Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2016
Multicenter Study Comparative StudySymptom Clusters from Dialysis to Renal Transplantation: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study.
Patients on dialysis experience multiple concurrent and often related symptoms defined as symptom clusters. Renal transplantation (RTX) is thought to reduce symptom experience and improve health-related quality of life. No longitudinal study has assessed symptoms and symptom clusters in patients in the transition from dialysis to RTX. ⋯ Although symptoms and symptom clusters were reduced after RTX, the clinical relevance of the reductions was ambiguous. Symptom clusters could not be generated after RTX, suggesting that use of the KDQOL-SF may not be optimal to assess symptoms in RTX patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2016
Multicenter StudyAdherence to Measuring What Matters Measures Using Point-of-Care Data Collection Across Diverse Clinical Settings.
Measuring What Matters (MWM) for palliative care has prioritized data collection efforts for evaluating quality in clinical practice. How these measures can be implemented across diverse clinical settings using point-of-care data collection on quality is unknown. ⋯ Variations in clinician documentation of adherence to MWM quality measures are seen across clinical settings. Additional studies are needed to better understand benchmarks and acceptable ranges for adherence tailored to various clinical settings.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2016
Comparative StudyDoes Mode of Survey Administration Matter? Using Measurement Invariance to Validate the Mail and Telephone Versions of the Bereaved Family Survey.
The Veterans Health Administration evaluates outcomes of end-of-life (EOL) care using the Bereaved Family Survey (BFS). Originally, the BFS was administered as a telephone survey but was transitioned to a mail survey beginning October 2012. The transition necessitated an evaluation of the tool's validity using this new mode of administration. ⋯ These findings demonstrate the MI and robust psychometric properties for the BFS across administration modes.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2016
Development and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the CKD-MBD Knowledge and Behavior Questionnaire (CKD-MBD-KB) for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.
Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is one of the most complicated morbidities among patients with end-stage renal disease. At present, a specific questionnaire assessing relevant knowledge and behavior for patients with CKD-MBD is still unavailable. ⋯ This CKD-MBD-KB questionnaire has been confirmed to have adequate psychometric properties (good reliability and validity) and may be useful in the assessment of patient-related knowledge, intervention programs, and treatment protocols.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2016
Characterizing the Hospice and Palliative Care Workforce in the U.S.: Clinician Demographics and Professional Responsibilities.
Palliative care services are growing at an unprecedented pace. Yet, the characteristics of the clinician population who deliver these services are not known. Information on the roles, motivations, and future plans of the clinician workforce would allow for planning to sustain and grow the field. ⋯ Palliative care clinicians are a heterogeneous group. We identified motivations for entering the field that can be leveraged to sustain and grow the workforce.