Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
Attitudes towards Euthanasia: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Role of Economic, Cultural, and Health-related Factors.
It is crucial that physicians understand differing attitudes toward euthanasia and which factors to consider when discussing end-of-life decisions with patients and families from diverse backgrounds. ⋯ Euthanasia-related attitudes differ widely depending on the cultural context; changes over time varied in both directions; euthanasia-related attitudes were associated with economic, religious and health-related factors. With globalization increasing cultural diversity, these findings can inform physicians' communication about end-of-life decisions with patients and families from diverse backgrounds.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
Hiccups in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Hiccups are a symptom in cancer patients but it's less researched. ⋯ The results of the study showed that over one-fifth of cancer patients suffered from hiccups. This situation reveals that hiccups are an important symptom that needs to be carefully emphasised in oncology practice.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
ReviewWhat are the emotional experiences of being a volunteer in palliative and end-of-life care settings? A systematic review and thematic synthesis.
Previous research has focused on the risks of stress, burnout and the impact on general emotional well-being in paid palliative care staff, however volunteers in patient-facing roles are exposed to similar stressors. Volunteers increasingly provide emotional support to patients and families but receive little formal support for themselves. It is important to understand volunteers' emotional experiences of their role to identify strategies that could be implemented to support them effectively. ⋯ Volunteers face unique challenges but also positive impacts that can affect their emotional well-being. It is important to monitor how volunteers are coping and provide appropriate support.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
"Going home [is] just a feel-good idea with no structure": A qualitative exploration of patient and family caregiver needs when transitioning from hospital to home in palliative care.
Hospital-to-home transitions, particularly at the end of life, can be challenging for patients and their family caregivers. Therefore, there is a need to better understand gaps in expectations and experiences of these transitions. Theory can inform the creation of an intervention aimed at improving the hospital-to-home transition. ⋯ Our substantive grounded theory highlighted potentially measurable constructs that can be further tested. Future interventions should target the enablers/disablers to ensure health and well-being and practical needs are met in the transition.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
Distinct death-preparedness states by combining cognitive and emotional preparedness for death and their evolution for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients over their last 6 months of life.
To identify caregivers' death-preparedness states by combining cognitive and emotional preparedness for their loved one's death as well as their evolution over cancer patients' last 6 months, which have never been explored. ⋯ Caregivers of cancer patients heterogeneously experienced combined cognitive and emotional preparedness for death. About 40% of caregivers consistently had sufficient death preparedness over their loved one's dying process. Evaluating these different aspects of death preparedness could be an important approach in high-quality end-of-life care by not only cultivating caregivers' cognitive PA, but also facilitating their emotional preparedness for the patient's death, thus helping caregivers prepare well for their loved one's forthcoming death.