Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2020
Knowledge, opinion and attitude about the Italian law on advance directives: a population-based survey.
Advance directives are legal documents which individuals draw up to declare their treatment preferences and to appoint well-informed proxies to safeguard patient autonomy in critical situations when that individual is temporarily or no longer able to communicate these preferences. On December 22, 2017, the Italian Parliament approved the first law on end of life ("Provisions for informed consent and advance directives" L.219/2017), after a heated public and political debate lasting almost 20 years. ⋯ The principles of Italian Law 219/2017 are aligned with the ethical sentiment of the vast majority of the Italian population. It is crucial to stimulate discussion to increase knowledge and awareness to increase the number of advance directives.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2020
Will you hear me? Have you heard me? Do you see me? Adding Cultural Humility to Resource Allocation and Priority Setting Discussions in the care of African-American patients with Covid-19.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has refocused our attention on health care disparities affecting patients of color, with a growing body of literature focused on the etiology of these disparities and strategies to eliminate their effects. In considering the unique impact COVID-19 is having on African American communities, added measure must be given to ensure for sensitivity, empathy, and supportive guidance in medical decision making among African American patients faced with critical illness secondary to COVID-19. In this article, we explore the applications of cultural humility over cultural competency in optimizing the care we provide to African American patients faced with critical health care decisions during this pandemic. In turn, we charge one another as health care providers to consider how ethical principles and guidance can be applied to honor African American patients' unique stories and experiences.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2020
STRESS AND SYMPTOM BURDEN IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
No information is available on oncology patients' level of stress and symptom burden during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. ⋯ We identified alarmingly high rates of stress and an extraordinarily high symptom burden among patients with cancer, exceeding those previously benchmarked in this population and on par with noncancer patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely impact cancer care for an indefinite period, clinicians must exhibit increased vigilance in their assessments of patients' level of stress and symptom burden. Moreover, an increase in referrals to appropriate supportive care resources must be prioritized for high-risk patients.
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