Journal of pain and symptom management
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2023
ReviewPsychiatric Comorbidities and Outcomes in Palliative and End-of-Life Care: A Systematic Review.
Although psychiatric comorbidities are common among individuals at end of life, their impact on outcomes is poorly understood. ⋯ Psychiatric comorbidity is associated with significant differences in care utilization and clinical outcome among patients at end of life. In particular, patients with psychiatric comorbidity and serious illness are at high risk of poor quality of life and high symptom burden. Our finding that psychiatric comorbidity is associated with increased utilization of palliative care likely reflects the complexity and clinical needs of patients with serious illness and mental health needs. These data suggest that greater integration of mental health and palliative care services may enhance quality-of-life among patients at end of life.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2023
ReviewSelf-acupressure for symptom management in cancer patients: A systematic review.
Acupressure is a popular nonpharmacological intervention that is increasingly proven to effectively alleviate symptoms in patients with cancer. However, the effects of self-acupressure on cancer symptom management are less clear. ⋯ The limited evidence from this review precludes the definitive conclusions on intervention effectiveness for cancer symptoms. Future research should consider developing the standard protocol for intervention delivery, improving the methodology of self-acupressure trials, and conducting large-scale research to advance the science of self-acupressure for cancer symptom management.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2023
ReviewRelieving perception of thirst and xerostomia in patients with palliative and end-of-life care needs: a rapid review: Running title: Thirst and xerostomia in palliative patients.
Thirst and dry mouth are interlinked symptoms that frequently cause significant distress for patients with life-limiting conditions. ⋯ Evidence from this review suggests that thirst interventions established within the ICU setting may prove effective for treatment of terminally ill patients receiving specialist palliative care.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2023
ReviewHospital-Based Interventions to Address Provider Grief: A Narrative Review.
Provider grief, i.e., grief related to the death of patients, often forms an ongoing and profound stressor impacting healthcare providers' ability to maintain their sense of well-being, avoid feeling overwhelmed, and sustain quality and compassionate patient care over time. ⋯ Providers largely reported benefits from grief-focused interventions, yet research was sparse and evaluation methodologies were heterogenous, making it difficult to generalize findings. Given the known impact provider grief can have on the individual and organizational levels, it is important to expand providers' access to grief-focused services and to increase evidence-based research in this field.