Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2023
The Duality of "Goals of Care" Language: A Qualitative Focus Group Study with Frontline Clinicians.
The phrase "goals of care" (GOC) is common in serious illness care, yet it lacks clarity and consistency. Understanding how GOC is used across healthcare contexts is an opportunity to identify and mitigate root causes of serious illness miscommunication. ⋯ Frontline palliative and critical care clinicians understand a duality in GOC, as an idealized concept and as an expeditious signal for clinical care. Our findings suggest ambiguous phrases like GOC persist because of unmet needs for better ways to discuss and address diverse and complex priorities for patients with serious illness.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2023
Radiation therapy in the last month of life. Association with Aggressive Care at the End of Life.
Half of the patients with cancer who undergo radiation therapy do so with palliative intent. ⋯ Radiation therapy in the last month of life occurs in younger patients with rapidly progressive cancer, who are subject to more aggressive cancer care, and have late palliative care consults.