Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2024
ReviewMultilevel Determinants of Palliative Care Referral in Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A Scoping Review.
Receipt of palliative care (PC) has long been suggested in practice for patients with advanced cancer for improved quality of life, mood, and prolonged survival. However, PC referrals in women with ovarian cancer remain suboptimal. ⋯ Various factors in the socioecological framework suggest that the decision for PC referral could be multifactorial and influenced by factors beyond the medical condition and status. Future research should aim to understand the impact of various socioecological factors on PC referral and examine PC referral experiences from the patient's perspective.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2024
Controlled Clinical TrialEducation About Specialty Palliative Care Among Non-Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review.
Despite the expansion of palliative care (PC) services, the public has little knowledge and holds misperceptions about PC, creating barriers to accessing timely specialty PC. ⋯ While educational interventions can positively impact knowledge and attitudes about PC among nonhealthcare workers, more research is needed to inform the design, delivery, and evaluation of interventions to increase knowledge and attitudes about PC.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2023
ReviewA Meta-Ethnographic Review of Paid Staff and Volunteers Working together in Palliative Care.
Volunteers in palliative care settings are an essential part of care provision for patients and those important to them. Effective collaboration between volunteers and paid staff has been regarded as an important element of successful working, however, at times failures in coordination, information sharing and tensions within teams have been highlighted. ⋯ For effective working relationships between paid staff and volunteers, proactive engagement, recognition of each other's role and contribution, mutual sharing of information, and intentional interaction between both groups is needed.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2023
ReviewImpact of an Institution-wide Goals of Care Program on the Timing of Referrals to Outpatient Palliative Care.
Palliative care has received increased interest since the COVID-19 pandemic due to its role in guiding goals of care (GOC) discussions. ⋯ There were no significant differences in OS among patients seen in the SCC before and after myGOC, likely related to a ceiling effect. More oncologists had ACP discussions with patients, and patients had lower symptom scores on ESAS after myGOC, likely indicating that more patients were referred for GOC discussions and ACP rather than for symptom distress.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2023
ReviewTreatment Effect Estimates from Pilot Trials Are Unreliable.
The CONSORT guideline defines a pilot trial as a small-scale version of a desired future efficacy trial that is intended to answer the key questions of whether and how a larger study should be done. For example, a pilot trial might evaluate different approaches to data collection or outcome measurement. However, pilot trials are unreliable for assessing treatment efficacy due to the statistical phenomenon called sampling variability. ⋯ Treatment effect estimates from pilot trials should not be used to make future development decisions regarding a novel therapy because of the high risk of misleading conclusions.