Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Inpatient palliative care for patients with acute heart failure: outcomes from a randomized trial.
Heart failure (HF) is associated with a high symptom burden and reduced quality of life (QOL). Models integrating palliative care (PC) into HF care have been proposed, but limited research is available on the outcomes of such models. ⋯ An inpatient PC model for patients with acute HF is associated with short-term improvement in symptom burden, QOL, and depressive symptoms.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Communication intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit: can it backfire?
For parents of a critically ill infant, good communication may help alleviate stress and anxiety. To improve communication, physicians must be responsive to families' needs and values surrounding the care of their hospitalized infant. ⋯ In this pilot study, we found that families in the intervention group were less satisfied with communication. Families who are primed to expect better communication, such as those participating in a communication intervention, may be less satisfied with standard care.