Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2024
Development of a palliative paramedicine framework to standardise best practice: A Delphi study.
Growing global demand for palliative care services has prompted generalist clinicians to provide adjunct support to specialist teams. Paramedics are uniquely placed to respond to these patients in the community. However, embedding palliative care principles into their core business will require multifactorial interventions at structural, healthcare service and individual clinician and consumer levels. ⋯ This study has developed a comprehensive national framework addressing the macro-, meso- and micro-level interventions required to standardise palliative paramedicine across Australia. Future research ought to engage a multidisciplinary team to create an implementation strategy, addressing any perceived barriers, facilitators and challenges for applying the framework into policy and practice.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2024
ReviewElectronic symptom monitoring for home-based palliative care: A systematic review.
Coordination and communication challenges in home-based palliative care complicate transitions from hospital care. Electronic symptom monitoring enables real-time data collection, enhancing patient-provider communication. However, a systematic evaluation of its effectiveness in home-based palliative care is lacking. ⋯ Introducing electronic symptom monitoring in home-based palliative care holds potential for enhancing patient-reported outcomes, potentially decreasing hospital visits and costs. However, inconsistency in current studies arising from diverse monitoring systems obstructs comparability. To advance, future high-quality research should employ standardized follow-up periods and established scales to better grasp the benefits of electronic symptom monitoring in home-based palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2024
ReviewHow do primary care clinicians approach hospital admission decisions for people in the final year of life? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.
The final year of life is often associated with increasing health complexities and use of health services. This frequently includes admission to an acute hospital which may or may not convey overall benefit. This uncertainty makes decisions regarding admission complex for clinicians. There is evidence of much variation in approaches to admission. ⋯ This review shows that a breadth of factors influence hospitalisation decisions. The views of other stakeholders take great importance but it is not clear how these views are, or should be, should be balanced. Clinician factors, such as experience with palliative care and clinical judgement, are also important. Future research should focus on how different aspects of the decision are balanced and to consider if, and how, this could be improved to optimise patient-centred outcomes and use of health resources.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2024
Integration of primary care and palliative care services to improve equality and equity at the end-of-life: Findings from realist stakeholder workshops.
Inequalities in access to palliative and end of life care are longstanding. Integration of primary and palliative care has the potential to improve equity in the community. Evidence to inform integration is scarce as research that considers integration of primary care and palliative care services is rare. ⋯ Integration to address inequalities needs recognition of current barriers. Integration grounded in trust, faith and confidence can lead to a cycle of positive patient, carer and professional experience. Prioritising inequalities as whole system concern is required for future service delivery and research.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2024
Feasibility and effectiveness of a two-tiered intervention involving training and a new consultation model for patients with palliative care needs in primary care: A before-after study.
Evidence suggests that involving General Practitioners in the care of patients with palliative care needs may improve patient outcomes. ⋯ Our intervention can be effective in reducing patients' physical and emotional symptoms.