens can occur during the end of life period that may require the use of palliative sedation. Furthermore, when patients receive palliative sedation, the continued use of hydration and nutrition becomes an issue of consideration and there are contentious bioethical issues involved in using or withholding these life-sustaining provisions. A general understanding of biomedical ethics helps prevent abuse in the practice of palliative sedation. Various sedative drugs can be employed in the provision of palliative sedation that can produce any desired effect, from light sedation to complete unconsciousness. Although there are some similarities in the pharmacotherapy of palliative sedation, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and lethal injection, there is a difference in how the drugs are administered with each practice. There are some published guidelines about how palliative sedation should be practiced, but currently there is not any universally accepted standard of practice.

Cross-cultural communication and use of the family meeting in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Rashmi K; Dy, Sydney M

2011-09-01

Terminally-ill patients and their families often report poor communication and limited understanding of the patient's diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment plan; these deficits can be exacerbated by cross-cultural issues. Although family meetings are frequently recommended to facilitate provider-family communication, a more structured, evidence-based approach to their use may improve outcomes. Drawing on research and guidelines from critical care, palliative care, and cross-cultural communication, we propose a framework for conducting family meetings with consideration for cross-cultural issues.

Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an "on the job" program.

Science.gov (United States)

Orellana-Rios, Claudia L; Radbruch, Lukas; Kern, Martina; Regel, Yesche U; Anton, Andreas; Sinclair, Shane; Schmidt, Stefan

2017-07-06

Maintaining a sense of self-care while providing patient centered care, can be difficult for practitioners in palliative medicine. We aimed to pilot an "on the job" mindfulness and compassion-oriented meditation training for interdisciplinary teams designed to reduce distress, foster resilience and strengthen a prosocial motivation in the clinical encounter. Our objective was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of this newly developed training. The study design was an observational, mixed-method pilot evaluation, with qualitative data, self-report data, as well as objective data (cortisol) measured before and after the program. Twenty-eight staff members of an interdisciplinary palliative care team participated in the 10-week training conducted at their workplace. Measures were the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the somatic complaints subscale of the SCL-90-R, the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a Goal Attainment Scale that assessed two individual goals. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gain insight into the perceived outcomes and potential mechanisms of action of the training. T-tests for dependent samples were employed to test for differences between baseline and post-intervention. Significant improvements were found in two of three burnout components (emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment), anxiety, stress, two emotional regulation competences and joy at work. Furthermore, 85% of the individual goals were attained. Compliance and acceptance rates were high and qualitative data revealed a perceived enhancement of self-care, the integration of mindful pauses in work routines, a reduction in rumination and distress generated in the patient contact as well as an enhancement of interpersonal connection skills. An improvement of team communication could also be identified. Our findings suggest that the training may be a feasible, effective and

Palliative sedation at home in the Netherlands: a nationwide survey among nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkkemper, Tijn; Klinkenberg, Marianne; Deliens, Luc; Eliel, Miriam; Rietjens, Judith A C; Zuurmond, Wouter W A; Perez, Roberto S G M

2011-08-01

This paper is a report of a nationwide study conducted to assess experiences of nurses involved in palliative sedation at home after introduction of a physicians' guideline for palliative sedation. Most studies investigating the practice of palliative sedation focus on physicians' practices and attitudes. However, little is known about experiences and attitudes of nurses. A web-based structured questionnaire was offered to 387 nurses providing medical technical care in 2007, assessing their experiences concerning decision-making, treatment policy and communication, focussing on the last patient receiving palliative sedation. The questionnaire was filled out by 201 nurses (response rate 52%). The majority of respondents agreed with the indication for palliative sedation. However, 21% reported to have refused carrying out a palliative sedation in the preceding year. The general practitioner was not present at the start of palliative sedation in a third of the cases, but was available when needed. The sedation was considered insufficiently effective by 42% of the respondents. According to a third of the respondents, the level of sedation was not related to the required level of symptom relief nor were changes in dosage based on the severity of symptoms. Although the guideline for palliative sedation appears to be followed adequately in the majority of cases with respect to indication for palliative sedation and reportage. The survey findings revealed shortcomings in medication policy, communication, medical control over the start and continued monitoring of palliative sedation. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Palliative Care Training in Cardiology Fellowship: A National Survey of the Fellows.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbouseh, Noura M; Kaushal, Shivtej; Peltier, Wendy; Johnston, Fabian M

2018-02-01

To address perspectives of cardiology fellows on the current state of palliative education and palliative and hospice resource utilization within their fellowship experiences. We conducted an online national survey of cardiology fellows during the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Survey questions aimed to assess perceived importance of palliative care education, level of palliative care education during fellowship, and the structure of palliative care support at respondent institutions. Responses were collected anonymously. A total of 519 programs, including subspecialty programs, were contacted. We received 365 responses, a number that represents roughly 14% of all cardiology fellows nationwide during the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Fellows reported discordance in the quality of education between general cardiology and palliative care principles as it relates to care of the patient approaching the end of life. Fellows infrequently received explicit training nor were observed or mentored in delivering end-of-life discussions. Respondents reported an underutilization of palliative care and hospice resources during fellowship training and also a perception that attending faculty were not routinely addressing goals of care. Our survey results highlight a need for enhanced palliative care and end-of-life training experiences for cardiology fellows and also suggest underutilization of hospice and palliative care resources for patients with advanced cardiac diseases. These findings create a platform for future work that might: (1) confirm this training deficit, (2) lead to exploration of educational models that could reconcile this deficit, and (3) potentially help improve palliative care support for patients and families facing advanced heart disease.

Assessing palliative care needs: views of patients, informal carers and healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

McIlfatrick, Sonja

2007-01-01

This paper reports a study to assess the palliative care needs of the adult population served by a healthcare provider organization in Northern Ireland from the perspectives of patients, informal carers and healthcare providers. Assessing palliative care need is a key factor for health service planning. Traditionally, palliative care has been associated with end-of-life care and cancer. More recently, the concept has been extended to include care for both cancer and non-cancer populations. Various approaches have been advocated for assessing need, including the exploration of professional provider and user perspectives of need. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of patients and lay carers receiving palliative care services (n = 24). Focus groups were also conducted with multi-professional palliative care providers (n = 52 participants) and face to face interviews were undertaken with key managerial stakeholders in the area (n = 7). The focus groups and interviews concentrated on assessment of palliative care need. All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Burnard's framework. Professional providers experienced difficulty in defining the term palliative care. Difficulties in communication and information exchange, and fragmented co-ordination between services were identified. The main areas of need identified by all participants were social and psychological support; financial concerns; and the need for choice and information. All participants considered that there was inequity between palliative care service provision for patients with cancer and non-cancer diseases. All patients, regardless of diagnosis, should be able to access palliative care appropriate to their individual needs. For this to happen in practice, an integrated approach to palliative care is essential. The study methodology confirms the value of developing a comprehensive approach to assessing palliative care need.

