Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Multicenter StudyFeasibility of using algorithm-based clinical decision support for symptom assessment and management in lung cancer.
Distressing symptoms interfere with the quality of life in patients with lung cancer. Algorithm-based clinical decision support (CDS) to improve evidence-based management of isolated symptoms seems promising, but no reports yet address multiple symptoms. ⋯ The CDS systems, such as SAMI-L, have the potential to fill a gap in promoting evidence-based care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Comparative StudyMeaning in life experience at the end of life: validation of the Hindi version of the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation and a cross-cultural comparison between Indian and German palliative care patients.
The experience of Meaning in Life (MiL) is a major protective factor against feelings of hopelessness and wishes for hastened death in palliative care (PC) patients. However, most instruments for MiL assessment have been developed only in Western countries so far. Little is known about MiL experience in Asian PC patients. ⋯ Preliminary results indicate good feasibility and validity of the Hindi version of the SMiLE. MiL experience also seems to be a coping resource for Indian PC patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudySymptom burden of cancer patients: validation of the German M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory: a cross-sectional multicenter study.
Cancer patients frequently suffer from various symptoms often impairing functional status and quality of life. To enable timely supportive care, these symptoms must be assessed adequately with reliable tools. ⋯ The MDASI-German version is a valid tool for measuring patient-reported symptom severity and symptom interference in German cancer patients. It is easily applicable and can be used by German clinicians and researchers for screening and monitoring purposes and the comparison of international data.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Why people accept opioids: role of general attitudes toward drugs, experience as a bereaved family, information from medical professionals, and personal beliefs regarding a good death.
Many surveys have evaluated patient-related barriers to pain management. ⋯ More than 90% of bereaved families whose relatives were treated with opioid analgesics reported a preference to receive opioid analgesics for the treatment of cancer pain, if necessary, in the future.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Reduction of acute hospital admissions and improvement in outpatient attendance by intensified renal palliative care clinic follow-up: the Hong Kong experience.
End-stage renal failure patients often fail to attend scheduled renal palliative care clinic (RPCC) follow-up because of acute hospital admissions, causing negative impact on patients' well-being and health care burden. ⋯ Our pilot results suggested that intensifying RPCC follow-up minimized the utilization of acute medical services and improved outpatient attendance at RPCC.