Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2010
Psychological well-being and quality of care: a factor-analytic examination of the palliative care outcome scale.
The Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) is a widely used outcome measure in palliative care research, and has good psychometric properties. It has been used for clinical or research purposes in specialist cancer centers, nursing homes, day hospice units, and hospice settings in a growing number of countries. However, the POS has not yet been examined using factor analysis. ⋯ The POS appears to capture two factors, psychological status and quality of care, and to have three items that function independently (family anxiety, symptoms, and pain control). Our findings suggest that future evaluations of palliative care services should include assessment not only of symptoms and well-being or quality of life, but also of quality of care, and that unidimensional measures will not capture all relevant aspects in palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2010
Integrating palliative care into HIV outpatient clinical settings: preliminary findings from an intervention study in Vietnam.
Symptom assessment and treatment for people living with HIV (PLHIV) cannot only lead to improvements in quality of life but contribute to combination antiretroviral adherence and early detection of virologic rebound. The majority of PLHIV in Vietnam receive their care in HIV outpatient settings, whereas very few clinics provide palliative care. The Ministry of Health has called for palliative care to be incorporated into existing HIV and cancer services, but there is limited guidance regarding how to operationalize integration. ⋯ The palliative care intervention included introduction of tools and mentoring to assess and treat pain and other symptoms as well as mental health and social support screening, counseling, and treatment services. The intervention resulted in significant changes in provider practice and service delivery. Providers and patients reported overall satisfaction with the intervention and resulting improvements in quality of care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2010
Palliative care in correctional centers-HPCA making progress in South Africa.
In KwaZulu Natal (KZN), the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA) has made a significant start in terms of addressing the palliative care needs of prisoners. A formal partnership has been established between the KZN Department of Correctional Services and the HPCA that allows staff at two correctional facilities to be mentored and equipped to provide palliative care to offenders. This pilot project has the potential for rollout at other facilities across the country. It is hoped that this vulnerable population group will be better able to access palliative care, which is a basic human right, for life-threatening and terminal conditions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2010
Integrating palliative care into the outpatient, private practice oncology setting.
Quality care for patients with cancer is a national priority-for those with noncurable cancer, the stakes are even higher. Strategies to promote integration of palliative care into oncology practice may enhance quality. We have developed a model in which palliative care services are integrated into the private, office-based oncology practice setting. We have evaluated the feasibility and assessed outcomes for both the oncologists and the patients they serve. To our knowledge, an embedded clinic in an outpatient, private practice oncology clinic has not been described previously. ⋯ An embedded palliative care clinic integrated into an office-based oncology practice is feasible and may improve the quality of care. Formal study of this service delivery model is warranted.