Ideology and Palliative Care: Moral Hazards at the Bedside.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Rosamond; Strain, James J

2018-01-01

Palliative care has had a long-standing commitment to teaching medical students and other medical professionals about pain management, communication, supporting patients in their decisions, and providing compassionate end-of-life care. Palliative care programs also have a critical role in helping patients understand medical conditions, and in supporting them in dealing with pain, fear of dying, and the experiences of the terminal phase of their lives. We applaud their efforts to provide that critical training and fully support their continued important work in meeting the needs of patients and families. Although we appreciate the contributions of palliative care services, we have noted a problem involving some palliative care professionals' attitudes, methods of decisionmaking, and use of language. In this article we explain these problems by discussing two cases that we encountered.

The perceived impact of public involvement in palliative care in a provincial palliative care network in the Netherlands : a qualitative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henk van Rijswijk; Esther Stoffers; Anna Beurskens; M. Beckers; F.A. Haarsma; Albine Moser

2015-01-01

Background and objective Public involvement in palliative care is challenging and difficult, because people in need of palliative care are often not capable of speaking up for themselves. Patient representatives advocate for their common interests. The aim of our study was to examine in depth the

Coverage and development of specialist palliative care services across the World Health Organization European Region (2005-2012): Results from a European Association for Palliative Care Task Force survey of 53 Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Centeno, Carlos; Lynch, Thomas; Garralda, Eduardo; Carrasco, José Miguel; Guillen-Grima, Francisco; Clark, David

2016-04-01

The evolution of the provision of palliative care specialised services is important for planning and evaluation. To examine the development between 2005 and 2012 of three specialised palliative care services across the World Health Organization European Region - home care teams, hospital support teams and inpatient palliative care services. Data were extracted and analysed from two editions of the European Association for Palliative Care Atlas of Palliative Care in Europe. Significant development of each type of services was demonstrated by adjusted residual analysis, ratio of services per population and 2012 coverage (relationship between provision of available services and demand services estimated to meet the palliative care needs of a population). For the measurement of palliative care coverage, we used European Association for Palliative Care White Paper recommendations: one home care team per 100,000 inhabitants, one hospital support team per 200,000 inhabitants and one inpatient palliative care service per 200,000 inhabitants. To estimate evolution at the supranational level, mean comparison between years and European sub-regions is presented. Of 53 countries, 46 (87%) provided data. Europe has developed significant home care team, inpatient palliative care service and hospital support team in 2005-2012. The improvement was statistically significant for Western European countries, but not for Central and Eastern countries. Significant development in at least a type of services was in 21 of 46 (46%) countries. The estimations of 2012 coverage for inpatient palliative care service, home care team and hospital support team are 62%, 52% and 31% for Western European and 20%, 14% and 3% for Central and Eastern, respectively. Although there has been a positive development in overall palliative care coverage in Europe between 2005 and 2012, the services available in most countries are still insufficient to meet the palliative care needs of the population. © The

Postgraduate palliative care education: Evaluation of a South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim. We aimed to assess the postgraduate palliative care distance education programme of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of its perceived ability to influence palliative care delivery. Methods. A mixed-methods approach, consisting of two surveys using open-ended and multiple-choice options, was conducted ...

Palliative care awareness amongst religious leaders and seminarians

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: There exists scanty literature on the awareness of Nigerians towards palliative care. This study was conducted to determine the level of awareness of religious leaders and seminarians in Ibadan, Nigeria, on palliative care. Methods: Data obtained from a cross-section of 302 religious leaders and seminarians in ...

'Palliative sedation'? A retrospective cohort study on the use and labelling of continuously administered sedatives on a palliative care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Schildmann, Eva; Pörnbacher, Sebastian; Kalies, Helen; Bausewein, Claudia

2018-03-01

Sedatives are frequently used towards the end of life. However, there is scarce information when their use is labelled as 'palliative sedation'. To assess the use and labelling of 'continuous administration of sedatives within the last 7 days of life', based on objective operational criteria, on a palliative care unit. Retrospective cohort study, using medical records. Explorative statistical analysis (SPSS 23). Patients who died on a palliative care unit from August 2014 to July 2015. Sedatives recorded were benzodiazepines, levomepromazine, haloperidol ⩾5 mg/day and propofol. Of the 192 patients, 149 (78%) patients received continuous sedatives within the last week of life. The prevalence of delirium/agitation was significantly higher in patients with continuous sedatives compared to those without continuous sedatives at admission to the unit (35% vs 16%, p = 0.02) and on the day before death (58% vs 40%, p = 0.04). The term '(palliative) sedation' was used in the records for 22 of 149 (15%) patients with continuous sedatives. These patients had significantly higher total daily midazolam doses 2 days before death (median (range), 15.0 (6.0-185.0) mg vs 11.5 (1.0-70.0) mg, p = 0.04) and on the day of death (median (range), 19.5 (7.5-240.0) mg vs 12.5 (2.0-65.0) mg, p = 0.01). The dose range was large in both groups. The prevalence of delirium/agitation was associated with the administration of continuous sedatives. There was no consistent pattern regarding labelling the use of continuous sedatives as '(palliative) sedation'. Multicentre mixed-methods research is needed for a better characterization of sedation practices in palliative care.

