Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Dec 2020
Persistent socioeconomic inequalities in location of death and receipt of palliative care: A population-based cohort study.
Providing equitable care to patients in need across the life course is a priority for many healthcare systems. ⋯ Key measures of end-of-life care are not achieved equally across socioeconomic groups. These data can be used to inform policy strategies to improve delivery of palliative and end-of-life services.
-
Palliative medicine · Dec 2020
Hospital patients' perspectives on what is essential to enable optimal palliative care: A qualitative study.
The majority of expected deaths in high income countries occur in hospital where optimal palliative care cannot be assured. In addition, a large number of patients with palliative care needs receive inpatient care in their last year of life. International research has identified domains of inpatient care that patients and carers perceive to be important, but concrete examples of how these might be operationalised are scarce, and few studies conducted in the southern hemisphere. ⋯ Taking a person-centred focus has provided a deeper understanding of how to strengthen inpatient palliative care practices. Future work is needed to translate the body of evidence on patient priorities into policy reforms and practice points.
-
Palliative medicine · Dec 2020
Bereavement care interventions for children under the age of 18 following the death of a sibling: a systematic review.
Childhood bereavement after sibling death is common, but often unrecognized. The psychosomatic and socioeconomic outcomes of bereaved children can be compromised if appropriate care is unavailable during the formative years leading into adulthood. ⋯ Existing literature most likely gives an incomplete picture of appropriate childhood bereavement care, and many interventions possibly remain unpublished or published in other non-scientific sources. An effective response to childhood grief would involve collaboration between medical resources and community services, reinforced through the development of outreach and training programs.
-
Palliative medicine · Dec 2020
A dignified last phase of life for patients with a migration background: A qualitative study.
Preserving personal dignity is an important part of palliative care. Generally, autonomy, independency and not being a burden to others are emphasised for preserving dignity. Dignity has not been studied yet from the perspective of the growing group of patients with a migration background living in Western countries. ⋯ Religion and appropriate involvement of family members are important aspects of dignity in the last phase of life, in addition to autonomy and independency. Care professionals need to take these factors into account in order to provide person-centred care.