Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Multicenter StudyEvaluation of a Reiki Volunteer Program within Two Cancer Infusion Centers.
Reiki is a biofield therapy from Japan currently used in many US hospitals. Evidence supports Reiki's effectiveness for addressing cancer and treatment-related symptoms such as pain and anxiety. However, no study to date has assessed changes in nausea following Reiki received during infusion treatments or assessed patients from multiple healthcare locations. ⋯ Outpatients receiving Reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction, and a qualitatively positive healing experience. More research is needed to assess long term changes following Reiki, including with an expanded program at additional healthcare locations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Bereaved family quality of life varies with comorbid psychological distress and ICU-care quality.
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is highly endorsed, but HRQOL studies scarcely investigate the following: ICU family members; modifiable end-of-life (EOL) ICU-care factors; conjoint associations with prolonged grief disorder (PGD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression; and long-term bereavement outcomes. ⋯ Bereaved family members' HRQOL was significantly associated with PGD-PTSD-depressive-symptom states and QODD classes-both modifiable through high-quality EOL ICU care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Model for an International Case Sharing Program to Enhance Global Palliative Care Education.
In Thailand, the field of palliative medicine is growing but access and training remain limited. We sought to expand education of resident physicians at Chiang Mai University (CMU) in Thailand through development of an international case sharing program. ⋯ We present a sustainable, convenient, low-cost, cross-cultural palliative care case conference model that has the potential to enrich palliative care education globally.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Navigating Uncertainty during Family Meetings in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Investigation of Team Communication and Family Engagement.
Uncertainty is a known barrier to effective communication during family meetings in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU), however, limited data has characterized patterns of communication during these meetings, limiting our ability to make best practice recommendations to clinicians. ⋯ Our results encourage clinicians to communicate uncertainty in an unburied and explicit manner, which may reduce the burden on families to engage in effective communication strategies, such as clarifying and summarizing opaquely stated information.