Journal of palliative medicine
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There is good evidence for the efficacy of inpatient palliative care in improving clinical care, patient and provider satisfaction, quality of life, and health care utilization. However, the evidence for the efficacy of nonhospice outpatient palliative care is less well known and has not been comprehensively reviewed. ⋯ The available evidence supports the ongoing expansion of innovative outpatient palliative care service models throughout the care continuum to all patients with serious illness.
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Little is known about the determining factors related to the administration of continuous palliative sedation. Knowledge of these determinants may assist physicians in identifying patients who are at high risk of developing refractory symptoms, enable physicians to inform patients, and optimize close monitoring. ⋯ Given the variation in study designs and the limitations of the included studies, the outcomes should be interpreted carefully. Further research is needed, particularly regarding factors that can be influenced and that may alter the course of a patient's symptoms and the patient's eventual need for palliative sedation.
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Review
Information needs of family carers of people with diabetes at the end of life: a literature review.
Recent research identified the issue that family carers of people with diabetes at the end of life (EOL) did not receive sufficient information to enable them to help their relative manage their diabetes at the EOL. ⋯ The review suggests further research is needed to identify the information needs of family carers of people with diabetes at the EOL to enable interventions to be developed to support the family carers and meet their unique information needs.
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Patients receiving hospice or palliative care often receive antimicrobial therapy; however the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy for symptom management in these patients is unknown. ⋯ Limited data are available on the use of antimicrobial therapy for symptom management among patients receiving palliative or hospice care. Future studies should systematically measure symptom response and control for important confounders to provide useful data to guide antimicrobial use in this population.