Articles: palliative-care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2022
ReviewBarriers to palliative care access in patients with intellectual disability: a scoping review.
There is limited knowledge about inequalities regarding palliative care access among patients with intellectual disability. The present scoping review aimed to identify the existing barriers that limit access to palliative care (PC) in patients with intellectual disability. ⋯ Patients with intellectual disability do not get referred to PC frequently. Health professionals and caregivers do not recognize when it is necessary to make a referral, and they need to improve their communication abilities. Also, health care workers need more training in PC, pain management, anticipation of death, and use of opioids. More research and education on the palliative care needs and care for patients with intellectual disabilities is needed.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
ReviewFactors associated with hospitalisations of patients with chronic heart failure approaching the end of life: A systematic review.
Heart failure has high mortality and is linked to substantial burden for patients, carers and health care systems. Patients with chronic heart failure frequently experience recurrent hospitalisations peaking at the end of life, but most prefer to avoid hospital. The drivers of hospitalisations are not well understood. ⋯ Efforts to integrate hospice and specialist palliative services into care may reduce avoidable hospitalisations in advanced heart failure. Inequalities in end-of-life care in terms of race/ethnicity should be addressed. Further research should investigate the causality of the relationships identified here.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
Why patients in specialist palliative care in-patient settings are at high risk of falls and falls-related harm: A realist synthesis.
Falls are the third highest reported safety incident in Specialist Palliative Care in-patient settings and yet specific risk factors connected with falling and associated outcomes in this setting are poorly understood. ⋯ In-patients in specialist palliative care settings are at risk of falling and this is multifactorial with complex reasoning mechanisms underpinning the identified risks. There is a significant impact of a fall in this cohort of patients with many sustaining serious harm, delayed discharge and both physical and psychological impacts.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Multicenter StudyA multi-centre study on patients dying from COVID-19: Communication Between Clinicians, Patients, and their Families.
COVID-19 has led to challenges in providing effective and timely communication in healthcare. Services have been required to adapt and evolve as successful communication remains core to high-quality patient-centred care. ⋯ This study is one of the first and largest Australian reports on how communication occurs at the end of life for patients dying of COVID-19. Contact rates were relatively low between patients and families, compared with other cohorts dying from non-COVID-19 related causes. The impact of this difference on bereavement outcomes requires surveillance and attention.
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All nurses should receive training and education regarding pain as part of their pre-graduate stage, as its assessment and appropriate management when treating patients largely depends on them. With the right knowledge it is possible to reduce its high prevalence, as well as the serious consequences it can lead to. ⋯ Specific training in palliative care improves the students' knowledge regarding pain, although the results did not reach an acceptable minimum. The universities' training programs for Spanish students need to be adapted in order to achieve better results.