Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
Reduction in potentially inappropriate end-of-life hospital care for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective population-based study.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, little is known about end-of-life cancer care during the pandemic. ⋯ Cancer patients received less potentially inappropriate end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because several factors may have contributed, it is unclear whether this reflects better quality care. However, these findings raise important questions about what pandemic-induced changes in care practices can help provide appropriate end-of-life care for future patients in the context of increasing patient numbers and limited resources.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
Prescribing and deprescribing in older people with life-limiting illnesses receiving hospice care at the end of life: A longitudinal, retrospective cohort study.
Although prescribing and deprescribing practices in older people have been the subject of much research generally, there are limited data in older people at the end of life. This highlights the need for research to determine prescribing and deprescribing patterns, as a first step to facilitate guideline development for medicines optimisation in this vulnerable population. ⋯ In the absence of systematic rationalisation of drug treatments, a substantial proportion of older patients continued to receive potentially inappropriate medication until death.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
Assessing the suitability of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT-Paediatric) for use with parents of children with a life-limiting condition: A qualitative secondary analysis.
The demands of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition can have a profound impact on parents' health and wellbeing. Currently, there is no standard procedure for identifying and addressing the support needs of these parents. ⋯ The CSNAT (Paediatric) is a relevant tool for the assessment of parental support needs. Further research should assess the acceptability and feasibility of implementation of the broader intervention: CSNAT-I (Paediatric).
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
'Thank you for loving me': A qualitative study on perceptions of gratitude and their effects in palliative care patients and relatives.
Empirical studies suggest that gratitude positively influence the quality of life of palliative patients and relatives. However, the literature is marked by a lack of conceptual clarity about what gratitude is and whether it can bring about individual and social benefits. ⋯ Our study suggests that gratitude is a key to a good (end of) life, whilst highlighting potential negative effects. It could help healthcare professionals to better understand what gratitude means to patients and relatives, which may facilitate awareness and fostering of gratitude in palliative care.