Palliative & supportive care
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Palliat Support Care · Sep 2006
The impact of a breathlessness intervention service (BIS) on the lives of patients with intractable dyspnea: a qualitative phase 1 study.
Disabling breathlessness is the most common symptom of advanced cardiopulmonary disease. It is usually intractable, even when patients receive maximal medical therapy for their underlying condition. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate a newly formed palliative Breathlessness Intervention Service (BIS). ⋯ This Phase I study has helped to remodel the service rapidly by uncovering the aspects of BIS that users find most valuable and areas that need change or improvement. The BIS needs to provide written information, to reinforce and extend contacts with other agencies to build on support it already provides for patients and carers, and extend its flexibility and accessibility. Providing a "drop-in" service and continuing education after the initial program of contacts is completed could be a useful service development, warranting further evaluation. A qualitative methodology involving service users and referrers can help to shape service development rapidly.
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Palliat Support Care · Sep 2006
Attitudes toward euthanasia and physician assisted suicide: a survey among medical students, oncology clinicians, and palliative care specialists.
The aim of this study was to compare the results of surveys about attitudes toward euthanasia and related issues that was conducted among palliative care specialists, health care professionals of a cancer center, and first- and second-year medical students. ⋯ Significant variations among different professionals exist in attitudes toward euthanasia. The hypothesis that familiarity with the care of severely ill and dying patients is an important underlying factor explaining variance has been confirmed by these surveys.
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Palliat Support Care · Sep 2006
Conceptualization of psycho-existential suffering by the Japanese Task Force: the first step of a nationwide project.
Although the relief of psycho-existential or spiritual suffering is one of the most important roles of palliative care clinicians, lack of an accepted conceptual framework leads to considerable confusion in research in this field. The primary aim of this article is to illustrate the process of developing a conceptual framework by the Japanese Task Force as the initial step of a nationwide project. ⋯ A Japanese nationwide multidisciplinary group agreed on a conceptual framework to facilitate research in psycho-existential suffering in terminally ill cancer patients. This model will be revised according to continuing qualitative studies, surveys, and intervention trials.