Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2023
The intentional pursuit of everyday life while dying: A longitudinal qualitative study of working-aged adults living with advanced cancer.
People living with advanced cancer experience functional decline and increasing difficulty participating in activities of daily living over their final year of life, consequently reducing quality of life. Palliative rehabilitation may serve to mitigate some of these challenges by optimising function. However, limited research and theory explore the rehabilitative process of adaptation amid increasing dependency, often experienced by people living with advanced cancer. ⋯ Despite experiencing disruption to routines and daily life, people living with advanced cancer seek to continue doing what is important to them, albeit in a modified form. Adaptation to functional decline is an active, ongoing process and occurs through continued engagement in activities. Palliative rehabilitation can facilitate participation in everyday life.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2023
ReviewAn evidence-base for the implementation of hospital-based palliative care programs in routine cancer practice: A systematic review.
Despite global support, there remain gaps in the integration of early palliative care into cancer care. The methods of implementation whereby evidence of benefits of palliative care is translated into practice deserve attention. ⋯ Implementation science frameworks provide a method to underpin programme development and evaluation as palliative care is integrated within the oncology setting.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2023
Hospital-service use in the last year of life by patients aged ⩾60 years who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy: A retrospective linked data study.
Understanding patterns of health care use in the last year of life is critical in health services planning. ⋯ In this study, patients who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy were predominantly aged ⩾80 years and over half died in hospital. These patients experienced repeat acute hospitalisations in the year preceding death. Improving timely access to palliative care services in the outpatient or community setting is needed for patients with heart failure.
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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 · Jan 2024
Multicenter StudyCOVID-19 in pediatric palliative care patients: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study.
Studies have shown the risk factors for COVID-19 severity in children, including comorbidities, but information on the infection course in children with life-limiting conditions is sparse. ⋯ In the study population initial presentation of COVID-19 was predominantly a mild; however, the small sample size precluded definitive conclusions. For children under palliative care, we should identify if they have an advance care plan for COVID-19, such as desires for intensive care support. Further studies are needed to define the short and long-term effects of COVID-19 in children with life-limiting conditions.