Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Reliability and Validity of the Spanish Version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale in Oncology Patients.
Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) is a multidimensional tool developed to evaluate frequency, severity, and distress of common symptoms present in cancer patients. ⋯ The Spanish version of MSAS was determined to be a valid and reliable scale in cancer patients.
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With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the U. S. government committed to a transition in payment policy for health care services linking reimbursement to improved health outcomes rather than the volume of services provided. To accomplish this goal, the Department of Health and Human Services is designing and implementing new payment models intended to improve the quality of health care while reducing its cost. ⋯ To achieve this goal, all items and services currently reimbursed under Medicare FFS programs will need to be evaluated in the context of VBP. To this end, the Medicare Hospice benefit appears to be appropriate for inclusion in a model of VBP. This policy analysis proposes an adaptable model for a VBP program for the Medicare Hospice benefit linking payment to quality and efficiency in a manner consistent with statutory requirements established in the Affordable Care Act.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Performance of consultative palliative care model in achieving quality metrics in the ICU.
Quality metrics for intensive care unit (ICU)-based palliative care have been proposed, but it is unknown how consultative palliative care can contribute to performance on these measures. ⋯ Palliative care consultations in an ICU setting are characterized by variable adherence to candidate ICU palliative care quality metrics. Although symptom management was the most common reason for palliative care consultation, consultants infrequently documented symptom assessments. Palliative care consultants performed better in offering spiritual support and managing documented symptoms. These results highlight specific competencies of consultative palliative care that should be complimented by ICU teams to ensure high-quality comprehensive care for the critically ill.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Adherence to Measuring What Matters Items When Caring for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies vs. Solid Tumors.
Measuring What Matters (MWM) prioritizes quality measures in palliative care practice. Hematologic malignancy patients are less likely to access palliative care, yet little is known about their unique needs. Differences in MWM adherence may highlight opportunities to improve palliative care in hematology. ⋯ MWM adherence regarding symptom assessment and meeting emotional needs was lower for patients with hematologic malignancies compared to those with solid tumors. This finding suggests two key areas for quality improvement initiatives in palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies.
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PC-FACS(FastArticleCriticalSummaries for Clinicians inPalliativeCare) provides hospice and palliative care clinicians with concise summaries of the most important findings from more than 100 medical and scientific journals. If you have colleagues who would benefit from receiving PC-FACS, please encourage them to join the AAHPM at aahpm.org. Comments from readers are welcomed at pc-facs@aahpm.org.