JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Multicenter Study
Factors influencing families' consent for donation of solid organs for transplantation.
Transplantation has become the therapy of choice for patients with organ failure. However, the low rate of consent by families of donor-eligible patients is a major limiting factor in the success of organ transplantation. ⋯ Public education is needed to modify attitudes about organ donation prior to a donation opportunity. Specific steps can be taken by HCPs and OPO staff to maximize the opportunity to persuade families to donate their relatives' organs.
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Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries. In such low-resource settings, cytology-based screening is difficult to implement, and less complex strategies may offer additional options. ⋯ Cervical cancer screening strategies that incorporate DVI or HPV DNA testing and eliminate colposcopy may offer attractive alternatives to cytology-based screening programs in low-resource settings.
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Most deaths in the United States occur among older persons who have 1 or more disabling conditions. As a result, many deaths are preceded by an extended period during which family members provide care to their disabled relative. ⋯ These data indicate that the impact of losing one's spouse among older persons varies as a function of the caregiving experiences that precede the death. Among individuals who are already strained prior to the death of their spouse, the death itself does not increase their level of distress. Instead, they show reductions in health risk behaviors. Among noncaregivers, losing one's spouse results in increased depression and weight loss.