Journal of pain and symptom management
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Efforts to improve care for nursing home residents stand to be enhanced by measures to assess the degree to which staff provide palliative care. As the incidence of death in nursing homes increases with the aging population, the gap in measurement must be addressed. To that end, we report the development and psychometric testing of a nursing home palliative care survey. ⋯ The PCS measures the extent to which the nursing home staff engage in palliative care practices and have knowledge consistent with good end-of-life care. Both practice and knowledge are an essential foundation to providing good end-of-life care to nursing home residents. Efforts to improve care for the dying in nursing homes have been slowed by an absence of measurement tools that capture care processes, a gap that the PCS reported here helps fill.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2011
Methylnaltrexone in the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in cancer patients receiving palliative care: willingness-to-pay and cost-benefit analysis.
When laxative regimens have failed, methylnaltrexone may be indicated for the relief of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with advanced illness receiving palliative care. ⋯ The present CBA provides pharmacoeconomic evidence for the adoption of methylnaltrexone for treating OIC in terminally ill cancer patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2011
Either called "chemobrain" or "chemofog," the long-term chemotherapy-induced cognitive decline in cancer survivors is real.
In recent years, there is growing evidence in the medical literature to support an association between administration of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents and an increased risk for cognitive impairment. ⋯ Either called "chemobrain" or "chemofog," the long-term CICI in cancer survivors is real. The need for multidisciplinary care interventions toward a timely diagnosis and management of CICI is clearly warranted.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2011
Coping profiles common to older African American cancer survivors: relationships with quality of life.
Cancer survivors use distinct sets of coping behaviors that vary in their associations with psychological health and quality of life. However, existing research has largely focused on Caucasian and middle-class subjects. ⋯ The findings from this study lend support for examining coping profiles and health outcomes among African American cancer survivors. This research also suggests that these profiles vary on cultural factors. This information should prove useful to researchers as they develop culturally appropriate interventions for this underserved population.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2011
Aggressive end-of-life care significantly influenced propensity for hospice enrollment within the last three days of life for Taiwanese cancer decedents.
Late hospice enrollment exacts a substantial toll from patients, families, hospices, and society. The relationship between the propensity for late hospice enrollment and aggressive health services received at the end of life (EOL) has been underinvestigated. ⋯ Aggressive EOL care played a more significant role than patient, physician, or hospital characteristics in determining the propensity of Taiwanese cancer patients to be enrolled in hospice care within their last three days of life. Clinical and health policies should aim to avoid aggressive care when it will not benefit patients but may preclude timely hospice enrollment.