Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2023
ReviewNeuropalliative care for progressive neurological diseases: A scoping review on models of care and priorities for future research.
Neuropalliative care is a newly-defined subspeciality bringing specific aspects of fields of neurology and palliative care together to better meet the complex care needs of people with progressive neurological diseases. Examining these needs would help provide guidance about developing relevant models of care and identify gaps in research knowledge. ⋯ Most models of neuropalliative care described in the international literature are predominantly outpatient, multidisciplinary and integrative. Clinicians typically utilise existing neurology and palliative care infrastructure to provide care. More high-quality research and outcome tools are needed to guide the design of evidence-based palliative care for people with progressive neurological diseases.
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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.
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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.
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Palliative medicine · May 2023
ReviewPalliative care referral criteria and application in pediatric illness care: A scoping review.
Specialty pediatric palliative care services can help to address unmet care needs for children with complex and serious illness. Current guidelines support the identification of unmet palliative care needs; however, it is unknown how these guidelines or other clinical characteristics influence pediatric palliative care referral in research and practice. ⋯ The literature demonstrates inconsistent methods for identifying and referring children and adolescents with unmet palliative care needs. Prospective cohort studies and clinical trials would inform more consistent pediatric palliative care referral practices. More research is needed on palliative care referral and outcomes in community-focused pediatrics.
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Palliative medicine · May 2023
ReviewUnderstanding advance care planning in care homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical realist review and synthesis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted advance care planning discussions in care homes, particularly discussions involving relatives and surrogate decision makers. There is a need to collate and examine current evidence to assess the extent of the problem. ⋯ Results highlight part of the new context facing staff, relatives and residents in care homes, thus providing valuable insight for future intervention development required to maintain and improve the effectiveness of advance care planning in care homes during and beyond the pandemic.