Articles: palliative-care.
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Observational Study
Derivation and performance of an end-of-life practice score aimed at interpreting worldwide treatment-limiting decisions in the critically ill.
Limitations of life-sustaining interventions in intensive care units (ICUs) exhibit substantial changes over time, and large, contemporary variation across world regions. We sought to determine whether a weighted end-of-life practice score can explain a large, contemporary, worldwide variation in limitation decisions. ⋯ Comparison study-derived, weighted end-of-life practice score partly explained the worldwide study's variation in treatment limitations. The most important components of the weighted end-of-life practice score were ICU end-of-life protocols, palliative care consultations, and country end-of-life legislation.
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Reducing hospital admissions among people dying with dementia is a policy priority. ⋯ Multiple hospital admissions among people dying with dementia are increasing. Higher continuity of care and identification of palliative care needs are associated with a lower risk of multiple hospital admissions in this population, and might help prevent these admissions at the end of life.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
How many cancer patients need palliative care? A population-based study.
The number of cancer patients potentially amenable to palliative care is conventionally estimated from cancer deaths, as reported in the death certificates. However, a more representative population should also include cancer patients who die from causes other than cancer, as they may develop other life-limiting chronic conditions leading to terminal prognosis. ⋯ Healthcare services addressing the issue of estimating palliative care needs of cancer patients at a population level should consider that relying on the death certificate alone may lead to underestimating these needs of about 22%.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2022
Low Hospice Utilization in New York State: Comparisons Using National Data: Study of Low Hospice Utilization: National Data.
Hospice utilization in New York State (NYS) is low compared to the rest of the U.S. ⋯ NYS's low hospice utilization is independently associated with diverse factors, including those related to the health care system. Combined with information from stakeholders, these findings may help target, and inform initiatives to improve hospice utilization.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2022
ReviewILIVE Project Volunteer study. Developing international consensus for a European Core Curriculum for hospital end-of-life-care volunteer services, to train volunteers to support patients in the last weeks of life: A Delphi study.
Volunteers make a huge contribution to the health and wellbeing of the population and can improve satisfaction with care especially in the hospice setting. However, palliative and end-of-life-care volunteer services in the hospital setting are relatively uncommon. The iLIVE Volunteer Study, one of eight work-packages within the iLIVE Project, was tasked with developing a European Core Curriculum for End-of-Life-Care Volunteers in hospital. ⋯ Key items for volunteer training were agreed alongside items for implementation to embed the end-of-life-care volunteer service within the hospital. Recommendations for further research included in-depth assessment of the implementation and experiences of end-of-life-care volunteer services. The developed European Core Curriculum can be adapted to fit local cultural and organisational contexts.