Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialEconomic evaluation of a combined screening and stepped-care treatment program targeting psychological distress in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: A cluster randomized controlled trial.
Psychological distress is highly prevalent among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. ⋯ The intervention is dominant over usual care, primarily due to lower costs in the intervention group. However, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical effects and the uptake of the intervention was quite low. Therefore, widespread implementation cannot be recommended.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2020
The impacts and effectiveness of support for people bereaved through advanced illness: A systematic review and thematic synthesis.
Bereavement support is a key component of palliative care, with different types of support recommended according to need. Previous reviews have typically focused on specialised interventions and have not considered more generic forms of support, drawing on different research methodologies. ⋯ Conclusions on effectiveness are limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneity in study populations, models of care and outcomes. The qualitative evidence suggests several cross-cutting benefits and helps explain the impact mechanisms and contextual factors that are integral to the support.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2020
Building trust and facilitating goals of care conversations: A qualitative study in people with heart failure receiving home hospice care.
Despite a majority of persons receiving hospice care in their homes, there are gaps in understanding how to facilitate goals of care conversations between persons with heart failure and healthcare providers. ⋯ Findings from this study suggest that interventions designed to improve goals of care conversations in the home hospice setting should focus on promoting understanding and acceptance of hospice, family support and engagement, and building trusting relationships with interprofessional healthcare teams.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2020
A mixed-methods pilot study of 'LIFEView' audiovisual technology: Virtual travel to support well-being and quality of life in palliative and end-of-life care patients.
There is evidence that psychosocial and spiritual interventions of short duration, such as reminiscence therapy, provide positive impacts on quality of life and emotional and existential well-being in adults receiving palliative care. ⋯ A future adequately powered study to investigate the impacts of 'LIFEView' on patient well-being and quality of life appears to be feasible.