Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Perceptions Towards Naloxone among Patients with Cancer Receiving Opioids.
Naloxone nasal spray is recommended for patients with risk factors for opioid overdose. However, cancer patients' perceptions and beliefs regarding naloxone prescriptions and their self-perceived risks for overdose are understudied. ⋯ Most patients understood the benefits of naloxone and felt safe having one at home. More research is needed to identify knowledge gaps and develop educational strategies for those who find it nonbeneficial.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Economic Value of Unpaid Family Caregiver Time Following Hospital Discharge and at End of Life.
Family caregivers (FCGs) play a crucial role in care for people with serious illness, yet unpaid care is often overlooked in estimates of care recipient (CR) care costs. ⋯ Of 282 FCGs, 94% were non-Hispanic White, 71% were female, 71% had a college degree, and 51% were in the workforce. FCGs of decedents (58%) compared to survivors reported significantly more caregiving hours per person-month (392 vs. 272), resulting in higher estimated economic value per person-month using opportunity ($12,653 vs. $8843), proxy ($5689 vs. $3955), and combined costing methods ($9490 vs. $6443) CONCLUSION: This study informs more complete economic evaluations of palliative care by estimating the economic value of unpaid caregiving. The high intensity of unpaid caregiving for people with serious illness, especially toward the end of life, should be considered when designing policies and interventions to support FCGs. Better methods for approximating economic value are needed to address potential inequities in current valuation approaches.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Case ReportsPalliative Care Consults for Clinician Distress: Part of the Job?
Clinician distress is common in serious illness care. Palliative specialists are often consulted for cases involving significant distress among primary teams. ⋯ This article uses three composite cases to illustrate types of clinician distress and examine the benefits and risks of palliative specialist involvement. We conclude with a discussion of potential impacts of palliative care consults for clinician distress on the field of palliative care and consider next steps in critically important efforts to support and sustain the entire workforce-both palliative specialists and nonspecialists alike-when caring for patients with serious illness and their family caregivers.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Comparative StudyAddressing Statistical Power and Increasing Diversity in Hospice Research: Electronic Medical Record Participant Identification Compared to Nurse Referral Approaches to Recruitment.
Recruitment of targeted samples into hospice clinical trials is often challenging. While electronic medical records (EMR) are commonly used in hospital-based research, it is uncommon in hospice research. The community setting and the variability in hospices and their medical record creates unique challenges. ⋯ The EMR-identified recruitment process is the recommended method in hospice research.