Articles: palliative-care.
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Support Care Cancer · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialPhysician endorsement alone may not enhance question-asking by advanced cancer patients during consultations about palliative care.
This study aimed to explore the effect of physician endorsement of question-asking on advanced cancer patients' question-asking behaviour during consultations about palliative care and to explore other potential predictors of patient question-asking. ⋯ Physician endorsement of question-asking alone does not appear to increase questions by advanced cancer patients during consultations about PC. Additional resources such as QPLs may be needed to facilitate patient question-asking.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialFeasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of Dignity Therapy for older people in care homes: a phase II randomized controlled trial of a brief palliative care psychotherapy.
A pilot study of Dignity Therapy conducted with hospice patients reported high levels of self-reported benefits of the psychotherapy. ⋯ Although Dignity Therapy took longer to deliver than expected, this intervention may be a way of enhancing the end-of-life experiences of residents.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialExperiences with advanced cancer among Latinas in a public health care system.
Cultural dimensions related to illness are triggered at significant times in an illness trajectory, such as at illness onset or when death approaches. These factors influence views on how illness is understood and managed, which is likely more difficult for minority populations. Although Latinos experience barriers to high-quality health care, late-stage cancer diagnoses, and poor health outcomes, little is known about their experiences with advanced, life-threatening cancers. ⋯ Providers need to become culturally sensitive to the needs of underserved Latinas. Denial or ignorance of these issues can create other problems, such as gaps in patient-centered decision making from diagnosis through the end of life.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Depression and survival in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: effects of early palliative care.
In a randomized trial, early palliative care (EPC) in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was observed to improve survival. In a secondary analysis, we explored the hypothesis that the survival benefit resulted from improving depression. ⋯ Depression predicted worse survival in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic NSCLC. Although EPC was associated with greater improvement in depression at 12 weeks, the data do not support the hypothesis that treatment of depression mediated the observed survival benefit from EPC.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialA brief guided self-help intervention for psychological distress in palliative care patients: a randomised controlled trial.
Previous findings implicated rumination (recurrent dwelling on abstract concerns) in elevated psychological distress in palliative patients. We hypothesised that reducing rumination may be important in addressing psychological distress in palliative care. ⋯ The findings suggest that a brief guided self-help intervention based on concreteness training can be effective in addressing anxiety in palliative care.