Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2021
Timely identification of patients in need of palliative care using the Double Surprise Question: A prospective study on outpatients with cancer.
The Surprise Question ("Would I be surprised if this patient were to die within the next 12 months?") is widely used to identify palliative patients, though with low predictive value. To improve timely identification of palliative care needs, we propose an additional Surprise Question ("Would I be surprised if this patient is still alive after 12 months?") if the original Surprise Question is answered with "no." The combination of the two questions is called the Double Surprise Question. ⋯ The Double Surprise Question is a promising tool to more accurately identify outpatients with cancer at risk of dying within 1 year, and therefore, those in need of palliative care. Studies should reveal whether the implementation of the Double Surprise Question leads to more timely palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2021
Reflective insights from developing a palliative care children and young people's advisory group.
The importance of actively involving patient and public members throughout the different stages of palliative care and health research projects is widely acknowledged, however patient and public involvement work rarely considers insight from children and young people. Although this is becoming increasingly recognised in other areas of research, there is currently no structured guidance on how to best involve children and young people in palliative care research. ⋯ This project has equipped researchers with skills and provided a structured template for future Young People's Advisory Groups, ensuring the unique voices of children and young people are considered and valued in future palliative care research.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2021
'Cold bedrooms' and other cooling facilities in UK children's hospices, how they are used and why they are offered: A mixed methods study.
The death of a child is acutely distressing. Evidence on the benefits and value to parents of spending time with their dead child have now been integrated into routine practice and is regarded as a bereavement support intervention. UK children's hospices have a tradition of using 'cooling facilities' (cold bedrooms, cooled blanket/mattress) to extend this period of time by slowing deterioration of the body. ⋯ 41/52 hospices completed the survey and 13 directors of care were interviewed. All hospices had cooling facilities. Some offered use of portable cooling facilities at home, though take-up appears low. Hospices differed in approaches to managing care and duration of use. Views on whether parents should observe deterioration informed the latter. Directors of care believed they provide families with time to say 'goodbye' and process their loss. Challenges for staff were reported.