Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2013
Understanding Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue and Burnout: a survey of the hospice palliative care workforce.
Despite the increasingly crucial role of the healthcare workforce and volunteers working in hospice and palliative care (HPC), very little is known about factors that promote or limit the positive outcomes associated with practicing compassion. ⋯ Our results indicate a significant negative correlation between Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout (r = -0.531, p < 0.001) and between Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue (r = -0.208, p < 0.001), and a significant positive correlation between Burnout and Compassion Fatigue (r = 0.532, p < 0.001). Variations in self-reported levels of the above constructs were noted by key practice characteristics. Levels of all three constructs are significantly, but differentially, affected by type of service provided, principal institution, practice status and professional affiliation. Results indicate that health care systems could increase the prevalence of Compassion Satisfaction through both policy and institutional level programs to support HPC professionals in their jurisdictions.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2013
Resource utilization and cost analyses of home-based palliative care service provision: the Niagara West End-of-Life Shared-Care Project.
Increasing emphasis is being placed on the economics of health care service delivery - including home-based palliative care. ⋯ While higher than expenditures previously reported for a cancer-only population in an urban Ontario setting, the costs were still within the parameters of the US Medicare Hospice Benefits, on a par with the per diem funding assigned for long-term care homes and lower than both average alternate level of care and hospital costs within the Province of Ontario. The study results may assist service planners in the appropriate allocation of resources and service packaging to meet the complex needs of palliative care populations.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2013
Awareness of incurable cancer status and health-related quality of life among advanced cancer patients: a prospective cohort study.
Many patients near death report an interest in knowing their prognoses. Patients' awareness of disease status may lead to more appropriate care and maintained or improved quality of life. However, it is not known whether advanced cancer patients' awareness of disease status is associated with patients' quality of life. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate the importance of patients' awareness of disease status to HRQOL.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2013
Patient-perceived usefulness and practical obstacles of patient-held records for cancer patients in Japan: OPTIM study.
Although the use of a patient-held record (PHR) for cancer patients has been introduced in many settings, little is known about the role of the PHR in palliative care settings and use in Asian cultures. ⋯ The PHR can be helpful in facilitating communication, understanding medical conditions and treatments, and facilitating end-of-life care discussion; however, for wide-spread implementation, resolving the obstacles related to both patients and health-care professionals is required.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2013
Higher complication risk of totally implantable venous access port systems in patients with advanced cancer - a single institution retrospective analysis.
Totally implantable port systems are generally recommended for prolonged central venous access in diverse settings, but their risk of complications remains unclear for patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ Our study indicates that totally implantable port systems yield a higher risk of complications in terminally ill patients. Further investigation should be carefully conducted to compare outcomes of various central venous access devices in patients with advanced cancer and to develop preventive strategies against catheter failure.