Journal of palliative medicine
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Hospice provides intensive end-of-life care to patients and their families delivered by an interdisciplinary team of nurses, aides, chaplains, social workers, and physicians. Significant gaps remain about how team members respond to diverse needs of patients and families, especially in the last week of life. ⋯ This study provides important information to help hospices align the interdisciplinary team configuration with the timing of team member visits, to better meet the needs of the patients and families they serve.
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The high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients with cancer can be explained by reasons such as growing scientific evidence and improved regulation. However, subjective considerations are also relevant for practicing CAM and perceiving its effectiveness. The current study aimed at qualitatively estimating patients' prior beliefs and expectations, as well as their level of satisfaction after the treatment. ⋯ CAM sessions encouraged emotional and relational aspects in patients' perspectives, which may be highly relevant for their coping process. Encouraging personal motives may increase treatment efficacy and ensure optimal use of health care resources.
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Irrreversible interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Palliative care needs of patients and caregivers are not routinely assessed; there is no tool to identify needs and triage support in clinical practice. ⋯ The NAT:PD-ILD appears to have face and content validity. The inclusion of the family caregiver in the consultation as someone with their own needs as well as a source of information was welcomed. Reliability testing and construct validation of the tool are ongoing.
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Our goal was to investigate the association between actual place of death among Japanese home end-of-life care patients with advanced cancer and individual, illness, and environmental factors, including the presence or absence of symptoms. ⋯ To alleviate pain and dyspnea among home end-of-life care patients, development of both a rapid admission system to a hospital/hospice/care facility in the community and specialist-level palliative care at home is needed.