Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2014
Prognostic indicators for children and young people at the end of life: A Delphi study.
Recognizing transitions in end of life care for children is difficult and hinders communication and care planning. ⋯ This study provides important insight into which signs and symptoms are considered most valuable in identifying children approaching the end of the life.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2014
The European Association for Palliative Care basic dataset to describe a palliative care cancer population: Results from an international Delphi process.
One of the barriers identified in palliative care research is the lack of common criteria to describe the population. ⋯ Consensus was reached on a set of core variables and how they should be recorded.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2014
Early identification of palliative care needs by family physicians: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators from the perspective of family physicians, community nurses, and patients.
There is a growing recognition that a palliative care approach should be initiated early and not just in the terminal phase for patients with life-limiting diseases. Family physicians then play a central role in identifying and managing palliative care needs, but appear to not identify them accurately or in a timely manner. ⋯ The current practice of palliative care in Belgium is far from the presently considered ideal palliative care approaches. Facilitators such as proactive communication and communication tools could contribute to the development of guidelines for family physicians and policymakers in primary care.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2014
Physician-reported practices on continuous deep sedation until death: A descriptive and comparative study.
Research on continuous deep sedation until death has focused on estimating prevalence and describing clinical practice across care settings. However, evidence on sedation practices by physician specialty is scarce. ⋯ Considerable variation, often largely deviating from professional guidelines, was observed in physician-reported performance and decision-making, highlighting the importance of providing clearer guidance on the specific needs of the context in which continuous deep sedation until death is to be performed.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2014
Patterns of diagnoses among children and young adults with life-limiting conditions: A secondary analysis of a national dataset.
Numbers of children and young people with life-limiting conditions are rising, and increasing lifespans require young adults with life-limiting condition to transit to appropriate adult services. ⋯ Non-malignant diagnoses are common in children and young adults, and services that have historically focussed on oncological care will need to widen their remit to serve this population of life-limited patients. The diagnosis determining a patient's life-limiting condition will strongly influence their palliative care service needs. Therefore, understanding the diagnostic and demographic breakdown of this population of teenagers and young adults is crucial for planning future service provision.