Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2012
Place of death related to demographic factors for hospice patients in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Because socioeconomic and cultural factors contribute to where one dies, it is important to document place of death determinants in diverse societies. ⋯ Age, economics, diagnosis, ethnicity, marital status, and whether one enters a hospice service for (at least in part) respite were all associated to a certain extent with where one dies. These findings contribute to the growing evidence linking various factors, especially ethnic groups, with place of death.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2012
Illicit drug use as a challenge to the delivery of end-of-life care services to homeless persons: perceptions of health and social services professionals.
Homeless persons tend to die younger than the housed population and have complex, often unmet, end-of-life care needs. High levels of illicit drug use among this population are a particular challenge for health and social services professionals involved in end-of-life care services delivery. This article explores the challenges of end-of-life care services to homeless illicit drug users based on data collected during a national study on end-of-life care services delivery to homeless persons in Canada. ⋯ First, barriers preventing homeless illicit drug users from accessing end-of-life care services, such as competing priorities (e.g. withdrawal management), lack of trust in healthcare providers and discrimination. Second, challenges to end-of-life care services delivery to this population in health and social care settings, including non-disclosure of illicit drug use, pain and symptom management, interruptions in care, and lack of experience with addictions. The authors identify a need for increased research on the role of harm reduction in end-of-life care settings to address these challenges.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialA brief guided self-help intervention for psychological distress in palliative care patients: a randomised controlled trial.
Previous findings implicated rumination (recurrent dwelling on abstract concerns) in elevated psychological distress in palliative patients. We hypothesised that reducing rumination may be important in addressing psychological distress in palliative care. ⋯ The findings suggest that a brief guided self-help intervention based on concreteness training can be effective in addressing anxiety in palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2012
Comparative StudyAre we heading in the same direction? European and African doctors' and nurses' views and experiences regarding outcome measurement in palliative care.
To examine and compare doctors' and nurses' views and experiences regarding outcome measurement in palliative care, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). ⋯ Overall these respondents shared similar views and experiences, and both were influenced by similar factors. Multidisciplinary outcome measurement education and training is feasible and required. Multidimensional and brief PROMs that include physical and psychological domains need to be prioritized, and access to freely available, validated and translated tools is needed to ensure cross-national comparisons and coordination of international research.