Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2016
Multicenter StudyQuality of Life in Children with Advanced Cancer: A Report from the PediQUEST Study.
Modifiable factors of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are poorly described among children with advanced cancer. Symptom distress may be an important factor for intervention. ⋯ Symptom distress is strongly associated with HRQOL. Future research should determine whether alleviating distressing symptoms improves HRQOL in children with advanced cancer.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2016
ReviewWhat Aspects of Quality of Life Are Important from Palliative Care Patients' Perspectives? A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research.
Despite the availability of numerous tools professing to measure quality of life (QOL) in the palliative care setting, no single instrument includes all patient-valued domains. ⋯ A broad range of domains are important to the QOL of people with life-limiting illnesses receiving palliation. Refinement of measures is needed to help ensure services address issues valued by patients such as preparation for death and aspects of health care provision, elements which are seldom included in currently available preference-based measures used to inform value for money decisions in palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2016
Hospice Enrollment Following Referral to Community-Based, Specialist-Level Palliative Care: Incidence, Timing and Predictors.
Referral to community-based palliative care may increase the likelihood of hospice enrollment. ⋯ Almost one-quarter of patients were enrolled in hospice while receiving community-based palliative care, and hospice length of stay was relatively long for those who did. Both sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were associated with hospice-related outcomes. Studies are needed to further explore predictors and outcomes of hospice enrollment from palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2016
Novel Data Sharing Between a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Private Payer to Better Understand Care at the End of Life.
Understanding end-of-life (EOL) care patterns is a prerequisite to improving the experience for cancer patients. EOL measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF) have been examined in older patients using Medicare claims. ⋯ Data sharing between a private payer and a large cancer center proved feasible and informative. High rates of hospital service use outside of our sites of care were unexpected. The findings suggest opportunities to better manage care at the end of life.