Journal of palliative medicine
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The development of palliative care in Peru remains limited, particularly for nononcological services, such as neurology. The goal of this study was to explore attitudes toward and knowledge about palliative and end-of-life care among patients, families, nurses, and doctors in a specialized neurological institute in Lima, Peru. ⋯ Our study highlights opportunities to enhance palliative care and communication education for neurology providers and the public in Peru, a country that currently has no palliative care training program and no legal basis for advance directives.
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To promote better care at the end stage of life in long-term care facilities, a culturally appropriate tool for identifying residents at the end of life is crucial. ⋯ The IRD scale is a promising tool for identifying nursing home residents at increased risk of death. We recommend the tool to be incorporated into the care protocol of long-term care facilities in Hong Kong.
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Approximately half of decedents in Ontario, Canada, receive some palliative care, but little is known about the influence of language on the nature of these services. ⋯ There are statistically significant differences in end-of-life outcomes between linguistic groups in Ontario, namely more institutionalization in long-term care, less home care use and more deaths in-hospital among Francophones (adjusted). Future research is needed to examine the cause of these differences. Strategies to ensure equitable access to quality end-of-life care are required.
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Comparative Study
A Retrospective Analysis of Pain Burden in Hospitalized Young Adult Cancer Patients Compared with Their Older Adult Counterpart.
Research shows an increased symptom burden in young adult (YA) cancer patients compared with their older adult counterpart. ⋯ Findings show increased opioid requirements and PCA use in YAs being treated for malignancy compared with their older adult counterpart.
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Anticipatory medications (AM) have been widely used in various settings across many countries in people approaching end of life. Access to palliative care in rural and remote areas of Australia is lacking as are other medical services when compared with the metropolitan setting. Our aim is to identify challenges with the administration and access to AM in rural and remote communities with outcomes to guide improved delivery of care. ⋯ Provision of timely AM has the potential to improve the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. Key barriers to access AM can be overcome with community-level planning and nurses' education. Advanced nurses' roles have the opportunity to provide specialized care where access to specialist physicians is challenging.