Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Jul 1999
A comparison of patient and proxy symptom assessments in advanced cancer patients.
The purpose of this study was to compare patient and proxy (physician and nurse) assessments of symptoms in advanced cancer patients. The sample consisted of 49 patients with advanced cancer admitted to an acute palliative care unit. Three independent assessments were completed for each patient on two occasions within 11 days of admission. ⋯ The accuracy of assessments amongst those rating the symptoms did not improve over time. Proxy assessments of symptom intensity, particularly by physicians, were significantly lower than patient assessments for three of the nine symptoms. Further research regarding the reliability of patient and proxy assessments is needed to assess and manage symptoms in advanced cancer effectively.
-
Palliative medicine · Jul 1999
Feasibility of using postal questionnaires to examine carer satisfaction with palliative care: a methodological assessment. South Tyneside MAAG Palliative Care Study Group.
This paper reports on the methodological findings from a project which examined the feasibility of using a postal questionnaire to assess lay carer satisfaction with palliative care. The focus of this paper is the process of questionnaire development and its psychometric evaluation. The questionnaire was derived from an interview schedule used in previous national surveys of care for the dying, and was refined through qualitative work with recently bereaved lay carers. ⋯ The analysis indicated that in the majority of cases the person targeted to receive the questionnaire was the most appropriate informant. Psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire against five criteria was encouraging, with low item nonresponse and ineligible response, and some evidence of discriminatory power, reliability, and face and content validity. Postal approaches appear to represent an acceptable means of assessing user satisfaction with palliative care, compared with more resource-intensive methods.
-
Palliative medicine · Jul 1999
Prospective study of symptom control in 133 cases of palliative care inpatients in Shatin Hospital.
We report a prospective study assessing the prevalence and severity of physical and nonphysical symptoms, and the benefits from treatment and intervention, in advanced cancer patients presenting to a local palliative care unit in Hong Kong. Patients were assessed by a modified version of the support team assessment schedule (STAS). ⋯ In general, the STAS was found to be practicable and acceptable by our patients and staff. The most important benefit gained from the study was the successful dissemination of the concept of audit and quality assurance throughout the unit, which is essential for continuous improvement in the future.
-
Palliative medicine · May 1999
ReviewPatient and carer preference for, and satisfaction with, specialist models of palliative care: a systematic literature review.
This systematic literature review examined the impact of specialist models of palliative care on consumer satisfaction, opinion and preference over the past 20 years. From the literature search, 83 relevant papers were identified. Research findings from North America did not reveal any reliable or consistent trends, and this was due primarily to methodological flaws in the research. ⋯ Even though research findings consistently indicate that consumers appreciate the psychosocial climate in hospices, this research was based on small-scale local studies which were mainly focused on a single hospice. The dearth of high quality, comprehensive research was notable on the impact on consumer preference, opinion or satisfaction of hospice home care services, and other forms of palliative care in the community. It was concluded that further research is needed into consumer priorities for patients dying of noncancer diseases, and into the possible impact of patient characteristics on consumer satisfaction, opinion and preference for specialist models of palliative care.