Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2013
Hospice experiences and approaches to support and assess family caregivers in managing medications for home hospice patients: a providers survey.
Hospice providers need to ensure that informal, unpaid caregivers can safely manage medications to alleviate pain and distressing symptoms in patients near the end of life. ⋯ Supporting caregivers in medication management is considered important, yet challenging, to hospice providers. Additional resources may be needed to help providers consistently and effectively teach, support, and assess caregivers' medication management.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2013
Off-label prescribing in palliative care: a survey of independent prescribers.
The 'off-label' use of a drug beyond the specifications of its Marketing Authorization is widespread in palliative care.It is legal, but there are implications for prescribers, outlined by regulatory bodies such as the General Medical Council. A previous survey suggested that few doctors in palliative medicine always follow these recommendations. ⋯ Compared to before and to nurse and pharmacist prescribers, doctors appear better able to adhere to their regulatory body guidance. Given that all the independent prescribers in palliative care can prescribe the same drugs, consistent regulatory guidance is required.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Opinions of health care professionals and the public after eight years of euthanasia legislation in the Netherlands: a mixed methods approach.
The practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the Netherlands has been regulated since 2002 by the Euthanasia Act. In the ongoing debate about the interpretation of this Act, comparative information about the opinions of the different stakeholders is needed. ⋯ Health care professionals and the general public mostly support the legal requirements for euthanasia and PAS. The law permits euthanasia or PAS for mental suffering but this possibility is not widely endorsed. The general public is more liberal towards euthanasia for advanced dementia than health care professionals. We conclude that there is ample support for the law after eight years of legal euthanasia.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Evaluation of a novel individualised communication-skills training intervention to improve doctors' confidence and skills in end-of-life communication.
We developed a novel individualised training program regarding end-of-life communication, designed to be time effective for busy junior-doctors working in hospital settings. ⋯ This intervention shows promise and warrants further formal evaluation.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2013
Case ReportsA case report of non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia associated with ovarian germ-cell tumour.
Non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia is a rare paraneoplastic condition in which tumours secrete a high-molecular-weight precursor of insulin-like growth factor-II causing hypoglycaemia and can be difficult to identify and treat. ⋯ This case illustrates the need for awareness among general physicians of rare tumour manifestations and the need for multidisciplinary input for the optimal management of these patients.