Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · May 2014
Review Meta AnalysisExploring the financial impact of caring for family members receiving palliative and end-of-life care: a systematic review of the literature.
Research regarding the economic dimensions of palliative care is relatively limited. The economic implications of providing informal care are well recognised; however, within the context of palliative care, little is known about the costs and implications of providing care for a loved one at the end of life. ⋯ This review identified a significant gap in the evidence base regarding the economic implications of providing care to a family member within a palliative care context. Economic costs and implications are likely to be significant, and research to address this gap is urgently needed, particularly given policy initiatives in a number of developed countries to move the provision of palliative and end-of-life care from hospital to community settings.
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Palliative medicine · May 2014
Economic impact analysis of an end-of-life programme for nursing home residents.
Due to limited end-of-life discussions and the absence of palliative care, hospitalisations are frequent at the end of life among nursing home residents in Singapore, resulting in high health-care costs. ⋯ This study demonstrated substantial savings associated with an end-of-life programme. With a significant proportion of the population in Singapore requiring nursing home care in the near future, these results could assist policymakers and health-care providers in decision-making on allocation of health-care resources.
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Palliative medicine · May 2014
Experiences of sexuality and intimacy in terminal illness: a phenomenological study.
There is a paucity of research considering sexuality and intimacy in palliative care. It is therefore unclear whether palliative care professionals have a role in addressing these issues with patients and their partners. ⋯ This study sheds new light on people's experiences of sexuality and intimacy when living with a terminal illness. The ethos of holistic care requires palliative care professionals to provide opportunities for patients and their partners to discuss any concerns they might have about their coupled relationship and to understand the meanings symptoms have for them.
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Palliative medicine · May 2014
Observational StudyEconomic impact of hospitalisations among patients in the last year of life: an observational study.
Hospital admissions among patients at the end of life have a significant economic impact. Avoiding unnecessary hospitalisations has the potential for significant cost savings and is often in line with patient preference. ⋯ Reducing length of hospital stay in palliative care patients may offer the potential to achieve higher hospital cost savings than preventing avoidable admissions. Further research is required to determine both the feasibility of reducing length of hospital stay for patients with palliative care needs and the economic impact of doing so.
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Palliative medicine · May 2014
Effectiveness of palliative home-care services in reducing hospital admissions and determinants of hospitalization for terminally ill patients followed up by a palliative home-care team: a retrospective cohort study.
It has been demonstrated that most patients in the terminal stages of cancer would benefit from palliative home-care services. ⋯ Our study confirms the effectiveness of palliative home care in enabling patients to spend the final period of their lives at home. The services of a palliative home-care team reduced the consumption of hospital resources. This study also provided evidence of some types of cancer (e.g. hematological cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma) being more likely to require hospitalization, suggesting the need to reconsider the pathways of care for these diseases.