Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyRandomised clinical trial of early specialist palliative care plus standard care versus standard care alone in patients with advanced cancer: The Danish Palliative Care Trial.
Beneficial effects of early palliative care have been found in advanced cancer, but the evidence is not unequivocal. ⋯ We did not observe beneficial or harmful effects of early specialist palliative care, but important beneficial effects cannot be excluded.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2017
'End of life could be on any ward really': A qualitative study of hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences.
Over half of all deaths in Europe occur in hospital, a location associated with many complaints. Initiatives to improve inpatient end-of-life care are therefore a priority. In England, over 78,000 volunteers provide a potentially cost-effective resource to hospitals. Many work with people who are dying and their families, yet little is known about their training in end-of-life care. ⋯ Gaps in end-of-life care training for hospital volunteers indicate scope to maximise on this resource. This evidence will inform development of training and evaluations which could better enable volunteers to make positive, cost-effective contributions to end-of-life care in hospitals.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2017
Breathlessness during daily activity: The psychometric properties of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living Scale in patients with advanced disease and refractory breathlessness.
The London Chest Activities of Daily Living Scale measures the impact of breathlessness on both activity and social functioning. However, the London Chest Activities of Daily Living Scale is not routinely used in patients with advanced disease. ⋯ Psychometric analyses suggest that the London Chest Activities of Daily Living Scale is acceptable, reliable and valid in patients with advanced disease and refractory breathlessness.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2017
'Powerlessness' or 'doing the right thing' - Moral distress among nursing home staff caring for residents at the end of life: An interpretive descriptive study.
Caring for dying people can contribute to moral distress experienced by healthcare professionals. Moral distress can occur when this caring is restricted by organisational processes, resources or the provision of futile care. These factors apply to end of life care in nursing homes but research is lacking. ⋯ When there are incongruent values concerning care between staff and others involved in the care of residents, staff feel powerless to 'do the right thing' and unable to influence care decisions in order to avoid a 'bad death'. This powerlessness is the nature of their moral distress.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2017
Hospital doctors' understanding of use and withdrawal of the Liverpool Care Pathway: A qualitative study of practice-based experiences during times of change.
The Liverpool Care Pathway was used in UK hospitals (late 1990s to July 2014) in an attempt to generate hospice-style high-quality end-of-life care in acute settings. Despite being widely established, there was limited research or contextual evidence regarding this approach or its impact. Growing criticism from the public, media, politicians and healthcare professionals culminated with a critical independent review (July 2013) and subsequent withdrawal of the Liverpool Care Pathway. ⋯ Future initiatives in hospital end-of-life care must address doctors' fears, (in)abilty to tolerate medical uncertainty, communication skills and understanding of the dying phase, in order to provide optimum care in the last days of life.