Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2022
End-of-life costs of cancer patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in the U.S.
End-of-Life (EOL) care consumes a substantial amount of healthcare resources, especially among older persons with cancer. Having Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) brings additional complexities to these patients' EOL care. ⋯ Medicare spending at the EOL per beneficiary was not statistically different between cohorts. However, specific types of service (i.e., inpatient, SNF, home health, and hospice) were significantly higher in the ADRD group compared to their non-ADRD counterparts. This study underscored the potential financial burden and informed Medicare about allocation of resources at the EOL.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2022
"I Don't Do Religion": Using Nature Photographs to Engage Patients in Spiritual Reflection.
When caring for healthcare patients, professional chaplains may find an increasing proportion of individuals in the U. S. who do not identify as religious and who may benefit from creative approaches to discussing their spiritual and existential concerns. One approach to engaging patients is using a "third voice," as shared in a personal narrative in which a chaplain uses landscape photographs to engage a patient for discussion of spiritual and existential concerns. The content of the conversation may inform decisions about treatment, quality of life, and person-centered care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2022
Editorial CommentWhat Can a Systematic Review of Cannabis Trials Tell Us?