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
Quality indicators in surgical palliative care: a systematic review.
Defining high quality palliative care in seriously ill surgical patients is essential to provide patient-centered surgical care. Quality indicators specifically for seriously ill surgical patients are necessary in order to integrate palliative care into existing surgical quality improvement programs. ⋯ This review was a key step that informed efforts to develop quality indicators for seriously ill surgical patients. Few indicators addressed non-physical aspects of suffering and no indicators were identified addressing palliative surgery. Future attention is needed toward the development and practical application of palliative care quality indicators in surgical patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
ReviewThe use of telemedicine for home-based palliative care for children with serious illness: a scoping review.
There is potential value to home-based palliative care for children with serious illness delivered via telemedicine (TM HBPC). Evidence to guide optimal design and delivery of TM HBPC is urgently needed. ⋯ TM HBPC is a promising strategy to increase access to palliative care for children with serious illness. However, the current review found a need for more robust information describing implementation and effectiveness of TM HBPC models, adaptation across care settings, and maintenance over time to guide and facilitate broader dissemination.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
What's Lost in Translation: A Dialogue-based Intervention that Improves Interpreter Confidence in Palliative Care Conversations.
For US patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), diversity of language and culture can create potential health care disparities in discussions of prognosis and goals of care. Although professional medical interpreters are often thought of as language conduits, they are also trained as clarifiers and mediators of cultural barriers between providers, patients and their families. Identifying interpreter challenges in Palliative Care (PC) conversations and brainstorming and rehearsing solutions could improve their confidence interpreting PC encounters and being cultural mediators. ⋯ This dialogue-based intervention eliciting ongoing interpreter challenges, with PC social work facilitation and role-play with PC clinicians in a mutually respectful environment, significantly improved interpreter confidence in partnering with clinicians in PC conversations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2021
Prevalence, predictors and correlates of religious and spiritual struggles in palliative cancer patients.
Religion and spirituality (r/s) are important resources in coping with cancer. However, there are aspects of r/s, such as religious and spiritual struggles, found to be associated with poorer outcomes. A new measure has been adapted from the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS) to assess r/s struggles: the RSS-14. This concise measure allows for the assessment of multiple types of r/s struggles for people from different religious backgrounds or none. ⋯ R/S struggles may compromise well-being for cancer patients receiving palliative care. Clinicians should consider periodic screening for r/s struggles and referrals for spiritual care if indicated.