Radiotherapy for brain metastases: defining palliative response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezjak, Andrea; Adam, Janice; Panzarella, Tony; Levin, Wilfred; Barton, Rachael; Kirkbride, Peter; McLean, Michael; Mason, Warren; Wong, Chong Shun; Laperriere, Normand

2001-01-01

Background and purpose: Most patients with brain metastases are treated with palliative whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). There is no established definition of palliative response. The aim of this study was to develop and test clinically useful criteria for response following palliative WBRT. Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted of patients with symptomatic brain metastases treated with WBRT (20 Gy/5 fractions) and standardised steroid tapering. Assessments included observer rating of neurological symptoms, patient-completed symptom checklist and performance status (PS). Response criteria were operationally defined based on a combination of neurological symptoms, PS and steroid dose. Results: Seventy-five patients were accrued. At 1 month, presenting neurological symptoms were improved in 14 patients, stable in 17, and worse in 21; 23 patients were not assessed, mainly due to death or frailty. Using response criteria defined a priori, 15% (95% CI 7-23%) of patients were classified as having a response to RT, 25% no response, and 29% progression; 27% were deceased at or soon after 1 month. A revised set of criteria was tested, with less emphasis on complete tapering of steroids: they increased the proportion of patients responding to 39% (95% CI 27-50%) but didn't change the large proportion who did not benefit (44%). Conclusions: Clinical response to RT of patients with brain metastases is multifactorial, comprising symptoms, PS and other factors. Assessment of degree of palliation depend on the exact definition used. More research is needed in this important area, to help validate criteria for assessing palliation after WBRT

Experiences of Family Members of Dying Patients Receiving Palliative Sedation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tursunov, Olga; Cherny, Nathan I; Ganz, Freda DeKeyser

2016-11-01

To describe the experience of family members of patients receiving palliative sedation at the initiation of treatment and after the patient has died and to compare these experiences over time.
. Descriptive comparative study.
. Oncology ward at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
. A convenience sample of 34 family members of dying patients receiving palliative sedation. 
. A modified version of a questionnaire describing experiences of family members with palliative sedation was administered during palliative sedation and one to four months after the patient died. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the results of the questionnaire, and appropriate statistical analyses were conducted for comparisons over time.
. Experiences of family members and time.
. Most relatives were satisfied with the sedation and staff support. Palliative sedation was experienced as an ethical way to relieve suffering. However, one-third felt that it shortened the patient's life. An explanation of the treatment was given less than half of the time and was usually given on the same day treatment was started. This explanation was given by physicians and nurses. Many felt that they were not ready for changes in the patient's condition and wanted increased opportunities to discuss the treatment with oncology care providers. No statistically significant differences in experiences were found over time. 
. Relatives' experiences of palliative sedation were generally positive and stable over time. Important experiences included timing of the initiation of sedation, timing and quality of explanations, and communication.
. Nurses should attempt to initiate discussions of the possible role of sedation in the event of refractory symptoms and follow through with continued discussions. The management of refractory symptoms at the end of life, the role of sedation, and communication skills associated with decision making related to palliative sedation should be a

Why we need more poetry in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Elizabeth A

2018-03-23

Although many well-known poems consider illness, loss and bereavement, medicine tends to view poetry more as an extracurricular than as a mainstream pursuit. Within palliative care, however, there has been a long-standing interest in how poetry may help patients and health professionals find meaning, solace and enjoyment. The objective of this paper is to identify the different ways in which poetry has been used in palliative care and reflect on their further potential for education, practice and research. A narrative review approach was used, drawing on searches of the academic literature through Medline and on professional, policy and poetry websites to identify themes for using poetry in palliative care. I identified four themes for using poetry in palliative care. These concerned (1) leadership, (2) developing organisational culture, (3) the training of health professionals and (4) the support of people with serious illness or nearing the end of life. The academic literature was mostly made up of practitioner perspectives, case examples or conceptual pieces on poetry therapy. Patients' accounts were rare but suggested poetry can help some people express powerful thoughts and emotions, create something new and feel part of a community. Poetry is one way in which many people, including patients and palliative care professionals, may seek meaning from and make sense of serious illnesses and losses towards the end of life. It may have untapped potential for developing person-centred organisations, training health professionals, supporting patients and for promoting public engagement in palliative care. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Humor Assessment and Interventions in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa M. Linge-Dahl

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The central goal of palliative care is to optimize the quality of life of patients suffering from life-limiting illnesses, which includes psychosocial and spiritual wellbeing. Research has demonstrated positive correlations between humor and laughter with life satisfaction and other aspects of wellbeing, and physiological symptoms can be improved by humorous stimuli.Objectives: The aim of this review is to evaluate humor interventions and assessments that have been applied in palliative care and to derive implications for future research.Methods: A systematic review of four databases identified 13 included studies. Criteria for inclusion were peer-reviewed English-language studies on humor interventions or assessments in a palliative care context.Results: Two studies on humor interventions and 11 studies on humor assessment were included in the systematic review. Most of these studies were about the patients' perspective on humor in palliative care. Findings showed that humor had a positive effect on patients, their relatives, and professional caregivers. Humor was widely perceived as appropriate and seen as beneficial to care in all studies.Conclusions: Even though humor interventions seem to be potentially useful in palliative care, descriptions evaluating their use are scarce. Overall, research on humor assessment and interventions in palliative care has remained limited in terms of quantity and quality. More research activities are needed to build a solid empirical foundation for implementing humor and laughter as part of regular palliative care activities.

Interventions for healthcare professionals, organizations and patients to enhance quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative esophagogastric cancer: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Alison; Bath-Hextall, Fiona; Cooper, Joanne

2017-03-01

Esophagogastric (EG) cancer is the fifth most common malignancy, and its incidence is increasing. The disease is fast paced, and five-year survival rates are poor. Treatment with palliative intent is provided for the majority of patients but there remains a lack of empirical evidence into the most effective service models to support EG cancer patients. The overall objective of this quantitative systematic review was to establish best practice in relation to interventions targeted at healthcare professionals or the structures in which healthcare professionals deliver care (i.e. models of care and practice) and patients (diagnosed with palliative EG cancer) to enhance the quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer. The current review considered studies that included patients diagnosed with palliative EG cancer and any health professionals involved in the delivery of palliative care to this patient group in a hospital, home or community setting. The current review considered studies that evaluated any intervention or combination of intervention strategies aimed at healthcare professionals, organizations or patients to improve quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer. The current review considered both experimental and epidemiological study designs. Studies were excluded that evaluated: screening programs, pharmacology alone, palliative oncology and palliative endoscopy. The primary outcome measure was objectively measured quality of life. A three-step search strategy was utilized. Sixteen databases were searched for papers from the year 2000 onward and followed by hand searching of reference lists. Methodological quality was not assessed as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was not possible as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria. It was not possible to complete data synthesis as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria. Comprehensive searching and study

