Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
ReviewRacism in Pediatric Serious Illness and Palliative Care: A Scoping Review of Qualitative Research.
Racial disparities in health outcomes have historically impacted Black and Native American children with serious illness, yet little is known about how racism shapes the healthcare experiences of these families. To improve care experiences for this population, we must understand the myriad of ways that racism may impact their experiences with serious illness. ⋯ Our findings highlight the pressing need for further qualitative research to explore the lived experiences of racially minoritized families-especially studies focusing on the experiences of Native American families.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Use of Essential Medicines for Pain Relief and Palliative Care: a global consensus process.
The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines includes 24 medications under the section Medicines for Pain and Palliative Care (EML). The Lancet Commission on Pain and Palliative Care developed the Lancet Essential Package (LEP), including 35 medications designed to alleviate serious health-related suffering worldwide. ⋯ We were able to partly achieve our goal, with limited evidence and a wide range of clinical practice described by the experts. This highlights an important gap in critical information which affects mostly the provision of palliative care at the primary care. Both limited availability and lack of training on the adequate use of essential medications may affect how clinicians manage symptoms, possibly relying on personal experience or trial and error, rather than evidence-based information.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Improving hospital palliative care between COVID-19 waves: A retrospective cohort study.
A specialist palliative care service in an acute hospital characterized care patterns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were delayed referrals for minoritized ethnic groups. COVID-19 treatments (dexamethasone, anticoagulation, remdesivir) alongside service changes were introduced in the second wave. ⋯ Our findings have the potential to inform strategies that improve palliative care response and equity beyond COVID-19, and in future pandemics or crises.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Variation in Palliative Care Program Performance for Patients with Metastatic Cancer.
While specialist palliative care is associated with improved end-of-life quality metrics for patients with advanced cancer, its effectiveness may differ between hospitals. ⋯ We found variation in most end-of-life quality metrics for patients with metastatic cancer. Further work is needed to better understand why variations exist and whether such variations reflect a difference in quality of care.