Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2019
ReviewPalliative care transitions from acute care to community-based care - a systematic review.
Although the literature on transitions from hospital to the community is extensive, little is known about this experience within the context of palliative care (PC). ⋯ Heterogeneity of study designs, outcomes, findings, and poor methodological quality renders it challenging to draw conclusions regarding PC's impact on the transition from hospital to home. Further research should use standardized outcomes with randomized controlled trial and/or propensity matched cohort designs.
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PC-FACS(FastArticleCriticalSummaries for Clinicians inPalliativeCare) provides hospice and palliative care clinicians with concise summaries of the most important findings from more than 100 medical and scientific journals. If you have colleagues who would benefit from receiving PCFACS, please encourage them to join the AAHPM at aahpm.org. Comments from readers are welcomed at pcfacs@aahpm.org.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2019
Comfort Measures Orders and Hospital Transfers: Insights from the OPTIMISTIC Demonstration Project.
Nursing facility residents and their families may identify "comfort measures" as their overall goal of care, yet some hospital transfers still occur. ⋯ Most transfers of residents with comfort measures orders were considered unavoidable. Nonetheless, we identified several opportunities for improving care processes, including communication and addressing acute changes in status.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2019
Reasons for underreporting of uraemic pruritus in people with chronic kidney disease: A qualitative study.
Uremic pruritus, or itch, is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and has a negative impact on their lives and well-being. However, for reasons currently unknown, itch often remains unreported and therefore untreated. ⋯ Underreporting of itch is related to patients being unaware of its causes, accepting it as something to live with, prioritizing other health issues, and the length and timing of consultations. Health care professionals' assessment and management of itch vary widely and are not necessarily evidence-based. Better patient information, development of clinical practice guidelines, and incorporation of routine symptom assessments into care may improve itch reporting and management in people with CKD.