Palliative sedation: a focus group study on the experiences of relatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruinsma, Sophie; Rietjens, Judith; van der Heide, Agnes

2013-04-01

Most studies that have investigated the practice of palliative sedation have focused on physicians' practices and attitudes. The aim of this study was to explore relatives' experiences with palliative sedation and to gain more insight in positive and negative elements in their evaluation of palliative sedation. Focus groups and individual interviews. Various care settings in the Netherlands. A total of 14 relatives of patients who received palliative sedation until death participated. Most relatives evaluated the provision of palliative sedation of their dying family member positively. Positive experiences were related to: the beneficial impact of palliative sedation on the patient's suffering, the opportunity that was offered to prepare for the patient's death, their involvement in the decision-making and care for the patient, and the pleasant care environment. However, the majority of the relatives were unsatisfied with one or more aspects of how information was being provided for. Some relatives were frustrated about the fact that nurses were not authorized to make decisions about the care for the patient and about the absence of physicians during weekends. None of the relatives mentioned the loss of the ability to communicate with the patient during the sedation and the possibility of "hastening death" as disadvantages of palliative sedation. Relatives tend to evaluate the provision of palliative sedation to their severely suffering family member positively because it contributes to a peaceful dying process. However, relatives indicated discontent with how information was being provided and with the communication in general.

Palliative Care and Human Rights: A Decade of Evolution in Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezer, Tamar; Lohman, Diederik; de Luca, Gabriela B

2018-02-01

Human rights standards to address palliative care have developed over the last decade. This article aims to examine key milestones in the evolution of human rights standards to address palliative care, relevant advocacy efforts, and areas for further growth. The article provides an analysis of human rights standards in the context of palliative care through the lens of the right to health, freedom from torture and ill treatment, and the rights of older persons and children. Significant developments include the following: 1) the first human rights treaty to explicitly recognize the right to palliative care, the Inter-American Convention on the Rights of Older Persons; 2) the first World Health Assembly resolution on palliative care; 3) a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture with a focus on denial of pain treatment; 4) addressing the availability of controlled medicines at the UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem. Development of human rights standards in relation to palliative care has been most notable in the context of the right to health, freedom from torture and ill treatment, and the rights of older persons. More work is needed in the context of the rights of children, and human rights treaty bodies are still not consistently addressing state obligations with regards to palliative care. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Progress in surgical palliative treatment for malignant obstructive jaundice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIANG Zhang

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Obstructive jaundice, also known as surgical jaundice, is divided into benign and malignant types. Most of the patients newly diagnosed with malignant obstructive jaundice have lost the opportunity of receiving radical surgery due to its insidious onset, so surgical palliative treatment is very important for patients with advanced malignant obstructive jaundice. This paper elaborates on various current modalities of surgical palliative treatment for malignant obstructive jaundice. Appropriate modality of surgical palliative treatment is of great significance for patients with advanced malignant obstructive jaundice.

Quality of life and religious-spiritual coping in palliative cancer care patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ticiane Dionizio de Sousa Matos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objectives: to compare the quality of life and religious-spiritual coping of palliative cancer care patients with a group of healthy participants; assess whether the perceived quality of life is associated with the religious-spiritual coping strategies; identify the clinical and sociodemographic variables related to quality of life and religious-spiritual coping. Method: cross-sectional study involving 96 palliative outpatient care patient at a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo and 96 healthy volunteers, using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping scale. Results: 192 participants were interviewed who presented good quality of life and high use of Religious-Spiritual Coping. Greater use of negative Religious-Spiritual Coping was found in Group A, as well as lesser physical and psychological wellbeing and quality of life. An association was observed between quality of life scores and Religious-Spiritual Coping (p<0.01 in both groups. Male sex, Catholic religion and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping score independently influenced the quality of life scores (p<0.01. Conclusion: both groups presented high quality of life and Religious-Spiritual Coping scores. Male participants who were active Catholics with higher Religious-Spiritual Coping scores presented a better perceived quality of life, suggesting that this coping strategy can be stimulated in palliative care patients.

Education, implementation, and policy barriers to greater integration of palliative care: A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldridge, Melissa D; Hasselaar, Jeroen; Garralda, Eduardo; van der Eerden, Marlieke; Stevenson, David; McKendrick, Karen; Centeno, Carlos; Meier, Diane E

2016-03-01

Early integration of palliative care into the management of patients with serious disease has the potential to both improve quality of life of patients and families and reduce healthcare costs. Despite these benefits, significant barriers exist in the United States to the early integration of palliative care in the disease trajectory of individuals with serious illness. To provide an overview of the barriers to more widespread palliative care integration in the United States. A literature review using PubMed from 2005 to March 2015 augmented by primary data collected from 405 hospitals included in the Center to Advance Palliative Care's National Palliative Care Registry for years 2012 and 2013. We use the World Health Organization's Public Health Strategy for Palliative Care as a framework for analyzing barriers to palliative care integration. We identified key barriers to palliative care integration across three World Health Organization domains: (1) education domain: lack of adequate education/training and perception of palliative care as end-of-life care; (2) implementation domain: inadequate size of palliative medicine-trained workforce, challenge of identifying patients appropriate for palliative care referral, and need for culture change across settings; (3) policy domain: fragmented healthcare system, need for greater funding for research, lack of adequate reimbursement for palliative care, and regulatory barriers. We describe the key policy and educational opportunities in the United States to address and potentially overcome the barriers to greater integration of palliative care into the healthcare of Americans with serious illness. © The Author(s) 2015.

