Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Nationwide evaluation of palliative care (Q-PAC study) provided by specialized palliative care teams using quality indicators : Large variations in quality of care.
Although a number of quality indicators for palliative care have been implemented worldwide, evidence regarding the performance of palliative care teams is scarce. ⋯ The large risk-adjusted variation found across the quality indicator scores suggest that repeated and standardized quality improvement evaluations can allow teams to benchmark themselves to each other to identify areas of their palliative care delivery that need improvement.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Case ReportsShoulder pain in a patient with renal cell carcinoma? Suprascapular neuropathy caused by bone metastasis of renal cell carcinoma: A case report.
Pain management is crucial in palliative care for patients with advanced cancer. Here, we report a case of shoulder pain in a patient with renal cell carcinoma. ⋯ More research is expected on development of an early surveillance model, barriers to cancer pain management, communication from patients' perspectives.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on end of life care delivery in care homes: A mixed method systematic review.
Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 is having a negative impact on the delivery of end of life care in care homes around the world. There is a need to collate current evidence to provide a comprehensive overview to assess extent of the problem. ⋯ The effect of the pandemic has been to exacerbate existing problems in the provision of end of life care in care homes for both service providers and users, making that which was previously opaque starkly visible. Future research is needed to explore the effects of the pandemic and its management on those receiving end of life care in care homes and their significant others.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Observational StudyAre public health measures and individualised care compatible in the face of a pandemic? A national observational study of bereaved relatives' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 public health restrictions have affected end-of-life care experiences for dying patients and their families. ⋯ Despite public health restrictions, individualised care can be enabled by proactive, informative communication; recognising dying in a timely manner and facilitating the ability to be present before death.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Organizational and individual barriers and facilitators to the integration of pediatric palliative care for children: A grounded theory study.
Pediatric palliative care has established benefits for children with cancer and their families. Overcoming organizational and healthcare provider barriers have been demonstrated as central for the provision of palliative care in pediatric oncology. A deeper understanding is needed of the influence of these barriers and the interactions between them, specifically in primary palliative care in hospital settings. ⋯ Organizational and healthcare provider factors influence the quality and quantity of palliative care given to children and their families. This finding has implications on interventions structured to promote primary palliative care for children, especially in healthcare systems and situations where resources are limited.