Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyMinimal Clinically Important Difference in the Physical, Emotional and Total Symptom Distress Scores of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.
The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is one of the most commonly used symptom batteries in clinical practice and research. ⋯ We identified the MCIDs for physical, emotional, and total symptom distress scores, which have implications for interpretation of symptom response in clinical trials.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2016
Multicenter StudyFeeling Heard and Understood: A Patient-Reported Quality Measure for the Inpatient Palliative Care Setting.
As endorsed by the palliative care "Measuring What Matters" initiative, capturing patients' direct assessment of their care is essential for ongoing quality reporting and improvement. Fostering an environment where seriously ill patients feel heard and understood is of crucial importance to modern health care. ⋯ The "Heard & Understood" item is a promising self-report quality measure for the inpatient palliative care setting.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyThe Burden of Polypharmacy in Patients Near the End of Life.
Patients with advanced illness are prescribed multiple medications in the last year of life, intensifying the risk of negative consequences related to polypharmacy. ⋯ There is a significant medication burden placed on patients with advanced illness. Although most medications were prescribed for supportive care, we observed a high prevalence of medications for managing non-life-threatening comorbidities.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2016
Multicenter StudyEstablishing Cut-off Points for Defining Symptom Severity Using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised Japanese Version.
Symptom screening is important for appropriate symptom management. It remains uncertain as to which scores on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised (ESAS-r) comprise the optimal cutoff points to determine symptom severity for Japanese cancer patients. ⋯ The ESAS-r Japanese version can accurately represent the severity of many symptoms. The cutoff points established for determining the level of symptom severity using ESAS-r provides a guide for symptom management in Japanese cancer patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2016
Validation of the Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care.
The modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) is a well-known marker of systemic inflammatory response previously associated with poor prognoses in cancer. ⋯ Systemic inflammatory response is associated with a low functional status, primary lung cancers, and tumors with hepatic metastasis. When starting PC, an mGPS definition may have clinical utility implications, by identifying three groups of patients with advanced cancer patients with distinct survival outcomes.