Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
The impact of COVID-19 on palliative care social work: An online survey by a European Association of Palliative Care Task Force.
The SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the delivery of health and social care services globally. However, little is known about how palliative care social work services were impacted. ⋯ Our findings indicate that restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 resulted in adaptations to service delivery, increased pressure on staff and moral distress, like other health and social care professions. All members of the palliative team need support and supervision to ensure effective interdisciplinary working and team cohesion.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Existential experiences and perceptions of death among children with terminal cancer: An interpretative qualitative study.
Exploring the experience and understanding of death in children with terminal cancer is important to provide them with appropriate care. However, most studies have focused on the perspectives of parents and healthcare professionals, and few have focused on the end-of-life experiences of children. ⋯ Children with terminal cancer have a strong sense of loneliness and a desire to connect with the world they have left behind. Differences in children's perceptions and attitudes about death suggest that healthcare professionals should focus on their experiences and needs and provide personalized palliative care services to children and their families to improve their quality of life.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
ReviewThe associations between prognostic awareness and health-related quality of life among patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review.
Prognostic awareness among patients with advanced cancer is important for better palliative and end-of-life care. However, the relationships between prognostic awareness and patient health-related quality of life outcomes remain inconsistent across studies. Critically synthesizing empirical literature will allow for a better understanding of these associations. ⋯ To facilitate better understanding of the relationships between prognostic awareness and health-related quality of life, future research must focus on developing a standardized, "gold standard" measurement of prognostic awareness. Research should also examine the influence of culture and the evolution of these relationships longitudinally.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Comparison of healthcare utilization and life-sustaining interventions between patients with glioblastoma receiving palliative care or not: A population-based study.
Palliative care has historically been under-utilized in patients with glioblastoma. Furthermore, literature on the utilization of healthcare and life-sustaining interventions during the late-stage of glioblastoma has been limited. ⋯ Our retrospective analysis reveals that glioblastoma patients without palliative care had greater odds of receiving life-sustaining treatments within 1 year before their death, although no gains in survival as compared to those that received palliative care. These findings highlight the urgent need for palliative care in caring for patients with glioblastoma.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of an integrated palliative care intervention on quality of life and acute healthcare use in patients with COPD: Results of the COMPASSION cluster randomized controlled trial.
COPD causes high morbidity and mortality, emphasizing the need for palliative care. ⋯ We found no evidence that palliative care improves quality of life in patients with COPD. However, it can potentially reduce acute healthcare use. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic led to suboptimal implementation and insufficient power, and may have affected some of our findings.