Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Feasibility of Safe Opioid Prescribing in Outpatient Palliative Care: A Quality Improvement Project.
No guidelines for safe opioid prescribing in palliative care exist, which contributes to limited monitoring of opioid misuse in palliative care. ⋯ Safe opioid prescribing measures are feasible in outpatient palliative care and can facilitate identification of individuals at risk for opioid misuse and prompt early interventions for misuse.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults of Turkish Origin in Belgium: Exploratory Interview Study.
Although conversations about future medical treatment and end-of-life care are considered to be important, ethnic minorities are much less engaged in advance care planning (ACP). ⋯ The provision of tailored information about ACP to older adults of Turkish origin in Belgium and the promotion of awareness about the importance of ACP among their children (when patients desire), as well as the use of professional interpreters, could facilitate ACP engagement in this population.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialPredictors of Response to an Evidence-based Behavioral Cancer Pain Management Intervention: An Exploratory Analysis from a Clinical Trial.
Interventions that teach patients cognitive and behavioral strategies for managing cancer pain have demonstrated effectiveness. Systematic reviews of such interventions call for research to inform their implementation in practice, including investigations into which patients are most likely to benefit. ⋯ Our findings elucidate several subgroups of patients who may be especially likely to benefit from PCST, informing both targeted implementation efforts and opportunities to improve delivery for diverse patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialPalliative Long-term Abdominal Drains Versus Large Volume Paracentesis in Refractory Ascites due to Cirrhosis (REDUCe Study): Qualitative Outcomes.
Palliative care remains suboptimal in end-stage liver disease (ESLD). ⋯ Patients and nurses expressed acceptability of palliative LTAD in ESLD and preference for this approach in enabling care at home. Proceeding to a definitive trial is feasible.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Identifying Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Abnormal Urine Drug Tests in Cancer Pain Patients.
Opioids have become a mainstay treatment for severe cancer pain. Although opioid prescribing has decreased, opioid mortality continues to rise. Utilizing urine drug tests (UDT) can help monitor medication adherence and identify use of unprescribed or illicit substances. ⋯ This study demonstrates that oncologic pain patients are not a risk-free population for abnormal UDT, thus recommends a UDT with initial opioid prescriptions and annually thereafter, with more frequent tests for patients suspected to be at higher risk for misuse.