Palliative Care Edema: Patient Population, Causal Factors, and Types of Edema Referred to a Specialist Palliative Care Edema Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Real, Shirley; Cobbe, Sinead; Slattery, Sinead

2016-07-01

Edema in palliative care patients is a common symptom, however, the research base for all aspects of its care is extremely poor. To evaluate a specialist palliative care edema service in order to report on the patient population referred, the types of edema encountered, and the causes of edema. Prior to study, three different edema types were described for evaluation: lymphedema, nonlymphatic edema, and a combination of the two. Retrospective chart evaluation was completed from August 2013 through January 2014. Patients with edema assessed by the specialist palliative care physiotherapy edema service. Sixty-three cases were included, comprising 10.5% of all new palliative care referrals during the study period. Ninety-two percent (n = 58) had a diagnosis of cancer and 57% (n = 36) were female. Age ranged from 45-97 years. The most common edema type was a mixed edema (46%, n = 29), followed by lymphedema (27%, n = 18) and nonlymphatic edema (16%, n = 10). Lymphorrhea occurred in 9.5% of cases. The most common reasons for edema, based on clinical opinion, were blocked lymphatics (33%) and dependency from immobility (27%). The most common site for edema was in the lower limbs (89%, n = 56). The time lapse from the last treatment to death ranged from 1-225 days. Having a mixed edema type or lymphorrhea was a relatively poor prognostic sign. This is the first study to describe in detail the occurrence of edema in palliative care patients. Edema may be present for many months prior to death making the search for effective treatments imperative.

Palliative Workforce Development and a Regional Training Program.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mahony, Sean; Levine, Stacie; Baron, Aliza; Johnson, Tricia J; Ansari, Aziz; Leyva, Ileana; Marschke, Michael; Szmuilowicz, Eytan; Deamant, Catherine

2018-01-01

Our primary aims were to assess growth in the local hospital based workforce, changes in the composition of the workforce and use of an interdisciplinary team, and sources of support for palliative medicine teams in hospitals participating in a regional palliative training program in Chicago. PC program directors and administrators at 16 sites were sent an electronic survey on institutional and PC program characteristics such as: hospital type, number of beds, PC staffing composition, PC programs offered, start-up years, PC service utilization and sources of financial support for fiscal years 2012 and 2014. The median number of consultations reported for existing programs in 2012 was 345 (IQR 109 - 2168) compared with 840 (IQR 320 - 4268) in 2014. At the same time there were small increases in the overall team size from a median of 3.2 full time equivalent positions (FTE) in 2012 to 3.3 FTE in 2013, with a median increase of 0.4 (IQR 0-1.0). Discharge to hospice was more common than deaths in the acute care setting in hospitals with palliative medicine teams that included both social workers and advanced practice nurses ( p < .0001). Given the shortage of palliative medicine specialist providers more emphasis should be placed on training other clinicians to provide primary level palliative care while addressing the need to hire sufficient workforce to care for seriously ill patients.

PALLIATIVE CARE ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH SLEEPING DISORDERS ARE POORLY TREATED

OpenAIRE

Bellido-Estevez, Inmaculada

2015-01-01

Background: Sleep disorders are frequent in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative-care, especially in elderly patients (1). Sleep disorders during palliative-care may be related with anxiety, opioids related central-sleep apnoea or corticoids therapy between others (2). Our aim was to quantify the effectiveness of hypnotic medication in the sleep quality in advanced cancer receiving palliative-care elderly patients. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was...

A hypnotherapy intervention for the treatment of anxiety in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Plaskota, Marek; Lucas, Caroline; Evans, Rosie; Cook, Karen; Pizzoferro, Kathleen; Saini, Treena

2012-02-01

This pilot study aimed to assess the benefits of hypnotherapy in the management of anxiety and other symptoms, including depression and sleep disturbance, in palliative care patients with cancer. Eleven hospice patients received four sessions of hypnotherapy and completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, and the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Scale at set time points. Wrist actigraphy also provided an objective assessment of sleep quality. After the second hypnotherapy session there was a statistically significant reduction in mean anxiety and symptom severity, but not in depression or sleep disturbance. After the fourth session there was a statistically significant reduction in all four patient-reported measures but not in actigraphy. These results offer evidence that hypnotherapy can reduce anxiety in palliative care patients, as well as improving sleep and the severity of psychological and physical symptoms. Further studies are needed to explore whether the observed benefits were a direct result of the hypnotherapy and how the intervention could most benefit this patient population.

Funding models in palliative care: Lessons from international experience

Science.gov (United States)

Groeneveld, E Iris; Cassel, J Brian; Bausewein, Claudia; Csikós, Ágnes; Krajnik, Malgorzata; Ryan, Karen; Haugen, Dagny Faksvåg; Eychmueller, Steffen; Gudat Keller, Heike; Allan, Simon; Hasselaar, Jeroen; García-Baquero Merino, Teresa; Swetenham, Kate; Piper, Kym; Fürst, Carl Johan; Murtagh, Fliss EM

2017-01-01

Background: Funding models influence provision and development of palliative care services. As palliative care integrates into mainstream health care provision, opportunities to develop funding mechanisms arise. However, little has been reported on what funding models exist or how we can learn from them. Aim: To assess national models and methods for financing and reimbursing palliative care. Design: Initial literature scoping yielded limited evidence on the subject as national policy documents are difficult to identify, access and interpret. We undertook expert consultations to appraise national models of palliative care financing in England, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and Wales. These represent different levels of service development and a variety of funding mechanisms. Results: Funding mechanisms reflect country-specific context and local variations in care provision. Patterns emerging include the following: Provider payment is rarely linked to population need and often perpetuates existing inequitable patterns in service provision. Funding is frequently characterised as a mixed system of charitable, public and private payers. The basis on which providers are paid for services rarely reflects individual care input or patient needs. Conclusion: Funding mechanisms need to be well understood and used with caution to ensure best practice and minimise perverse incentives. Before we can conduct cross-national comparisons of costs and impact of palliative care, we need to understand the funding and policy context for palliative care in each country of interest. PMID:28156188

Funding models in palliative care: Lessons from international experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Groeneveld, E Iris; Cassel, J Brian; Bausewein, Claudia; Csikós, Ágnes; Krajnik, Malgorzata; Ryan, Karen; Haugen, Dagny Faksvåg; Eychmueller, Steffen; Gudat Keller, Heike; Allan, Simon; Hasselaar, Jeroen; García-Baquero Merino, Teresa; Swetenham, Kate; Piper, Kym; Fürst, Carl Johan; Murtagh, Fliss Em

2017-04-01

Funding models influence provision and development of palliative care services. As palliative care integrates into mainstream health care provision, opportunities to develop funding mechanisms arise. However, little has been reported on what funding models exist or how we can learn from them. To assess national models and methods for financing and reimbursing palliative care. Initial literature scoping yielded limited evidence on the subject as national policy documents are difficult to identify, access and interpret. We undertook expert consultations to appraise national models of palliative care financing in England, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and Wales. These represent different levels of service development and a variety of funding mechanisms. Funding mechanisms reflect country-specific context and local variations in care provision. Patterns emerging include the following: Provider payment is rarely linked to population need and often perpetuates existing inequitable patterns in service provision. Funding is frequently characterised as a mixed system of charitable, public and private payers. The basis on which providers are paid for services rarely reflects individual care input or patient needs. Funding mechanisms need to be well understood and used with caution to ensure best practice and minimise perverse incentives. Before we can conduct cross-national comparisons of costs and impact of palliative care, we need to understand the funding and policy context for palliative care in each country of interest.

