Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyComparative Analysis of Informal Caregiver Burden in Advanced Cancer, Dementia, and Acquired Brain Injury.
Measurement and improvement of informal caregiver burden are central aims of policy and intervention. Burden itself is a complex construct, and total burden can differ by patient diagnosis, although how diagnosis affects different aspects of caregiver subjective burden is unclear. ⋯ Our data show that total, subscale, and most individual elements of caregiver subjective burden differ between cancer, dementia, and ABI caregivers. This should be considered when designing future intervention strategies to reduce caregiver burden in these groups.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2015
A Quantitative Study of Triggered Palliative Care Consultation for Hospitalized Patients With Advanced Cancer.
Unplanned cancer-related hospital admissions often herald entry into the final phase of life. Hospitalized patients with advanced cancer have a high symptom burden and a short life expectancy, which may warrant palliative care intervention. ⋯ Although TPCC was viewed favorably, implementation was logistically challenging because of short stays, high-acuity symptoms, and individual provider resistance. TPCC improved patients' understanding of their cancer. This population demonstrates high palliative care needs, warranting further research into how best to deliver care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2015
Multicenter StudyMedical Oncology Patients: Are They Offered Help and Does It Provide Relief?
Identifying modifiable gaps in the symptom management pathway, as perceived by patients, is the first step to relieving patient suffering. ⋯ Quality improvement initiatives must focus primarily on improving providers' awareness of their patients' symptoms and ensuring that patients are subsequently offered help.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2015
Palliative Care Medical Education in European Universities: A Descriptive Study and Numerical Scoring System Proposal for Assessing Educational Development.
The lack of palliative medicine (PM) education has been identified as a barrier to the development of the discipline. A number of international institutions have called for its implementation within undergraduate medical curricula. ⋯ PM is taught in a substantial number of undergraduate medical programs at European universities, and a qualified teaching structure is emerging; however, there is a wide variation in the level of PM educational development between individual countries.