Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialVirtual reality for pain management in advanced heart failure: A randomized controlled study.
Hospitalized patients with advanced heart failure often experience acute and/or chronic pain. While virtual reality has been extensively studied across a wide range of clinical settings, no studies have yet evaluated potential impact on pain management on this patient population. ⋯ Virtual reality may be an effective nonpharmacologic adjuvant pain management intervention in hospitalized patients with heart failure.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2021
End of life care for people with severe mental illness: Mixed methods systematic review and thematic synthesis (the MENLOC study).
Parity of esteem means that end-of-life care for people with severe mental illness should be of equal quality to that experienced by all. ⋯ Implications for services and practice reflect evidence in which there is a high degree of confidence. Partnership should be developed across the mental health and end-of-life systems, and ways found to support people to die where they choose. Staff caring for people with severe mental illness at the end-of-life need education, support and supervision. End-of-life care for people with severe mental illness requires a team approach, including advocacy. Proactive physical health care for people with severe mental illness is needed to tackle problems of delayed diagnosis.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2021
Asian patients' perspectives on advance care planning: A mixed-method systematic review and conceptual framework.
Asian healthcare professionals hold that patients' families play an essential role in advance care planning. ⋯ The essential first step to engaging patients in advance care planning is to educate them on it and on their diseases. Asian patients' various beliefs about advance care planning should be accommodated, especially their preferences regarding their role in it, its timing, and its documentation.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2021
The 'work' of managing medications when someone is seriously ill and dying at home: A longitudinal qualitative case study of patient and family perspectives'.
Managing medications can impose difficulties for patients and families which may intensify towards the end of life. Family caregivers are often assumed to be willing and able to support patients with medications, yet little is known about the challenges they experience or how they cope with these. ⋯ It is essential to consider the limits of what it is reasonable to ask patients and families to do, especially when fatigued, distressed and under pressure. Focus should be on improving support via greater professional understanding of the work needed to manage medications at home.