Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2008
Making the most of routine data in palliative care research--a case study analysis of linked hospital and mortality data on cancer and heart failure patients in Scotland and Oxford.
The research base of palliative care is growing rapidly, but despite methodological advances, some of the practical challenges of working with people at the end of life will persist. This means that analysis of routine data is arguably more important in studying palliative care than it is in other aspects of health services research. End-of-life researchers have been using the high-quality linked data from cancer registries for many years. ⋯ Two case studies are presented using information from Scotland (population 5.1 million) and the former Oxford region of England (population 2.5 million). The advantages and limitations of linked hospital and mortality data for research and service planning in palliative care are drawn out through analyses investigating hospital bed utilisation by people with cancer and heart failure and the influence of social deprivation on the use of hospital services in the last year of life. The use of such data deserves a higher profile.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2008
Multicenter StudyImplementation and impact of the Gold Standards Framework in community palliative care: a qualitative study of three primary care trusts.
The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) has been widely adopted within UK general practices, yet there is little understanding of its impact on the provision of community palliative care services. This study presents data on the anticipation and adoption of the GSF within three Primary Care Trusts in North West England. Forty-seven interviews were conducted with generalist and specialist palliative and primary care professionals. ⋯ Many respondents believed that the GSF needed local champions to be sustainable. Slow or incomplete adoption was reported. The GSF was recognised as important because it facilitated changes to previously difficult aspects of work between professionals, but few respondents reported direct benefits to patient care.
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The main objective of this study is to validate a Consciousness Scale for palliative care. The scale was named Consciousness Scale for palliative care (CSPC). The validation had two phases: 1) face validity--the scale was assessed by seven healthcare professionals, both doctors and nurses, experienced in palliative care; 2) reliability and construct validity--performed by four investigators, two nurses and two doctors. ⋯ The CSPC can be a very useful tool for assessing consciousness in palliative care patients. It is very ease to use, not time consuming and can be used with minimal training. Communication between professionals can be improved in the clinical setting and in the research environment.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2008
Preparing for palliative medicine; evaluation of an education programme for fourth year medical undergraduates.
Prompted by directives from the GMC, 'care of the dying' is identified as 'core curricula' for undergraduate medical education. However, there are many technical and interpersonal challenges faced in learning the practice of palliative medicine. Accordingly, the design and delivery of education programmes need to be both carefully considered and evaluated. ⋯ Significant improvements in thanatophobia were also recorded (z = -7.51, P < 0.001) although some interesting anomalies were noted. This study demonstrates that considered and appropriately structured clinical education has been shown to significantly improve students' belief in their ability to practice palliative medicine and to improve their attitude towards care. In accordance with the study's theoretical driver, it is reasonable to propose that the engaged active learning will have a positive effect on the future care of dying patients.