Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisThe effectiveness of patient-family carer (couple) intervention for the management of symptoms and other health-related problems in people affected by cancer: a systematic literature search and narrative review.
Cancer is widely acknowledged to impact on the whole family. Yet, we do not know if there is benefit (or harm) from patient-family carer interventions in the context of cancer care. ⋯ In the trials of cancer couple interventions included in the review, a pattern emerged of improvement in the emotional health of cancer patients and their carers when the intervention included support for the patient-family carer relationship. Further investigation is warranted.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyProfessional judgments about advance care planning with community-dwelling consumers.
There is limited research on how community-based long-term care (CBLTC) providers' personal characteristics and attitudes affect their decisions to initiate advance care planning (ACP) conversations with consumers. ⋯ This study shows the lack of normative consensus about ACP and highlights the need for consistent educational programs regarding the role of the CBLTC provider in the ACP process.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyScrambler therapy may relieve chronic neuropathic pain more effectively than guideline-based drug management: results of a pilot, randomized, controlled trial.
Neuropathic pain is common, disabling, and often difficult to treat. ⋯ In this pilot randomized trial, Scrambler therapy appeared to relieve chronic neuropathic pain better than guideline-based drug management.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Multicenter StudyProviding palliative care for cancer patients: the views and exposure of community general practitioners and district nurses in Japan.
The role of general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses (DNs) is increasingly important to achieve dying at home. ⋯ Japanese GPs have little experience in caring for cancer patients dying at home, whereas DNs have more experience. To achieve quality palliative care programs for cancer patients at the regional level, educating GPs about opioids and psychiatric medications, easily available palliative care consultation services, systems to support home care technology, and coordinated systems to alleviate family burden is of importance.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Palliative care services in California hospitals: program prevalence and hospital characteristics.
In 2000, 17% of California hospitals offered palliative care (PC) services. Since then, hospital-based PC programs have become increasingly common, and preferred practices for these services have been proposed by expert consensus. ⋯ Although the number of hospital-based PC services in California has doubled since 2000, more than half of the acute care hospitals still do not provide PC services. Developing initiatives that target small, public, and investor-owned hospitals may lead to wider availability of PC services.