Journal of palliative medicine
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The demand for specialist palliative medicine physicians, advanced practice providers, and other team members outstrips supply. Traditional paths to specialty practice will not meet projected need. ⋯ Barriers to leaving practice and returning to traditional training are high; not the least of which is the opportunity cost. In this roundtable, experts discuss what they have learned from current research, and point the way to additional needed research.
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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic compelled rapid transition to work from home for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine (PRIM) department to ensure social distancing and prevention of transmission. Objectives: To survey the attitudes and beliefs of personnel toward remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: One hundred forty-eight clinical, research, and administrative PRIM department employees were invited to participate in an anonymous voluntary survey in May 2020, two months after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to work from home in the geographic location of Houston, Texas. ⋯ Conclusions: The PRIM rapid transition to remote work was associated with positive perceptions by most members of the clinical, research, and administrative teams. Insight from this survey can serve as a model for future rapid transitions in remote work and merits follow-up studies to prepare us for a postpandemic work environment. Clinical Trial Registration number NCI-2021-01265.
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Central apnea is a major cause of death in neonates with trisomy 18 (T18) and is likely due to immaturity of the respiratory drive, similar to the pathological mechanism in apnea of prematurity. Although caffeine has long been used for apnea of prematurity, its use has not yet been reported for infants with T18. Here we describe an infant with T18 receiving comfort-focused care and palliative transport home. ⋯ However, immediately before transport, she developed severe central apnea, raising concern that she may not survive the transfer. Caffeine was trialed in the hopes of reducing central apnea events. Its use was successful and facilitated safe transport, allowing the patient to uneventfully transition home, where she spent several meaningful weeks with her family before her death.
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Islam is the fastest-growing religion across the world and in the United States. Adherents of Islam are known as Muslims. ⋯ This article outlines 10 basic principles held by many Muslim patients and their families that can allow for palliative care to be delivered in a culturally inclusive way. This article should serve as a point of initiation for further exploration of their needs as it is not a comprehensive guide.