Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2016
Comparative StudyFatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients: Congruence Between Patients and Their Informal Caregivers About Patients' Fatigue Severity During Cancer Treatment with Palliative Intent and Predictors of Agreement.
Informal caregivers (ICs) are increasingly involved in the monitoring of symptoms during advanced cancer patients' treatment with palliative intent. A common but subjective symptom during this extended treatment phase is fatigue. ⋯ Most ICs accurately predict presence or absence of clinically relevant levels of patients' fatigue. ICs' own fatigue severity and strain should be taken into account as they influence agreement.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2016
Cost Analysis and Policy Implications of a Pediatric Palliative Care Program.
In 2010, California launched Partners for Children (PFC), a pediatric palliative care pilot program offering hospice-like services for children eligible for full-scope Medicaid delivered concurrently with curative care, regardless of the child's life expectancy. ⋯ Through the provision of home-based therapeutic services, 24/7 access to medical advice, and enhanced, personally tailored care coordination, PFC demonstrated an effective way to reduce costs for children with life-limiting conditions by moving from costly inpatient care to more coordinated and less expensive outpatient care. PFC's home-based care strategy is a cost-effective model for pediatric palliative care elsewhere.