Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
ReviewThe associations between prognostic awareness and health-related quality of life among patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review.
Prognostic awareness among patients with advanced cancer is important for better palliative and end-of-life care. However, the relationships between prognostic awareness and patient health-related quality of life outcomes remain inconsistent across studies. Critically synthesizing empirical literature will allow for a better understanding of these associations. ⋯ To facilitate better understanding of the relationships between prognostic awareness and health-related quality of life, future research must focus on developing a standardized, "gold standard" measurement of prognostic awareness. Research should also examine the influence of culture and the evolution of these relationships longitudinally.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of an integrated palliative care intervention on quality of life and acute healthcare use in patients with COPD: Results of the COMPASSION cluster randomized controlled trial.
COPD causes high morbidity and mortality, emphasizing the need for palliative care. ⋯ We found no evidence that palliative care improves quality of life in patients with COPD. However, it can potentially reduce acute healthcare use. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic led to suboptimal implementation and insufficient power, and may have affected some of our findings.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Communication in the context of glioblastoma treatment: A qualitative study of what matters most to patients, caregivers and health care professionals.
Patients with glioblastoma have a poor prognosis and treatment is palliative in nature from diagnosis. It is therefore critical that the benefits and burdens of treatments are clearly discussed with patients and caregivers. ⋯ In glioblastoma treatment communication, where prognosis is poor and treatmentwill not result in cure, building trusting relationships, maintaining a sense of control and being well-informed are identified as critical.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2023
Spiritual, religious, and existential concerns of children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions: A qualitative interview study.
Despite being a core domain of palliative care, primary data on spiritual and existential concerns has rarely been collected among children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families. Existing evidence has tended to focus on the religious aspects among children with cancer. ⋯ Addressing spiritual concerns is essential to providing child- and family-centred palliative care. Eliciting spiritual concerns may enable health and social care professionals to identify the things that can support and enhance a meaningful life and legacy for children and their families.