Patient education and counseling
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Effective smoking cessation interventions include steps often protocolised as the 4A method. This study assessed how pulmonologists address the smoking behaviour of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and analysed psychosocial differences between pulmonologists who intend to use the 4A method and those who do not intend to use it. A nationwide survey was conducted among Dutch pulmonologists (N = 320), of whom 63% responded. ⋯ Overall, pulmonologists were not convinced that the method would result in more patients quitting, and were pessimistic about their ability to use it. Pulmonologists need to be convinced of the effectiveness of the 4A method and their ability to use it. Skills training and the creation of a social environment supportive toward smoking cessation assistance are recommended.
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To assist patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in advance planning for life-threatening exacerbations, we developed a structured decision aid that describes the process, risks, and outcomes of intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV). Thirty-three patients with severe COPD took part in a before-after evaluation study. At baseline, only two participants (6%) reported that they had already made an advance decision about MV. ⋯ Qualitatively, participants who would accept MV emphasized their wish to prolong life, whereas those who would forego MV were more influenced by the burdens of treatment and the perception of a poor long-term outcome. However, there was evidence that 24% of participants did not completely comprehend the decision aid and 27% found the experience to be stressful. These findings indicate that a decision aid for MV helps patients plan for life-threatening exacerbations, and may be a useful adjunct to counseling for some patients with severe COPD.
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The development of palliative care is increasing the interest in the moral problems that arise in the practice of palliative care. It is not clear how caregivers deal with these moral problems. In this article, we focus on the decision whether to continue treatment or to withhold it, and discuss the way caregivers deal with this question amongst themselves and in communication or consultation with the patient. We look at moral deliberation, the process of identifying the crucial arguments for this decision in palliative care.
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One of the essential issues in nurses' daily work is interaction with patients, patients' families, and co-workers. However, in the Spanish academic programs for Nursing Schools, social interaction skills do not receive adequate attention and nurses often report communication problems. In order to diminish these difficulties and to train nursing staff to better manage interaction, an intensive counseling training program was designed and implemented in a General University Hospital. ⋯ According to the results, we can maintain the hypothesis that the counseling training program reduces perceived interaction difficulties in nursing staff. Consequently, we can expect a further improvement in the interaction performance with patients and their families after the training. These findings suggest that counseling training has to be taken into account to improve quality of care in health care providers, and it may also help to prevent professional burnout by increasing competence level at minimum personal cost.
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Comparative Study
The Cancode interaction analysis system in the oncological setting: reliability and validity of video and audio tape coding.
Cancode is a computerized interaction analysis system developed for cancer consultations. This paper assesses its reliability and validity, and compares the use of audio versus video tape; by assessing 30 consultations between an actor and 10 oncologists. Weighted Kappa inter- and intra-rater scores ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 and 0.58-1.0, respectively, and use of video tape did not alter verbal coding. ⋯ Inter-doctor variation was noted for 'verbal support' (P = 0.000) and 'Relaxation' (P = 0.000). 'Responsiveness' was negatively correlated with 'verbal support' (-0.58) and 'verbal control' (-0.65). Cancode is reliable, valid and sensitive to doctors behavioral changes. For a more passive patient, the doctor may switch from a 'cure' to 'care' oriented consult, responding to psycho-social instead of informational needs.