Palliative Interventional and Surgical Therapy for Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assfalg, Volker; Hüser, Norbert; Michalski, Christoph; Gillen, Sonja; Kleeff, Jorg; Friess, Helmut

2011-01-01

Palliative treatment concepts are considered in patients with non-curatively resectable and/or metastasized pancreatic cancer. However, patients without metastases, but presented with marginally resectable or locally non-resectable tumors should not be treated by a palliative therapeutic approach. These patients should be enrolled in neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy trials because a potentially curative resection can be achieved in approximately one-third of them after finishing treatment and restaging. Within the scope of best possible palliative care, resection of the primary cancer together with excision of metastases represents a therapeutic option to be contemplated in selected cases. Comprehensive palliative therapy is based on treatment of bile duct or duodenal obstruction for certain locally unresectable or metastasized advanced pancreatic cancer. However, endoscopic or percutaneous stenting procedures and surgical bypass provide safe and highly effective therapeutic alternatives. In case of operative drainage of the biliary tract (biliodigestive anastomosis), the prophylactic creation of a gastro-intestinal bypass (double bypass) is recommended. The decision to perform a surgical versus an endoscopic procedure for palliation depends to a great extent on the tumor stage and the estimated prognosis, and should be determined by an interdisciplinary team for each patient individually

Palliative Interventional and Surgical Therapy for Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assfalg, Volker; Hüser, Norbert; Michalski, Christoph; Gillen, Sonja; Kleeff, Jorg; Friess, Helmut, E-mail: friess@chir.med.tu-muenchen.de [Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstr. 22, D-81675 Munich (Germany)

2011-02-14

Palliative treatment concepts are considered in patients with non-curatively resectable and/or metastasized pancreatic cancer. However, patients without metastases, but presented with marginally resectable or locally non-resectable tumors should not be treated by a palliative therapeutic approach. These patients should be enrolled in neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy trials because a potentially curative resection can be achieved in approximately one-third of them after finishing treatment and restaging. Within the scope of best possible palliative care, resection of the primary cancer together with excision of metastases represents a therapeutic option to be contemplated in selected cases. Comprehensive palliative therapy is based on treatment of bile duct or duodenal obstruction for certain locally unresectable or metastasized advanced pancreatic cancer. However, endoscopic or percutaneous stenting procedures and surgical bypass provide safe and highly effective therapeutic alternatives. In case of operative drainage of the biliary tract (biliodigestive anastomosis), the prophylactic creation of a gastro-intestinal bypass (double bypass) is recommended. The decision to perform a surgical versus an endoscopic procedure for palliation depends to a great extent on the tumor stage and the estimated prognosis, and should be determined by an interdisciplinary team for each patient individually.

Training hospital staff on spiritual care in palliative care influences patient-reported outcomes : Results of a quasi-experimental study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Geer, Joep; Groot, Marieke; Andela, Richtsje; Leget, Carlo; Prins, Jelle; Vissers, Kris; Zock, Hetty

Background: Spiritual care is reported to be important to palliative patients. There is an increasing need for education in spiritual care. Aim: To measure the effects of a specific spiritual care training on patients' reports of their perceived care and treatment. Design: A pragmatic controlled

Description of a teaching method for research education for palliative care healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhondali, Wadih; Nguyen, Linh My Thi; Peck, Michelle; Vallet, Fabienne; Daneault, Serge; Filbet, Marilene

2015-04-01

Despite the rapidly growing availability of palliative care services, there is still much to be done in order to better support clinicians who are starting research programs. Among the barriers identified in the literature, methodological issues and lack of research training programs are often reported. Our aim was to describe an educational research method for healthcare professionals working in palliative care and to report the result of a survey conducted among a three-year sample of students. The course was provided for a multidisciplinary group and was open to all healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. It took place over a single session during a full day. We used a 20-question e-survey to assess student outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, current status of their project). We received answers from 83 of the 119 students (70%) who took the course. The majority were physicians (n = 62, 75%), followed by nurses (n = 17, 21%). During the class, students assessed the role of the teacher as an information provider (n = 51, 61%), role model (n = 36, 43%), and facilitator (n = 33, 40%), and considered all of these roles as suitable, with a score of 3.9-4.7 out of 5. Participants reported a high level of support from the teacher, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD, 1.7) out of 10, and good overall satisfaction with a mean score of 7.6 (1.8). Finally, 51 participants (77%) were able to start their research project after the class, 27 (41%) to complete it, and 8 (12%) to submit their research to a journal or conference. Our results suggest that newer teaching methods such as roleplay, group work, and target acquisition are feasible and effective in a palliative research curriculum. Additional studies are needed to confirm the objective outputs of educational interventions, including research outputs.

Evaluating Palliative Care Resources Available to the Public Using the Internet and Social Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Claudio, Celeste H; Dizon, Zoelle B; October, Tessie W

2018-01-01

Accessible information about palliative care available to the public on the Internet is growing. We do not know whether this information is consistent with the current accepted definition of palliative care. To identify resources on the Internet and social media regarding palliative care and evaluate the information conveyed. A cross-sectional study of "palliative care" search results. Top 10 Google websites, top 10 most viewed YouTube videos, and social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, were searched. The most popular Google websites were mostly from national organizations promoting palliative care, whose definitions of palliative care consistently mention "quality of life" and "relief from symptoms and stress." None of the websites mentioned children, and 77% cited palliative care as treatment for cancer with less focus on other diseases. No personal stories were included in Google websites, while 60% of YouTube videos included personal stories. Five main themes were generated from 266 YouTube video comments analyzed. The most common theme was emotionality, of which 91% were positive statements. Facebook and Twitter were mostly used by health-care professionals and not the public. Palliative care resources are mostly positive and consistent with the current definition of palliative care. Major Internet search engines such as Google and YouTube provide valuable insight into information the public receives about palliative care. Future development of Internet resources on palliative care should consider including children and emphasizing palliative care for all life-limiting illnesses.

