Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2023
How important is spirometry for identifying patients with COPD appropriate for palliative care?
Providing palliative care to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a priority. Spirometry demonstrating airflow limitation is a diagnostic test for COPD and a common inclusion criterion for palliative care research. However, requiring spirometry with airflow limitation may exclude appropriate patients unable to complete spirometry, or patients with preserved-ratio impaired spirometry and symptoms or imaging consistent with COPD. ⋯ These results imply that spirometry may not need to be a requirement for inclusion into palliative care research or clinical care for patients with poor quality of life and at high risk for adverse outcomes.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2023
Home hospice family caregivers' use of audio diaries and reported prevalence of patient and caregiver symptoms.
Family caregivers are essential to home hospice care for patients with advanced cancer, including reporting patient symptoms to hospice providers for follow-up. Hospice caregiving can also impact personal well-being. ⋯ Prospective audio diaries offer a viable avenue for communicating symptoms and support needs. Future research will focus on leveraging longitudinal data for developing focused and tailored caregiver support interventions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialExamining Caregiver Outcomes in the CONNECT Intervention for Patients with Advanced Cancer.
Palliative care offers patient and family centered approaches that may mitigate risk of caregiver burden and poor mood. ⋯ Caregivers in CONNECT did not experience improved burden or mood, however, they reported higher self-efficacy compared to caregivers receiving standard care. This study highlights the need for strategies to optimize caregiver outcomes in palliative care interventions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2023
ReviewSelf-perceived Burden for People with Life-threatening Illness: A Qualitative Systematic Review.
The perception of being a burden to others is a significant concern for people with life-threatening illness. It is unclear what underpins the concept of "self-perceived burden". ⋯ SPB is not a static perception but a fluctuating and complex 'process' based on uncertainty. More diverse understandings and following interventions to achieve a better balance of care should be sought.