Journal of palliative medicine
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Multicenter Study
A Novel Palliative Care Approach Using Virtual Reality for Improving Various Symptoms of Terminal Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Prospective, Multicenter Study.
Background: Some terminal cancer patients wish to "go to a memorable place" or "return home." However, owing to various symptom burdens and physical dysfunction, these wishes are difficult for them to realize. Objective: The aim of the study is to verify whether simulated travel using virtual reality (VR travel) is efficacious in improving symptoms in terminal cancer patients. Design: This is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study. Setting/Subjects: Twenty participants with terminal cancer were recruited from two palliative care wards; data were collected from November 2017 to April 2018. Measurements: The VR software Google Earth VR® was used. The primary endpoint was the change in the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System scores for each symptom before and after VR travel. Results: The average age of the participants was 72.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 11.9) years. Significant improvements were observed for pain (2.35, SD = 2.25 vs. 1.15, SD = 2.03, p = 0.005), tiredness (2.90, SD = 2.71 vs. 1.35, SD = 1.90, p = 0.004), drowsiness (2.70, SD = 2.87 vs. 1.35, SD = 2.30, p = 0.012), shortness of breath (1.74, SD = 2.73 vs. 0.35, SD = 0.99, p = 0.022), depression (2.45, SD = 2.63 vs. 0.40, SD = 0.82, p = 0.001), anxiety (2.60, SD = 2.64 vs. 0.80, SD = 1.51, p < 0.001), and well-being (4.50, SD = 2.78 vs. 2.20, SD = 1.99, p < 0.001; pre- vs. post-VR travel score, respectively). No participants complained of serious side effects. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that VR travel can be efficacious and safe for terminal cancer patients for improving symptom burden.
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Background: Improving quality of life (QOL) is important in cancer palliative care (PC) patients. "Spiritual pain" (SP) is common in this population, but it is unknown how it affects QOL. Objective: To study the associations between SP and QOL in cancer patients in PC. Design: Cross-sectional. Settings/Subjects: Cancer patients assessed at a PC clinic in Puente Alto, Chile, were enrolled in a longitudinal study to characterize patients' end of life. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18, a primary caregiver, not having delirium, and a Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≤80. Measurements: After consenting patients completed baseline surveys that included demographics, single-item questions to assess SP (0-10), financial distress, spirituality-related variables and questionnaires to assess QOL (0-100), and physical (Global distress score-physical) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), baseline data analyses to explore associations between SP and QOL were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Two hundred and eight patients were enrolled: mean age was 64, 50% were female, and 67% had SP. In univariate analysis, SP was significantly associated with lower QOL (coefficient [95% confidence interval]: -1.88 [-2.93 to -0.84], p < 0.001). ⋯ In the multivariate analysis, QOL remained independently associated with SP (-1.25 [-2.35; to -0.15], p < 0.026), religious coping (11.74 [1.09 to 22.38], p < 0.031), and physical distress (-0.52 [-0.89 to -0.16], p < 0.005). Conclusions: SP is associated with QOL in cancer patients in PC. SP should be regularly assessed to plan for interventions that could impact QOL. More research is needed.
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Background: There is no established method to objectively predict short-term prognosis. Recently, we proposed objective, short-term, prognostic predictive methods that are combinations of laboratory test items: WPCBAL score, derived from six values (white blood cell, platelet, C-reactive protein, blood urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase). ⋯ WPCBAL score predicting two-week prognosis showed greater AUROC than GPS predicting three-week prognosis (0.7491 and 0.6573, respectively). Conclusion: WPCBAL score was verified to objectively predict the two- or three-week prognosis for terminal cancer patients in a palliative care unit. WPCBAL score may be a new option for prognostic prediction for terminal cancer patients.
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Review
Perceptions of a Good Death in Children with Life-Shortening Conditions: An Integrative Review.
Background: For children with life-shortening illness, achieving a "good death" can be a tacit goal. There is little understanding of how different stakeholders perceive what a "good death" might be. Objective: To review empirical literature to construct an understanding of a "good death" for children with life-shortening conditions. Design: An integrative review approach was followed. ⋯ Framed using a health care system perspective, a concept map that interprets a good death in children with life-shortening conditions is represented. Conclusions: A single yet holistic understanding of a good death experienced in the "real world" is suggested. Pediatric health and social care providers, and even policy makers, can use this new understanding to conceive alternative approaches to enhance support to dying children and their families.
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Background: Although the fragmentation of end-of-life care has been well documented, previous research has not examined racial and ethnic differences in transitions in care and hospice use at the end of life. Design and Subjects: Retrospective cohort study among 649,477 Medicare beneficiaries who died between July 2011 and December 2011. Measurements: Sankey diagrams and heatmaps to visualize the health care transitions across race/ethnic groups. ⋯ Nonwhite patients were significantly more likely than white patients to experience hospice disenrollment. Conclusions: Racial/ethnic differences in patterns of end-of-life care are marked. Future studies to understand why such patterns exist are warranted.