Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2019
Observational StudyValidation of a palliative care outcome measurement tool supplemented by neurological symptoms (HOPE+): Identification of palliative concerns of neurological patients.
There is growing interest to integrate palliative care and its structures into the care of neurological patients. However, in Germany there is no comprehensive assessment tool capturing the symptoms of patients with advanced neurological diseases. ⋯ HOPE+ demonstrates promising psychometric properties. It helps to assess palliative care issues of patients in neurological settings and, in combination with the 12-SQ, conceivably conditions when to initiate the palliative care approach in a population underrepresented in palliative care structures so far.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2019
A qualitative study of physicians' conscientious objections to medical aid in dying.
Under Quebec's Act respecting end-of-life care, physicians may refuse to provide medical aid in dying because of personal convictions, also called conscientious objections. Before legalisation, the results of our survey showed that the majority of physicians were in favour of medical aid in dying (76%), but one-third (28%) were not prepared to perform it. After 18 months of legalisation, physicians were refusing far more frequently than the pre-Act survey had anticipated. ⋯ The originality of this research is based on what the actual perception is of doing medical aid in dying as opposed to merely a conceptual assent. Further explorations are required in order to support policy decisions such as access to better emotional supports for providers and interdisciplinary support.