Journal of palliative medicine
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Background: Goals of care (GOC) conversations are critical to advance care planning but occur infrequently in nephrology. National workshops have improved trainee comfort with initiating GOC conversations but lack interface with palliative subspecialists and can incur travel-related costs. We developed an educational intervention focused on GOC conversations for nephrology trainees that incorporated into routine schedules and offered feedback from palliative subspecialists. ⋯ Conclusions: Prior knowledge of, exposure to, and attitudes toward advance care planning were key determinants of a nephrology trainees' ability to initiate timely GOC conversations. After our intervention, trainees reported increased comfort with and likelihood to initiate GOC conversations and an improved ability to identify appropriate candidates. Our intervention may be a novel, feasible way to coach nephrologists to initiate timely GOC conversations.
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Evidence-based advocacy within the United Nations system for integration of palliative care into primary health care is essential to inspire and nurture the political will necessary to support the development and funding of national palliative care policy. National policy is, in turn, essential to underwrite clinical delivery that leaves no patient behind. Although International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) has engaged in advocacy since its inception, the board decision to prioritize advocacy as part of the organization's strategic plan has taken it to a more formal level. This piece summarizes the content of the basic advocacy course released for IAHPC members, defines palliative care and advocacy, distinguishes advocacy from lobbying, discusses how an international organization such as the IAHPC advocates for palliative care at the global level, and clarifies the vital feedback loop between advocacy and clinical practice.
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Background: Aggressive care at the end of life (EOL) is a persistent issue for patients with stage IV nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We evaluated the use of concurrent care (CC) with hospice care and cancer-directed treatment simultaneously within the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) and aggressive care at the EOL. Objective: To determine whether VHA facility-level CC is associated with changes in aggressive care at the EOL. ⋯ Overall, hospice care significantly increased and aggressive care at EOL decreased over the study period. However, facility-level CC adoption was not associated with any difference in aggressive care at EOL (adjusted odds ratio high CC vs. low CC: 0.91 [95% CI, 0.79 to 1.05], p = 0.21). Conclusions: Although the VHA adoption of CC increased hospice use among patients with NSCLC, additional measures may be needed to decrease aggressive care at the EOL.
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Introduction: Custody concerns are a major source of psychosocial distress among single parents with life-limiting illness. Although children are increasingly living in diverse household structures, the current health care system is not designed to meet the unique needs of single parents or nontraditional families. Patients with unaddressed custody concerns can experience psychological suffering during treatment and at the end of life. ⋯ She experienced immense distress at the end of her life due to an unresolved custody plan. Discussion: This case demonstrates the need for addressing custody and guardianship concerns with seriously ill patients early in the illness trajectory. While clinicians need not become experts on custody and guardianship themselves, understanding the impact of custody concerns-and the barriers to their resolution-can substantially improve end-of-life care for patients and better equip surviving family for the changes that lie ahead.