Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2015
Multicenter StudyQuality of Life and Cost of Care at the End of Life: The Role of Advance Directives.
Advance directives (ADs) are expected to improve patients' end-of-life outcomes, but retrospective analyses, surrogate recall of patients' preferences, and selection bias have hampered efforts to determine ADs' effects on patient outcomes. ⋯ The associations between DNR orders and better quality of life in the week before death indicate that documenting preferences against resuscitation in medical orders may be beneficial to many patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMeasuring end-of-life care and outcomes in residential care/assisted living and nursing homes.
The two primary residential options for older adults who require supportive care are nursing homes and residential care/assisted living. More than one-quarter of all deaths in the U.S. occur in these settings. Although the information available on end of life in long-term care has been growing, the comparative suitability of various measures to guide this work is unknown. ⋯ Despite these recommendations, measurement selection should be informed not only on the basis of psychometric properties but also by specific clinical and research needs. The data in this manuscript will help researchers, clinicians, and administrators understand the implications of choosing various measures for their work.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudyA prospective observational study assessing home parenteral nutrition in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: benefits for quality of life.
Patients with gastrointestinal cancer are at high risk for deterioration of nutrition. Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) could improve nutritional status and quality of life (QoL). ⋯ HPN could provide benefit for malnourished patients with gastrointestinal cancer. However, randomized controlled studies are required to confirm this benefit and the safety profile.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Multicenter StudyLong-term psychosocial outcomes among bereaved siblings of children with cancer.
The death of a child from cancer affects the entire family. Little is known about the long-term psychosocial outcomes of bereaved siblings. ⋯ How siblings experience the death of a child with cancer may impact their long-term psychosocial well-being. Sibling-directed communication and concurrent supportive care during the cancer experience and the year after the sibling death may mitigate poor long-term outcomes.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudySymptom burden of cancer patients: validation of the German M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory: a cross-sectional multicenter study.
Cancer patients frequently suffer from various symptoms often impairing functional status and quality of life. To enable timely supportive care, these symptoms must be assessed adequately with reliable tools. ⋯ The MDASI-German version is a valid tool for measuring patient-reported symptom severity and symptom interference in German cancer patients. It is easily applicable and can be used by German clinicians and researchers for screening and monitoring purposes and the comparison of international data.