Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2007
The impact of symptoms, coping capacity, and social support on quality of life experience over time in patients with lung cancer.
The aims of the study were to investigate lung cancer patients' quality of life (QoL) over time in a palliative setting and to determine how QoL is influenced by symptoms, coping capacity, and social support. One hundred and five consecutive patients with incurable lung cancer were included. A comprehensive set of questionnaires was used at baseline, including the Assessment of Quality of Life at the End of Life, Cancer Dyspnea Scale, Visual Analog Scale of Dyspnea, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, and Social Support Survey, of which the first four were used also at three, six, nine, and 12 months. ⋯ Performance status, anxiety, depression, components of dyspnea, pain, and the meaningfulness component of coping capacity correlated with global QoL at all, or all but one follow-up measurements. In a multivariate analysis with global QoL as the dependent variable, depression was a significant predictor at four out of five assessments, whereas coping capacity, anxiety, performance status, pain, and social support entered the model at one or two assessments. Emotional distress and coping capacity influence QoL and might be targets for intervention in palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2007
Overcoming barriers to cancer pain management: an institutional change model.
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Pain Guidelines of 1994 recognized pain as a critical symptom that impacts quality of life (QOL). The barriers to optimum pain relief were classified into three categories: patient, professional, and system barriers. A prospective, longitudinal clinical trial is underway to test the effects of the "Passport to Comfort" innovative intervention on pain and fatigue management. ⋯ Lack of referrals to supportive care services for patients was also noted. Several well-described patient, professional, and system barriers continue to hinder efforts to provide optimal pain relief. Phase II of this initiative will attempt to eliminate these barriers using the "Passport" intervention to manage cancer pain.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2007
Clinical TrialManaging the symptoms of neuropathic pain: an exploration of patients' experiences.
The debilitating effects of chronic neuropathic pain on everyday life are considerable, but little is known about how individual sufferers manage these effects. Virtually nothing is known about what patients prefer, what measures they take themselves and when, or in what combinations. The aim of this study was to explore patients' reports of how they managed their neuropathic pain symptoms. ⋯ Some had tried to accept their pain, but there was insufficient psychological, social, emotional, and practical support to allow them to do this successfully. This exploratory study provides a basis from which to develop a larger study to validate and extend the findings. Other issues meriting research are the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies for those with neuropathic pain, and an exploration and subsequent evaluation of different types of social, practical, and emotional support needed to help live with neuropathic pain.