Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2022
A feasibility study of a decision aid to support family carers of people with severe dementia or those towards the end-of-life.
Advance care planning in dementia does not always happen. As dementia progresses, decisions are often left for family carers to make with professionals. ⋯ We met the success criteria demonstrating this study was feasible and acceptable to carers. Future research should test the effectiveness of the decision aid in a full scale evaluation.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2022
Paracentesis for cancer-related ascites in palliative care: An international, prospective cohort study.
Paracentesis is commonly undertaken in patients with cancer-related ascites. ⋯ Most patients obtained rapid benefits from paracentesis. Harms were less frequent and generally mild, but occasionally serious and fatal. Our findings help inform clinician-patient discussions about the potential outcomes of paracentesis in this frail population.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2022
Virtual home-based palliative care during COVID-19: A qualitative exploration of the patient, caregiver, and healthcare provider experience.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many community palliative healthcare providers shifted from providing care in a patient's home to providing almost exclusively virtual palliative care, or a combination of in-person and virtual care. Research on virtual palliative care is thus needed to provide evidence-based recommendations aiming to enhance the delivery of palliative care during and beyond the pandemic. ⋯ Incorporating virtual palliative care into healthcare provider practice models (blended care models) may be the ideal model of care and standard practice moving forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, which has important implications toward organization and delivery of community palliative care services and funding of healthcare providers.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2022
The health of mothers of children with a life-limiting condition: A qualitative interview study.
The number of children with a life-limiting condition is increasing. The mothers of these children commonly provide extensive care at home for their child and are at a higher risk of poor health than other mothers. The impact of this is rarely explored from mothers' perspectives. ⋯ A more unified system that recognises not only the unique set of challenges presented to mothers caring for a child with a life-limiting condition, but the value of palliative care services in supporting these mothers, is required.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 2022
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in cancer pain: A database analysis to determine recruitment feasibility for a clinical trial.
Insufficient evidence exists to support or refute use of NSAIDs for managing cancer pain. Palliative physicians support a placebo-controlled trial of NSAIDs as strong opioid adjuncts for cancer-induced bone pain as the most pragmatic design to benefit clinical practice. ⋯ Patient numbers at a regional radiotherapy centre support the feasibility of trial recruitment. Available serology and co-morbidity data suggest two-thirds may be suitable for NSAID prescription.