Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Opinions of health care professionals and the public after eight years of euthanasia legislation in the Netherlands: a mixed methods approach.
The practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the Netherlands has been regulated since 2002 by the Euthanasia Act. In the ongoing debate about the interpretation of this Act, comparative information about the opinions of the different stakeholders is needed. ⋯ Health care professionals and the general public mostly support the legal requirements for euthanasia and PAS. The law permits euthanasia or PAS for mental suffering but this possibility is not widely endorsed. The general public is more liberal towards euthanasia for advanced dementia than health care professionals. We conclude that there is ample support for the law after eight years of legal euthanasia.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Evaluation of a novel individualised communication-skills training intervention to improve doctors' confidence and skills in end-of-life communication.
We developed a novel individualised training program regarding end-of-life communication, designed to be time effective for busy junior-doctors working in hospital settings. ⋯ This intervention shows promise and warrants further formal evaluation.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Case ReportsA case report of non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia associated with ovarian germ-cell tumour.
Non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia is a rare paraneoplastic condition in which tumours secrete a high-molecular-weight precursor of insulin-like growth factor-II causing hypoglycaemia and can be difficult to identify and treat. ⋯ This case illustrates the need for awareness among general physicians of rare tumour manifestations and the need for multidisciplinary input for the optimal management of these patients.
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The lack of a clear definition of the palliative care patient hampers the comparison of results across different studies and impedes implementation of research findings in everyday practice. ⋯ We propose elements of the patients' health status (e.g. a progressive, life-threatening disease with no possibility of obtaining remission or stabilisation, or modifying the course of the illness) and the care delivered to them (e.g. a holistic interdisciplinary approach that focuses on supporting the quality of the end of life) to be included in the definition of a palliative care patient. We also suggest considering the patients' readiness to accept palliative care and a vision of palliative care shared by the patient and all caregivers involved as potentially important elements in this definition.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
ReviewClassroom-based and distance learning education and training courses in end-of-life care for health and social care staff: a systematic review.
Staff from a range of health and social care professions report deficits in their knowledge and skills when providing end-of-life and palliative care, and education and training has been advocated at a range of levels. ⋯ Classroom-based education and training is useful for enhancing professionals' skills and perceived preparedness for delivering end-of-life care but should be reinforced by actual practice experience.