Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
ReviewLanguage justice as health equity in palliative care: A scoping review.
Communication is the foundation of optimal healthcare provision. Linguistic diversity is a reality in palliative care settings. ⋯ To provide equitable care reflecting language justice, investigators and clinicians should include interpreters, patients, and families as integral team members. The increase in number of interventional studies suggests evidence of the value interpreters add to the palliative care team. Collaborating with linguistically diverse stakeholders reflects language justice and holds promise for ensuring optimal communication.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
ReviewHome Hospitalization in Palliative Care for Advanced Cancer and Dementia: A Systematic Review.
Home hospitalization (HHOSP) is an alternative care model aimed at alleviating pressure on healthcare systems and catering to the increasing patient population. It aligns with the preference for home-based palliative care (PALC) and end-of-life care. ⋯ The findings highlight HHOSP's potential as an alternative for delivering PALC, reducing hospital readmissions, and improving patient and caregiver satisfaction. Despite heterogeneity in study designs and outcomes, HHOSP aligns with patient and caregiver preferences, enhancing the quality of end-of-life care. Further standardized research is needed to optimize HHOSP implementation.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Multicenter StudyEvaluation of a Reiki Volunteer Program within Two Cancer Infusion Centers.
Reiki is a biofield therapy from Japan currently used in many US hospitals. Evidence supports Reiki's effectiveness for addressing cancer and treatment-related symptoms such as pain and anxiety. However, no study to date has assessed changes in nausea following Reiki received during infusion treatments or assessed patients from multiple healthcare locations. ⋯ Outpatients receiving Reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction, and a qualitatively positive healing experience. More research is needed to assess long term changes following Reiki, including with an expanded program at additional healthcare locations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Model for an International Case Sharing Program to Enhance Global Palliative Care Education.
In Thailand, the field of palliative medicine is growing but access and training remain limited. We sought to expand education of resident physicians at Chiang Mai University (CMU) in Thailand through development of an international case sharing program. ⋯ We present a sustainable, convenient, low-cost, cross-cultural palliative care case conference model that has the potential to enrich palliative care education globally.