Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Observational StudyPrevalence and risk factors of breathlessness across Canada: A national retrospective cohort study in home care and nursing home populations.
Breathlessness is a symptom associated with poor clinical outcomes and prognosis. Little is known about its long-term trends and associations with social factors including decline in social activities and caregiver distress. ⋯ The prevalence of clinician-reported breathlessness is higher in home care than in nursing home populations, the former having risen by 10% over the decade. Prevalence of breathlessness is associated with decline in social activities and caregiver distress. Enhanced supports may be required to meet increasing patient need in the community.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Transitioning From Hospital to Palliative Care at Home: Patient and Caregiver Perceptions of Continuity of Care.
Continuity of care is important at improving the patient experience and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations when transitioning across care settings, especially at the end of life. ⋯ Patients' and their caregivers' valuation of continuity of care was dependent on their stage of the hospital-to-home transition. Optimizing continuity of care requires an integrated network of providers with reliable information transfer and communication.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
The psychosocial impact of spouse-caregiver chronic health conditions and personal history of cancer on well-being in advanced cancer patients and their caregivers.
Caregiving during advanced cancer presents many physical and psychological challenges, especially for caregivers who are coping with their own history of cancer or their own chronic health conditions. There is growing recognition that caregiver health and patient health are interdependent. ⋯ Providers should be aware of caregiver chronic conditions and cancer history, given the potential negative effects on patient psychosocial well-being.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Patterns of Specialty Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Receiving Palliative Radiotherapy.
Palliative radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used to ameliorate cancer-associated symptoms and improve quality of life. ⋯ Fewer than half of patients receiving palliative RT utilized specialty PC. Initiatives are needed to increase PC, especially for patients with lung cancer and neurological symptoms, and to empower radiation oncologists to refer patients to specialty PC.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialPredictors of Response to an Evidence-based Behavioral Cancer Pain Management Intervention: An Exploratory Analysis from a Clinical Trial.
Interventions that teach patients cognitive and behavioral strategies for managing cancer pain have demonstrated effectiveness. Systematic reviews of such interventions call for research to inform their implementation in practice, including investigations into which patients are most likely to benefit. ⋯ Our findings elucidate several subgroups of patients who may be especially likely to benefit from PCST, informing both targeted implementation efforts and opportunities to improve delivery for diverse patients.