Journal of palliative medicine
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Background: Clinical hypnosis appears to hold some promising effects for patients at end-of-life. Patients and health care professionals (HPs) are inclined to adopt the practice. Yet, the experience of hypnosis in this context remains under-researched. ⋯ Conclusions: The practice of hypnosis is very diverse and constrained by resources and limitations in institutional support. Patients and relatives identified that hypnosis had a positive impact to enable them to recognize and mobilize their personal resources toward greater self-empowerment. Our findings suggest that hypnosis might hold a real potential for patients and their relatives, thus warranting further study of its effects in palliative care.
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Background: Tele-assisted home-based palliative care (THPC) usually fulfills the desire of terminal patients to pass away at home. The overall costs of such a service deserve evaluation. Objectives: This study aims to determine health care utilization and costs for cancer patients at the end of life, stratified by THPC service. ⋯ Results: In comparison with patients without THPC, those who received THPC had a 50% lower likelihood of visiting the ED or being hospitalized, a more than 90% reduced chance of ICU admission, but were four times more likely to obtain their medicines from outpatient clinics. THPC patients had similar out-of-pocket expenditures, approximately half of the NHI costs, and lower rates and costs for ambulance transportation to the ED. Conclusions: THPC reduced health care costs for terminal cancer patients in the last week, the last two weeks, and the last month before death, while also increasing the likelihood of patients being able to rest and pass away at home.