Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2018
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAn Automated Intervention Did Not Improve Adherence to Oral Oncolytic Agents While Managing Symptoms: Results From a Two-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.
An increasing number of oral cancer treatments require patient adherence and symptom self-management. ⋯ Adherence may be less of a problem than originally anticipated, and intervention was not efficacious possibly because of already high rates of patient adherence to oral oncolytic medication during first 12 weeks. Longer follow-up in future research may identify subgroups of patients who need interventions to sustain adherence.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2018
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialQuality of Life Trends in People With and Without Cancer Referred to Volunteer-Provided Palliative Care Services (ELSA): A Longitudinal Study.
Trends in symptoms and functional ability are known toward the end of life, but less is understood about quality of life, particularly prospectively following service referral. ⋯ Referral triggers for those with and without cancer may be different. People with cancer can be expected to have a more rapid decline in quality of life from the point of service referral. This may indicate greater support needs, including from volunteer-provided palliative care services.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2018
Multicenter StudyCharacteristics associated with physical function trajectories in older adults with cancer during chemotherapy.
Studies on physical function trajectories in older adults during chemotherapy remain limited. ⋯ While several symptoms were associated with decrements in PCS scores at enrollment in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy, morning fatigue was the only symptom associated with decreases in physical function over time. Regular assessments of symptoms and implementation of evidence-based interventions should be considered to maintain physical function in older adults during chemotherapy.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Observational StudyQuality of Communication and Trust in Patients With Serious Illness: An Exploratory Study of the Relationships of Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Religiosity.
Better understanding of clinicians' skill communicating with their patients and of patients' trust in clinicians is necessary to develop culturally sensitive palliative care interventions. Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religiosity have been documented as factors influencing quality of communication and trust. ⋯ Contrary to prior studies, racial/ethnic minorities and patients with lower income rated communication higher and reported higher trust in their clinicians than white and higher income patients. More research is needed to identify and understand factors associated with quality communication and trust between seriously ill patients and clinicians to guide development of patient-centered palliative care communication interventions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2018
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyComparison of EORTC QLQ-C30 and PRO-CTCAE™ Questionnaires on Six Symptom Items.
Clinical studies have over the past decade paid increasing attention to health-related quality of life data. Multiple questionnaires are often administered resulting in overlapping questions increasing patient burden. ⋯ The good reliability and consistency between the QLQ-C30 and PRO-CTCAE support future attempts to minimize patient burden by shortening health-related quality of life questionnaires.