Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Mar 2016
ReviewEducation, implementation, and policy barriers to greater integration of palliative care: A literature review.
Early integration of palliative care into the management of patients with serious disease has the potential to both improve quality of life of patients and families and reduce healthcare costs. Despite these benefits, significant barriers exist in the United States to the early integration of palliative care in the disease trajectory of individuals with serious illness. ⋯ We describe the key policy and educational opportunities in the United States to address and potentially overcome the barriers to greater integration of palliative care into the healthcare of Americans with serious illness.
-
Palliative medicine · Mar 2016
ReviewThe impact of a new public health approach to end-of-life care: A systematic review.
Communities play an increasingly significant role in their own health and social care, and evidence demonstrates the positive impact of this work on a range of health outcomes. Interest is building regarding the application of the principles of the new public health approach to those facing the end of life and their families and communities. ⋯ Evidence exists for the impact of community engagement in end-of-life care. Impact assessment should be an integral part of future initiatives and policy makers should recognise that these approaches can influence complex issues such as carer support, community capacity, wellbeing and social isolation.
-
Palliative medicine · Mar 2016
ReviewWhat are the views of hospital-based generalist palliative care professionals on what facilitates or hinders collaboration with in-patient specialist palliative care teams? A systematically constructed narrative synthesis.
Hospital-based specialist palliative care services are common, yet existing evidence of inpatient generalist providers' perceptions of collaborating with hospital-based specialist palliative care teams has never been systematically assessed. ⋯ Fuller integration of specialist palliative care services, timely sharing of information and mutual respect increase generalists' perceptions of effective collaboration. Further research is needed regarding the experiences of non-physician and non-nursing professionals as their views were either not included or not explicitly reported.
-
Palliative medicine · Mar 2016
Development of a model for integrated care at the end of life in advanced dementia: A whole systems UK-wide approach.
The prevalence of dementia is rising worldwide and many people will die with the disease. Symptoms towards the end of life may be inadequately managed and informal and professional carers poorly supported. There are few evidence-based interventions to improve end-of-life care in advanced dementia. ⋯ Use of in-depth data, consensus methods and theoretical understanding of the intervention components produced an evidence-based intervention for further testing in end-of-life care in advanced dementia.