The patient
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Medication adherence is poor in patients with chronic conditions. Behavioral economic interventions may reduce biases that are associated with poor adherence. The objective of this review is to map the available evidence on behavioral economic interventions to improve medication adherence in adults with chronic conditions in high-income settings. ⋯ Behavioral economic informed interventions show promise in terms of improving medication adherence. However, there is no single simple intervention. This review highlighted the importance of targeting non-adherent patients, understanding their reasons for non-adherence, providing reminders and feedback to patients and physicians, and measuring clinical outcomes in addition to medication adherence. Further research in settings that differ from the US health system is needed.
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The aim of this study was to identify themes that determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with carotid artery stenosis and identify the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that best cover the identified themes. ⋯ The findings from the review identified the important themes that affect patients with carotid stenosis disease. The current generic and disease-specific PROMs do not cover all themes that impact the HRQoL of patients suffering with this disease. The proposed themes can be used to develop a new disease-specific PROM to measure HRQoL.
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Measuring the quality of care at the end of life and/or the quality of dying and death can be challenging. Some measurement tools seek to assess the quality of care immediately prior to death; others retrospectively assess, following death, the quality of end-of-life care. The comparative evaluation of the properties and application of the various instruments has been limited. ⋯ Four tools demonstrated some promise, but no single tool was consistent across all psychometric properties assessed. All tools identified would benefit from further psychometric testing.
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The design and provision of quality pediatric palliative care should prioritize issues that matter to children and their families for optimal outcomes. ⋯ Burdensome symptoms and concerns affect young people with malignant and nonmalignant conditions and occur across the disease trajectory; pediatric palliative care should not be limited to the end-of-life phase. A child-family-centered framework of health outcomes, spanning the patient, family, and quality of service levels is proposed to inform service development. Future research should address gaps identified across the literature (i.e., the involvement of young people in research, evidence for developing countries, and a focus on nonmalignant conditions.
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The design and provision of quality pediatric palliative care should prioritize issues that matter to children and their families for optimal outcomes. ⋯ Burdensome symptoms and concerns affect young people with malignant and nonmalignant conditions and occur across the disease trajectory; pediatric palliative care should not be limited to the end-of-life phase. A child-family-centered framework of health outcomes, spanning the patient, family, and quality of service levels is proposed to inform service development. Future research should address gaps identified across the literature (i.e., the involvement of young people in research, evidence for developing countries, and a focus on nonmalignant conditions.