Articles: palliative-care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
ReviewHow is Telehealth Used to Increase Access to Specialty Palliative Care? A Systematic Review.
Specialty palliative care remains inaccessible for many with serious illness, especially in rural areas. Telehealth may be one solution. ⋯ While telehealth is widely used to increase access to specialty palliative care, more evidence is needed to evaluate effectiveness. Further research is needed to understand how to overcome barriers prominent in rural settings and to optimize integration of multiple modalities of telehealth in specialty palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in the Last Year of Life: The COMPASS Cancer Cohort Study.
There has been growing interest in the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as part of end-of-life care. ⋯ A significant proportion of terminal cancer patients reported using CAM as a complementary treatment in the last year of life.
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Background: Palliative care (PC) in rural aged care facilities faces significant challenges, including late referrals and insufficient staff training, leading to a risk of suboptimal end-of-life care. Objectives: The aim of the project was to develop and implement an evidence-based Palliative Care Assessment Toolkit (PCAT) to improve PC in rural aged care facilities and evaluate its impact on care delivery and staff practices. Design: The study employed a mixed-methods design across three phases: codesign of the toolkit, implementation, and evaluation (using pre- and post-data). ⋯ Staff feedback indicated increased confidence in delivering PC. Conclusions: The PCAT improved the delivery of PC in rural aged care settings, enhancing both resident outcomes and staff practices. Further research is recommended to validate these findings across various settings and to explore the long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness of such interventions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Case ReportsCOMPLIMENTARY ROLE OF COMPREHENSIVE PALLIATIVE CARE TREATMENT TO INTRATHECAL THERAPY: CASE REPORT.
Intrathecal therapy with implanted devices is often reported in some recommendations.for the management of difficult cancer pain However, data is often biased by optimistic view and poor assessment. We report a case of patient in which a comprehensive and complex palliative care treatment was effective in managing a patient who was implanted a subcutaneous port for intrathecal analgesia This patient had many characteristics of a difficult pain, really defined as refractory due to various negative prognostic pain factors, such as neuropathic pain and psychological distress.. ⋯ Terms such as intractable or refractory pain, have been ambiguously used in literature to select patients as candidates for implated pumps. A meaningful evaluation and a comprehensive treatment should be mandatory when using intrathecal anlgesia in patients with very difficult pain conditions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Recommendations for psychosocial support for long-distance caregivers of terminally ill patients.
The provision of appropriate psychosocial support has a significant impact on quality of life for informal caregivers of terminally ill patients. Long-distance caregivers have specific wishes and needs for psychosocial support. ⋯ The consensus-based recommendations represent the first empirically grounded guidelines in Germany aimed at addressing the psychosocial needs of long-distance caregivers of terminally ill patients. The recommendations seek to raise awareness among both professional and voluntary workers regarding the specific support requirements of this understudied population.