Journal of palliative medicine
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Awareness of disease status has been identified as a factor in the treatment decision-making process. Women with recurrent ovarian cancer are facing the challenge of making treatment decisions throughout the disease trajectory. It is not understood how women with ovarian cancer perceive their disease and subsequently make treatment decisions. ⋯ This study revealed how 12 women conceptualized recurrent ovarian cancer as a chronic disease and their perceived inability to make treatment decisions because of lack of information and professional qualifications, resulting in enduring emotional distress. Future research should replicate the study to confirm the persistence of the themes for racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse patient samples and to improve understanding of awareness of disease status and decision-making processes of patients.
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The objective of this update, presented at the 2018 Annual Assembly of the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), is to identify, summarize, and critique a sampling of recent research that has the potential for marked impact on hospice and palliative clinical practice. ⋯ We summarize the seven articles with the highest ratings.
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Our recent research suggests that a fluctuating trajectory, previously thought to be the experience of those dying with heart failure or chronic lung disease, may not accurately characterize the end of life for these patients. ⋯ Fluctuations in mobility and self-reported health do not differ by clinical condition in the three years before death, but people dying with chronic heart failure or chronic lung disease are more frequently hospitalized during this period and experience more unstable mobility for a longer period of observation.
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Little is known about palliative care consultation (PCC) for patients with cardiogenic shock requiring short-term mechanical circulatory support (STMCS). ⋯ PCC was utilized in almost half of patients with cardiogenic shock requiring STMCS. PCC tends to occur toward the end of life regardless of the duration of STMCS. The optimal PCC timing remained unclear.
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Home-based palliative care fills a critical gap between acute care (during crises) and hospice care for seriously ill patients. As of 2018, home-based palliative care capacity in the United States has not scaled to meet patient needs. ⋯ Home-based palliative care programs will benefit from improved professional awareness of national quality standards and existing technical assistance. New prospects for alternative payment models that allow for sustainable interdisciplinary home-based care represent a promising opportunity for the field.