Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Jan 2022
Meta AnalysisNavigating the caregiving abyss: A metasynthesis of how family caregivers manage end-of-life care for older adults at home.
Demographic changes (global aging, decreased fertility, increased home deaths) will present a critical need for end-of-life family caregivers of older adults at home. In order to support these family caregivers, we need to better understand their experiences, struggles, and needs. ⋯ Family caregivers of older adults at the end of life navigate a variety of challenges. The findings provide a conceptual framework to help guide the development of education, interventions, and health policy to meet family caregivers' needs in providing quality end-of-life care.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2021
Meta AnalysisWeb and mobile-based symptom management interventions for physical symptoms of people with advanced cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Symptom management is a critical aspect of comprehensive palliative care for people with advanced cancer. Web and mobile-based applications are promising e-Health modalities that can facilitate timely access to symptom management interventions for this population. ⋯ Web and mobile-based intervention are efficacious in decreasing the overall physical symptom burden in people with advanced cancer.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2021
Meta AnalysisGamification for promoting advance care planning: A mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis.
Gamification has been adopted in the health care field for broaching sensitive topics and increasing motivation for behavior changes. Games developed to stimulate discussion surrounding end-of-life issues, and thereby promoting advance care planning also emerged. ⋯ Advance care planning games seem to be a promising intervention for increasing the uptake of advance care planning behaviors. Well-designed randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of games for advance care planning are needed in the future.
-
Palliative medicine · Apr 2021
Meta AnalysisThe effectiveness of hope-fostering interventions in palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The concept of hope is an important theme in chronic illness and palliative care and has been associated with increased psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life. Psycho-spiritual interventions have been described in this population, but no systematic review of hope-enhancing interventions or hopelessness-reducing interventions has been conducted for persons with palliative care diseases. ⋯ Evidence suggests that interventions can be effective in increasing hope in palliative care patients.
-
Palliative medicine · Dec 2020
Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing burden from lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer are both life-limiting diseases that confer burden in the form of symptoms and affect functioning and quality of life. Comparing burden between these diseases is of interest to determine whether people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease require improved access to Specialist Palliative Care. Access should be based on needs rather than diagnosis or prognosis but is limited for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to lung cancer. ⋯ Efforts should be made to ensure that access to Specialist Palliative Care is commensurate with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease's substantial and long-lasting burden. Future research should clarify whether managing burden in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer requires different approaches.