Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
ReviewHow is Telehealth Used to Increase Access to Specialty Palliative Care? A Systematic Review.
Specialty palliative care remains inaccessible for many with serious illness, especially in rural areas. Telehealth may be one solution. ⋯ While telehealth is widely used to increase access to specialty palliative care, more evidence is needed to evaluate effectiveness. Further research is needed to understand how to overcome barriers prominent in rural settings and to optimize integration of multiple modalities of telehealth in specialty palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Perspectives on Implementing a Communication Facilitator Intervention from a Critical Care Setting.
Critically-ill patients and their families often experience communication challenges during their ICU stay and across care transitions. An intervention using communication facilitators may help address these challenges. ⋯ Future studies should incorporate implementation strategies that help connect facilitators to clinicians early in the intervention period which may improve role clarity and enhance collaboration.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Quality of Virtual versus In-Person Outpatient Palliative Care: Disparities by Language and Race.
Virtual visits have increased in outpatient, clinic-based palliative care (OPC). The association between virtual visits and OPC outcomes is largely unknown. ⋯ There were no differences by visit type in screening for psychosocial, spiritual, and goals of care needs. Patients with preferred languages other than English were significantly less likely to be screened than English speakers, though there was no further difference by visit type. Patients identifying as Black were also significantly less likely to be screened. Addressing these disparities in core OPC elements is essential in providing equitable, high-quality OPC.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2025
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in the Last Year of Life: The COMPASS Cancer Cohort Study.
There has been growing interest in the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as part of end-of-life care. ⋯ A significant proportion of terminal cancer patients reported using CAM as a complementary treatment in the last year of life.