Patient education and counseling
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To describe the form and content of ethics policies on euthanasia in Flemish hospitals and the possible influence of religious affiliation on policy content. ⋯ Euthanasia policies provide tangible guidance for physicians and nurses on handling euthanasia requests.
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This paper describes the development of a physical training programme for cancer patients. Four related but conceptually and empirically distinct physical problems are described: decreased aerobic capacity, decreased muscle strength, fatigue and impaired role physical functioning. The study aimed to identify the optimal content for an exercise programme that addresses these four physical problems, based on the highest level of evidence available. The study further aimed to review the evidence available on the delivery of the programmes. The final goal was to develop a programme in which content and delivery are based on the best available evidence. ⋯ The resulting programme was developed on the basis of the highest quality of evidence available regarding content and delivery. The content is based on information obtained from the present review, and on the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine. Potential advantages of the programme include: (a) tailored physical training towards focusing on the patient's established problems and (b) delivery of the training as a self-management programme that might have beneficial effects on health outcome, exercise adherence and a long-term physically active lifestyle.
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Review
Rituals of verification: the role of simulation in developing and evaluating empathic communication.
The use of simulation and standardized patients in medical education is firmly established. In this "point-counterpoint" format we debate not their important function but the extent to which they are used to establish "evidence" for trainees' empathic communication skills beyond their surface manifestations. We also question such issues as the power dynamics implicit in simulation when patients are not really worried or dependent but rather students who are under the evaluative surveillance gaze, often relying on formulaic and superficial behaviors associated with good communication. We offer educative experiences in narrative domains as opportunities to develop the habits of thinking and authentic feeling often absent in evaluative-based simulations.
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Comparative Study
Physician-patient and pharmacist-patient communication: geriatrics' perceptions and opinions.
Earlier research examined the perceptions of the pharmacist-patient relationship quality using data from a systematic random sample of non-institutionalized elderly in the United States. The purposes of this study were to determine: (1) how the findings of this study, conducted in a culturally diverse urban area in Queens, New York, compare with the earlier study; (2) how community-dwelling elderly patients in a metropolitan area perceive their relationship with the pharmacist compared to the physician; and (3) the extent to which their perceived relationship quality predicts medication-related knowledge, medication-related outcomes, and self-efficacy for medication management. ⋯ Further research is needed to examine ways to improve pharmacist-patient interactions and, therefore, patients' perceptions of pharmacists.
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To evaluate the effect of a media campaign on popular beliefs about LBP, and eventual changes in sick leave, imaging examinations, and surgery. ⋯ A media campaign on LBP should not be limited to small areas and low-budget. A much larger investment is needed for a media campaign to have sufficient impact on public's beliefs on LBP to lead to altered sickness behaviour.