Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2022
Hand-held fans: Physical properties and perceptions of patients with COPD.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may remain breathless despite optimal medical treatment. Hand-held fans (HHFs) are recommended to relieve breathlessness, but little is known about physical properties of different fans and the impact HHF properties may have on patient perceptions of fans. ⋯ The physical properties of the five included HHFs are quite distinct. Patient preference was related to pleasantness of airflow, perceived airflow, and measured airflow at 30cm. Gender differences in perceived airflow were noted. Future research should explore the relationship between HHF characteristics and relief of breathlessness.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2022
ReviewPalliative Care Intervention Trials for Adults Living with Progressive Central Nervous System Diseases and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Review.
Interest in implementing palliative care for adults living with progressive central nervous system diseases (PCNSD) and their caregivers is increasing. ⋯ Sparse, low-certainty evidence for PCI impact on patient QOL, symptom burden and caregiver burden indicate future research should consider refining study populations, interventions, outcomes assessed and outcome measures to detect any change due to PCI.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2022
The Pediatric Palliative Improvement Network: a national healthcare learning collaborative.
Although multiple national organizations have created consensus guidelines and metrics for pediatric palliative care (PPC), standardized implementation and measurement has been challenging. In 2016, 6 PPC physician-experts in program development and quality improvement (QI) formed a healthcare learning collaborative network entitled the Pediatric Palliative Improvement Network (PPIN). ⋯ PPIN has become a sustainable organization which improves the quality of PPC through focus on national QI methods training, successful collaborative projects, and the creation of a learning and peer support community with regular calls. With the advent of the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative in 2020, PPIN provides critical educational and organizational infrastructure to inform ongoing quality efforts in PPC, now and in the future.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2022
Symptoms and Suffering at End of Life for Children with Complex Chronic Conditions.
Children with cancer and cardiac disease suffer with high symptom burden at end of life (EOL). Little is known about the EOL experience for children with other complex chronic conditions (CCCs). ⋯ Nearly one-third of parents of children with CCCs report high suffering in their child's final days of life. Parent preparedness was associated with lower perceived child suffering. Future research should target symptoms contributing to parent and child distress and assess whether enhancing parent preparedness reduces perceived child suffering.