Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2021
ReviewHow to measure the effects and potential adverse events of palliative sedation? An integrative review.
Palliative sedation is the monitored use of medications intended to relieve refractory suffering. The assessment of palliative sedation has been focused on the assess of the level of consciousness but a more comprehensive approach to assessment is needed. ⋯ There are palliative care validated instruments to assess the sedation effect but this review shows the need for a more standardized approach when assessing it. Instruments should be used within an experienced and trained expert, providing a holistic assessment.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2021
Measures of financial burden for families dealing with serious illness: A systematic review and analysis.
Many families coping with serious illness report experiencing financial burden, which negatively impacts coping and quality of life. Financial burden, however, is a complex construct that has been inconsistently operationalized in the literature. ⋯ To measure financial burden, we identified a need to develop and test multi-item measures, measures appropriate for patient populations and greater attention to the temporal aspects of self-report assessments.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2021
A-qCPR risk score screening model for predicting 1-year mortality associated with hospice and palliative care in the emergency department.
Evaluating the need for palliative care and predicting its mortality play important roles in the emergency department. ⋯ A-qCPR risk scores provide a good screening tool for assessing patient prognosis. Routine screening for end-of-life using this tool plays an important role in early and efficient physician-patient communications regarding hospice and palliative needs in the emergency department.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2021
A meta-ethnographic study of fathers' experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness.
There is a growing body of qualitative studies examining parents' experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition, coinciding with recent evidence that indicates an increasing incidence of paediatric life-limiting conditions. However, research focusing on fathers' needs remains sparse and is often diluted among a predominant 'mother's voice', raising questions about whether practices in clinical settings meet fathers' needs. ⋯ The findings indicate the value of a family-oriented approach to develop psychosocial interventions and support channels for fathers, thus empowering them whilst reducing the care-giving burden on the family unit.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2021
Healthcare professionals' experiences of inter-professional collaboration during patient's transfers between care settings in palliative care: A focus group study.
Continuity of care is challenging when transferring patients across palliative care settings. These transfers are common due to the complexity of palliative care, which has increased significantly since the advent of palliative care services. It is unclear how palliative care services and professionals currently collaborate and communicate to ensure the continuity of care across settings, and how patient and family members are involved. ⋯ From the perspective of the integrated care framework, several areas of improvement on different levels of care and collaboration are identified. Support from policymakers and researchers is required to achieve integrated palliative care in regional networks.