Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2024
Concurrent Care and use of Advanced Cardiac Therapies for Hospitalized Veterans with Heart Failure.
Concurrent care allows patients to receive hospice while continuing disease-directed therapies. This treatment model is available in the Veterans Administration (VA) medical system, but its use in Veterans with heart failure (HF) is unexplored. ⋯ Veterans with HF receiving concurrent care were few and experienced higher mortality. Rate of burdensome transitions was similar between Veterans receiving concurrent care and those not on hospice. Further research may explore why Veterans infrequently utilize concurrent care at the end of life.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2024
Race and Socio-Economic Status Impact Withdrawal of Treatment in Young Traumatic Brain Injury.
Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies (WDLST) in young individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an overwhelming situation often made more stressful by socioeconomic factors that shape health outcomes. Identifying these factors is crucial to developing equitable and goal-concordant care for patients and families. ⋯ The decision for WDLST in young patients with severe TBI may be influenced by cultural and socioeconomic factors in addition to clinical considerations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2024
Development and Piloting of a Bereaved Care Partner Survey to Inform Quality Improvement in ALS Supportive Care.
Bereaved care partner surveys typically focus on the experience with care in the final days of life. We sought to develop and pilot a novel bereaved care partner survey to understand experiences with ALS supportive care provided throughout the illness and identify opportunities for quality improvement. ⋯ We developed and piloted a bereaved care partner survey to understand and improve the quality of ALS supportive care, which was found to be feasible and acceptable. Next steps include testing it at additional centers in order to generate learnings that can advance ALS supportive care in ways that are meaningful to patients and care partners.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2024
Transitional care of people with dementia and caregivers in the ADRD-PC trial: A mixed methods study.
People with late-stage Alzheimer's diseases and related dementias (ADRD) have high risk for postacute complications and readmission; however, minimal research describes hospital transitional care. ⋯ Findings indicate high quality dementia-specific transitional care occurs when staff have resources, such as ADRD training and care planning template, to pull the hospital palliative care plan forward into the postdischarge destination, help families fit the plan to new circumstances, and manage strain and grief related to changes in health and function.