Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2018
Comparative StudyPatients' and caregivers' needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care: A focus group study across nine countries.
Spiritual distress is prevalent in advanced disease, but often neglected, resulting in unnecessary suffering. Evidence to inform spiritual care practices in palliative care is limited. ⋯ To meet patient and caregiver preferences, healthcare providers should be able to address their spiritual concerns. Findings should inform patient- and caregiver-centred spiritual care provision, education and research.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2018
'Was it worth it?' Intrathecal analgesia for cancer pain: A qualitative study exploring the views of family carers.
Intrathecal drug delivery is known to reduce pain in patients where conventional systemic analgesia has been ineffective or intolerable. However, there is little information regarding the effects of intrathecal drug delivery on quality of life and function in those with advanced, incurable cancer. ⋯ Carers perceived external tunnelled intrathecal drug delivery as most valuable when it improved quality of life towards the end of life, by reducing pain and side effects of conventional systemic analgesia to enable individuals 'to be themselves'. Under these circumstances, the carers judged significant side effects to be acceptable.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2018
Prevalence, incidence and associated factors of pressure ulcers in home palliative care patients: A retrospective chart review.
Terminally ill patients are at high risk of pressure ulcers, which have a negative impact on quality of life. Data about pressure ulcers' prevalence, incidence and associated factors are largely insufficient. ⋯ The notable pressure ulcers' incidence and prevalence rates suggest the need to include this issue among the main outcomes to pursue during home palliative care. The accuracy of body mass index, Braden Scale and Karnofsky Performance Scale in predicting the pressure ulcers risk is confirmed. Therefore, they appear as essential tools, in combination with nurses' clinical judgment, for a structured approach to pressure ulcers prevention. Further research is needed to explore the home caregivers' characteristics and attitudes associated with the occurrence of pressure ulcers and the relations between their strategies for pressure ulcer prevention and gender-related patient's needs.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2018
End-of-life care for homeless people: A qualitative analysis exploring the challenges to access and provision of palliative care.
Being homeless or vulnerably housed is associated with death at a young age, frequently related to medical problems complicated by drug or alcohol dependence. Homeless people experience high symptom burden at the end of life, yet palliative care service use is limited. ⋯ Due to the lack of alternatives, homeless people with advanced ill health often remain in hostels. Conflict between the recovery-focused nature of many services and the realities of health and illness for often young homeless people result in a lack of person-centred care. Greater multidisciplinary working, extended in-reach into hostels from health and social services and training for all professional groups along with more access to appropriate supported accommodation are required to improve care for homeless people with advanced ill health.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2018
Understanding how a palliative-specific patient-reported outcome intervention works to facilitate patient-centred care in advanced heart failure: A qualitative study.
Palliative care needs of patients with chronic heart failure are poorly recognised. Policy makers advise a patient-centred approach to holistically assess patients' needs and care goals. Patient-reported outcome measures are proposed to facilitate patient-centred care. ⋯ This Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale-based intervention empowered patients to become more engaged in the clinical consultation and to highlight their unmet needs. This study adds to the evidence for the mechanism of action of patient-reported outcome measures to improve patient-centred care and will help inform outcome selection for future patient-reported outcome measure research.