Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
Meta AnalysisPerspectives of elders and their adult children of Black and minority ethnic heritage on end-of-life conversations: A meta-ethnography.
People of Black and minority ethnic heritage are more likely to die receiving life supporting measures and less likely to die at home. End-of-life care decision making often involves adult children as advance care planning is uncommon in these communities. Physicians report family distress as being a major factor in continuing with futile care. ⋯ The following four storylines were constructed: 'My family will carry out everything for me; it is trust'; 'No Mum, don't talk like that'; 'I leave it in God's hands'; and 'Who's going to look after us?' The synthesis reflected the dichotomous balance of trust and burden avoidance that characterises the perspectives of Black and minority ethnic elders to end-of-life care planning with their children.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
The effectiveness of aromatherapy, massage and reflexology in people with palliative care needs: A systematic review.
Aromatherapy, massage and reflexology are widely used in palliative care. Despite this, there are questions about their suitability for inclusion in clinical guidelines. The need to understand their benefits is a public priority, especially in light of funding pressures. ⋯ This review identified a relatively large number of trials, but with poor and heterogeneous evidence. New clinical recommendations cannot be made based on current evidence. To help provide more definitive trial findings, it may be useful first to understand more about the best way to measure the effectiveness of these therapies in palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
Self-management of patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review of experiences and attitudes.
Patients with advanced cancer are increasingly expected to self-manage. Thus far, this topic has received little systematic attention. ⋯ Self-management of patients with advanced cancer is highly personal and multifaceted. Strategies may be substitutional, additional or even conflicting compared to care provided by healthcare professionals. Self-management support can benefit from an individualised approach embedded in solid partnerships with relatives and healthcare professionals.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
'. . . and then no more kisses!' Exploring patients' experiences on multidrug-resistant bacterial microorganisms and hygiene measures in end-of-life care A mixed-methods study.
In end-of-life care hygiene, measures concerning multidrug-resistant bacterial microorganisms may contradict the palliative care approach of social inclusion and be burdensome for patients. ⋯ Patients would benefit from comprehensible information on multidrug-resistant bacterial microorganisms. Strategies minimizing social exclusion and emotional impact of multidrug-resistant bacterial microorganisms' diagnosis in end-of-life care are needed as well as adaption or supplementation of standard multidrug-resistant bacterial microorganisms' policies of hospitals.