Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
ReviewFamily carers providing support to a person dying in the home setting: A narrative literature review.
This study is based on people dying at home relying on the care of unpaid family carers. There is growing recognition of the central role that family carers play and the burdens that they bear, but knowledge gaps remain around how to best support them. ⋯ Many studies focus on the support needs of people caring for a dying family member at home, but few studies have considered how the home space is affected. Given the increasing tendency for home deaths, greater understanding of the interplay of factors affecting family carers may help improve community services.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
Comfort goal of care and end-of-life outcomes in dementia: A prospective study.
Many people with dementia die in a nursing home. A comfort care goal may be beneficial. Little research has examined the relationship between care goals and outcome. ⋯ We found that family satisfaction with care is related to a comfort care goal shortly after admission, but quality of dying did not. Establishing a comfort goal at an early stage may be important to the family. Advance care planning interventions should be studied for their effects on patient and family outcome.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
Case ReportsInterest of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex in the management of refractory cancer pain in palliative care: Two case reports.
Non-drug treatments should be systematically associated to the medical analgesic treatment during the terminal phase of cancer. ⋯ In the context of palliative care of cancer patients experiencing refractory pain that is difficult to control by the usual treatments, motor cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, due to its noninvasive nature, can be used as an adjuvant therapy to improve various components of pain, including the emotional components. By reducing the doses of analgesics, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation decreases the severity of their adverse effects and improves the patient's quality of life.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
'Less ticking the boxes, more providing support': A qualitative study on health professionals' concerns towards the Liverpool Care of the Dying Pathway.
Despite being widely used, research into the effectiveness of the Liverpool Care of the Dying Pathway (LCP) and associated cases of malpractice does not match dissemination. No study exists focusing on concerns voiced by professionals. ⋯ This study provides insights into the experience of professionals with negative opinions of or concerns with the LCP-I. A more comprehensive approach to professional training in palliative care is needed and may envisage the development of new interventions aimed at improving the quality of care throughout the illness trajectory.