Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
ReviewOpioid prescribing and use among cancer survivors: A mapping review of observational and intervention studies.
Recent years show a sharp increase in research on opioid use among cancer survivors, but evidence syntheses are lacking, leaving knowledge gaps. Corresponding research needs are unclear. ⋯ We found lack of consistency in the measurement of and terms used to describe similar opioid use outcomes, and a lack of interventional research targeting well-documented patterns of potentially nonrecommended, potentially avoidable, or potentially high-risk opioid prescribing or use.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
ReviewIdentifying core domains to assess the 'quality of death':A scoping review.
There is growing recognition of the value to patients, families, society, and health systems in providing healthcare, including end-of-life care, that is consistent with both patient preferences and clinical guidelines. ⋯ The review affirms the need for a people-centered approach to managing the delicate process and period of accepting and preparing for the end of life. The identified structural and experiential factors pertinent to the "quality of death" will prove invaluable for future efforts aimed to quantify health system performance in the end-of-life period.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
ReviewHandling missing data and drop out in hospice/palliative care trials through the estimand framework.
Missing data are common in hospice/palliative care randomized trials due to high drop-out because of the demographic of interest. It can introduce bias in the estimate of the treatment effect and its precision. ⋯ When planning a palliative care trial, the estimand should be explicitly stated, including how intercurrent events will be handled in the analysis. This should be informed by the scientific objectives of the trial. The estimand guides the handling of missing data during the conduct and analysis of the trial. Defining an estimand is not a statistical activity, but a multi-disciplinary process involving all stakeholders.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
Receipt of Hospice Aide Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries Receiving Home Hospice Care.
Hospice aides provide essential direct care to hospice patients, yet there is minimal research examining hospice aide visits. ⋯ 64% of hospice enrollees received hospice aide visits and average visit frequency (1.3 per week) remained stable throughout enrollment. The only patient characteristic associated with receipt of hospice aide visits was primary hospice diagnosis (respiratory diagnosis vs. dementia: OR 0.372, P = 0.040). Those living in community-based residential housing and those cared for by hospices with aides employed as staff were more likely to receive any hospice aide visits (OR 2.331, P = 0.047 and OR 4.612, P = 0.002, respectively.) CONCLUSION: Hospice aide visits are a common component of hospice care, but visit frequency does not increase as death approaches. Receipt of hospice aide visits was primarily associated with community and hospice agency (rather than patient) characteristics. Future work is needed to ensure that hospice aides are integrated in the hospice interdisciplinary team and that access to hospice aide visits is meaningfully driven by patient and family needs, rather than the practice norms and business models of individual hospice agencies.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
Review Meta AnalysisPrevalence of sialorrhea among amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative motor neuron disease (MND), and sialorrhea is a known symptom in patients with ALS, which may cause a social embarrassment and discomfort. However, people do not pay attention to sialorrhea up to now. This study is aimed at conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of sialorrhea in ALS patients all around the world and raising awareness of salivation. ⋯ Sialorrhea is a relatively common symptom in ALS patients with a comparatively high prevalence. In our study, we found that the prevalence of sialorrhea in ALS patients is relatively higher than the results based on direct questioning or postal survey. Therefore, we deduced that sialorrhea should be evaluated by more complex professional assessment scales to improve the quality of life and improve early prognosis of disease.