Internal Medicine Residents' Beliefs, Attitudes, and Experiences Relating to Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, S; Mirza, R; Nissim, R; Ridley, J

2017-05-01

Internal medicine residents are frequently called upon to provide palliative care to hospitalized patients, but report feeling unprepared to do so effectively. Curricular development to enhance residents' palliative care skills and competencies requires an understanding of current beliefs, attitudes and learning priorities. We conducted a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews with ten internal medicine residents to explore their understanding of and experiences with palliative care. All of the residents interviewed had a sound theoretical understanding of palliative care, but faced many challenges in being able to provide care in practice. The challenges described by residents were system-related, patient-related and provider-related. They identified several priority areas for further learning, and discussed ways in which their current education in palliative care could be enhanced. Our findings provide important insights to guide curricular development for internal medicine trainees. The top five learning priorities in palliative care that residents identified in our study were: 1) knowing how and when to initiate a palliative approach, 2) improving communication skills, 3) improving symptom management skills, 4) identifying available resources, and 5) understanding the importance of palliative care. Residents felt that their education in palliative care could be improved by having a mandatory rotation in palliative care, more frequent didactic teaching sessions, more case-based teaching from palliative care providers, opportunities to be directly observed, and increased support from palliative care providers after-hours.

A Nationwide Survey About Palliative Sedation Involving Japanese Palliative Care Specialists: Intentions and Key Factors Used to Determine Sedation as Proportionally Appropriate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamano, Jun; Morita, Tatsuya; Ikenaga, Masayuki; Abo, Hirofumi; Kizawa, Yoshiyuki; Tunetou, Satoru

2018-03-01

Although there has long been debate about physicians' intentions and what physicians consider to be proportionally appropriate when performing palliative sedation, few large studies have been performed. To identify physicians' intentions when starting continuous deep sedation and to clarify what factors determine whether physicians regard sedation as proportionally appropriate in relation to expected survival, the patients' wishes, and refractoriness. A nationwide questionnaire survey of Japanese palliative care specialists was performed from August to December 2016. We defined continuous deep sedation as the continuous use of sedatives to relieve intolerable and refractory symptoms with the loss of consciousness until death. Of the 695 palliative care specialists enrolled, 440 were analyzed (response rate, 69%). A total of 95% and 87% of the physicians reported that they explicitly intended to perform symptom palliation and decrease consciousness levels, respectively. Moreover, 38% answered that they explicitly intended to maintain unconsciousness until death, and 11% reported that they intended to shorten survival to some extent. The respondents considered that continuous deep sedation is more appropriate when the predicted survival is shorter, the patients' wishes are consistent and clear, and confidence in the refractoriness of symptoms is higher. Japanese palliative care specialists explicitly intend to control symptoms and reduce the level of consciousness when performing continuous deep sedation, but there are differences in their intentions with regard to maintaining unconsciousness until death. Predicted survival, patients' wishes, and confidence in refractoriness are associated with physicians' judgment that sedation is proportionally appropriate. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Palliative care - managing pain

Science.gov (United States)

... page, please enable JavaScript. Palliative care is a holistic approach to care that focuses on treating pain ... stressful for you and your family. But with treatment, pain can be managed. How Pain is Measured ...

What is palliative care?

Science.gov (United States)

... A Guide to Advance Directives, the Health Care Power of Attorney, and Other Key Documents . Cambridge, MA: Harvard Health Publications. 2013. Oxenham D. Palliative care and pain. In: Walker BR, Colledge NR, Ralston SH, Penman ...

Palliative Percutaneous Jejunal Stent for Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoru Takayama

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Gastrointestinal obstruction is a common preterminal event in patients with gastric and pancreatic cancer who often undergo palliative bypass surgery. Although endoscopic palliation with self-expandable metallic stents has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgery, experience with this technique remains limited. In particular, a proximal jejunal obstruction requires more technical expertise than a duodenal obstruction. Palliative treatment modalities include both surgical and nonsurgical approaches. In this report, we describe the successful placement of self-expandable metallic stents at the proximal jejunum using a combination of percutaneous endoscopic, intraoperative, and transstomal stenting. Usually endoscopy is not indicated in cases of proximal jejunal obstruction, but some cases may require palliative endoscopy instead of bypass operation.

Death is not always a failure: outcomes from implementing an online virtual patient clinical case in palliative care for family medicine clerkship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Tan

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The dying patient is a reality of medicine. Medical students, however, feel unprepared to effectively manage the complex end-of-life (EOL management issues of the dying patient and want increased experiential learning in Palliative Care. Aims: To address the need for more formal curriculum in EOL care, we developed and implemented an online virtual patient (VP clinical case in Palliative Care into the 2010–2011 Year Three Family Medicine Clerkship rotation curriculum. Methods: A mixed-method design was used to measure the change in knowledge and perceived preparedness level in EOL care before and after completing the online VP case. A survey collected qualitative descriptions of the students’ educational experience of using this case. Results: Ninety five percent (130/137 of the students voluntarily consented to have their results analyzed. The group knowledge score (n=127 increased significantly from a pre-course average of 7.69/16±2.27, to a post-course average of 10.02/16±2.39 (p<0.001. The students’ self-assessed comfort level increased significantly with all aspects of EOL management from pre-course to post-course (p<0.001. Nearly, 91.1% of the students rated the VP realism as ‘Good to Excellent’, 86% rated the case as educationally beneficial. Nearly 59.3% of students felt emotionally engaged with the VP. Qualitative feedback found that the case content was very useful and realistic, but that the interface was sometimes awkward to navigate. Conclusions: The online VP case in Palliative Care is a useful teaching tool that may help to address the need for increased formal Palliative Care experience in medical school training programs.

