Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2003
ReviewWhat is the best way to help caregivers in cancer and palliative care? A systematic literature review of interventions and their effectiveness.
Informal carers in cancer and palliative care are known to have high needs and psychological morbidity, yet a literature review identified few targeted interventions. This systematic review of interventions for carers of patients using home cancer and palliative care services searched Medline, CancerLit, Psycinfo and Cinahl databases. The terms used were carer(s), caregiver(s), palliative and cancer. ⋯ Methodological challenges may mean alternatives to 'pure' RCTs should be considered. The current evidence contributes more to understanding feasibility and acceptability than to effectiveness. Practitioners and evaluators must prioritize the further development of intervention studies.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2003
ReviewThe palliative care needs of people with intellectual disabilities: a literature review.
People with intellectual disabilities are among the most disadvantaged groups in society. A literature review was conducted aiming to answer the following question: What are the palliative care needs of people with intellectual disabilities? The literature review covers case histories, morbidity and mortality patterns for people with intellectual disabilities, their healthcare needs and primary care provision, the way they may present symptoms, their conceptualization of illness and death and issues around education and training. ⋯ It is suggested that future studies will need to include the views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities themselves. Areas for possible future development include symptom assessment, evaluation of current practice and access to services and the development of information and training materials.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2003
Comparative StudyCaring for the dying: how well prepared are general practitioners? A questionnaire study in Wales.
General practitioners (GPs) and generalist hospital doctors provide the majority of palliative and terminal care in the UK. Studies have revealed problems with symptom control and communication in these settings and inadequate training for clinical students and junior doctors. ⋯ There is still some way to go in ensuring that medical students, junior hospital doctors and GPs are all adequately trained for their important role in caring for dying patients.