Death is not always a failure: outcomes from implementing an online virtual patient clinical case in palliative care for family medicine clerkship.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Amy; Ross, Shelley Paige; Duerksen, Kimberley

2013-11-22

The dying patient is a reality of medicine. Medical students, however, feel unprepared to effectively manage the complex end-of-life (EOL) management issues of the dying patient and want increased experiential learning in Palliative Care. To address the need for more formal curriculum in EOL care, we developed and implemented an online virtual patient (VP) clinical case in Palliative Care into the 2010-2011 Year Three Family Medicine Clerkship rotation curriculum. A mixed-method design was used to measure the change in knowledge and perceived preparedness level in EOL care before and after completing the online VP case. A survey collected qualitative descriptions of the students' educational experience of using this case. Ninety five percent (130/137) of the students voluntarily consented to have their results analyzed. The group knowledge score (n=127) increased significantly from a pre-course average of 7.69/16±2.27, to a post-course average of 10.02/16±2.39 (p<0.001). The students' self-assessed comfort level increased significantly with all aspects of EOL management from pre-course to post-course (p<0.001). Nearly, 91.1% of the students rated the VP realism as 'Good to Excellent', 86% rated the case as educationally beneficial. Nearly 59.3% of students felt emotionally engaged with the VP. Qualitative feedback found that the case content was very useful and realistic, but that the interface was sometimes awkward to navigate. The online VP case in Palliative Care is a useful teaching tool that may help to address the need for increased formal Palliative Care experience in medical school training programs.

Branding Palliative Care Units by Avoiding the Terms “Palliative” and “Hospice”

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ying-Xiu; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Lin, Ming-Hwai

2017-01-01

The term “palliative care” has a negative connotation and may act as a barrier to early patient referrals. Rebranding has thus been proposed as a strategy to reduce the negative perceptions associated with palliative care. For example, using the term “supportive care” instead of “palliative care” in naming palliative care units has been proposed in several studies. In Taiwan, terms other than “palliative” and “hospice” are already widely used in the names of palliative care units. With this in mind, this study investigated the characteristics of palliative care unit names in order to better understand the role of naming in palliative care. Relevant data were collected from the Taiwan Academy of Hospice Palliative Medicine, the National Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the open database maintained by the government of Taiwan. We found a clear phenomenon of avoiding use of the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in the naming of palliative care units, a phenomenon that reflects the stigma attached to the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in Taiwan. At the time of the study (September, 2016), there were 55 palliative care units in Taiwan. Only 20.0% (n = 11) of the palliative care unit names included the term “palliative,” while 25.2% (n = 14) included the term “hospice.” Religiously affiliated hospitals were less likely to use the terms “palliative” and “hospice” (χ2 = 11.461, P = .001). There was also a lower prevalence of use of the terms “palliative” and “hospice” for naming palliative care units in private hospitals than in public hospitals (χ2 = 4.61, P = .032). This finding highlights the strong stigma attached to the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in Taiwan. It is hypothesized that sociocultural and religious factors may partially account for this phenomenon. PMID:28140730

Evaluation of Managerial Needs for Palliative Care Centers: Perspectives of Medical Directors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kafadar, Didem; Ince, Nurhan; Akcakaya, Adem; Gumus, Mahmut

2015-01-01

Palliative therapies have an important role in increasing the quality of healthcare and in dealing with physical and psychosocial problems due to cancer. We here aimed to evaluate the managerial perspectives and opinions of the hospital managers and clinical directors about specialized palliative care centers. This study was conducted in two large-scale hospitals in which oncology care is given with medical directors (n:70). A questionnaire developed by the researchers asking about demographic characteristics and professional experience, opinions and suggestions of medical directors about providing and integrating palliative care into healthcare was used and responses were analyzed. Potential barriers in providing palliative care (PC) and integrating PC into health systems were perceived as institutional by most of the doctors (97%) and nurses (96%). Social barriers were reported by 54% of doctors and 82% of nurses. Barriers due to interest and knowledge of health professionals about PC were reported by 76% of doctors and 75% of nurses. Among encouragement ideas to provide PC were dealing with staff educational needs (72%), improved working conditions (77%) and establishing a special PC unit (49)%. An independent PC unit was suggested by 27.7% of participants and there was no difference between the hospitals. To overcome the barriers for integration of PC into health systems, providing education for health professionals and patient relatives, raising awareness in society, financial arrangements and providing infrastructure were suggested. The necessity for planning and programming were emphasized. In our study, the opinions and perspectives of hospital managers and clinical directors were similar to current approaches. Managerial needs for treating cancer in efficient cancer centers, increasing the capacity of health professionals to provide care in every stage of cancer, effective education planning and patient care management were emphasized.

Palliative home-based technology from a practitioner's perspective: benefits and disadvantages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston BM

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Bridget M Johnston Sue Ryder Care Centre for the Study of Supportive, Palliative, and End of Life Care, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK Abstract: This critical review paper explores the concept of palliative home-based technology from a practitioner's perspective. The aim of the critical review was to scope information available from published and unpublished research on the current state of palliative home-based technology, practitioner-focused perspectives, patient-focused perspectives, quality of life, and the implications for clinical practice. Published and unpublished studies were included. An example of one UK patient-centered home-based technology is explored as an exemplar. The evidence suggests that despite the challenges, there are numerous examples of good practice in relation to palliative home-based technology. Improvements in technology mean that telehealth has much to offer people being cared for at home with palliative needs. However, some of the evaluative evidence is limited, and further rigor is needed when evaluating future technology-based solutions innovations. Keywords: technology, telehealth, telemedicine, information technology, palliative care, hospice, terminal illness

Music thanatology: prescriptive harp music as palliative care for the dying patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Lindsay; Caserta, Michael; Lund, Dale; Rossa, Shirley; Dowdy, Ann; Partenheimer, Andrea

2006-01-01

Music thanatology represents an emerging area in which the raw materials of music, usually harp and/or voice, assist and comfort the dying patient. During prescriptive "music vigils, " the clinician-musician carefully observes physiological changes, cues, and breathing patterns, thereby synchronizing the music to reflect or support the patient's physiology and overall condition. Using data collected from 65 patients, this study was designed to assess the effectiveness of prescriptive harp music on selected palliative care outcomes using a sample of de-identified data forms from past music vigils. Patients were administered a 25- to 95-minute intervention of prescriptive harp music. Data collected included vital signs and observational indicators before (Ti) and after (T2) the vigil. Patients were more likely to experience decreased levels of agitation and wakefulness while also breathing more slowly and deeply with less effort at the conclusion of the music vigil. Results from this study suggest that a prescriptive vigil conducted by a trained music thanatologist could provide an effective form of palliative care for dying patients.

Generalist palliative care in hospital: cultural and organisational interactions