Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyBereaved relatives' quality of life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the prospective, multicenter, observational eQuiPe study.
The death of a loved one is considered as one of the most stressful life events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, grief processes are potentially affected by measures such as social distancing and self-quarantine. ⋯ On the short-term, the COVID-19 pandemic did not have significant impact on bereaved relatives' wellbeing. However, long-term impact of the pandemic on their wellbeing should be assessed.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Professionals', patients' and families' views on the use of opioids for chronic breathlessness: A systematic review using the framework method and pillar process.
In combination with non-pharmacological interventions, opioids may safely reduce chronic breathlessness in patients with severe illness. However, implementation in clinical practice varies. ⋯ There are significant barriers and enablers to the use of opioids for the symptomatic reduction of chronic breathlessness based on the knowledge, views and attitudes of clinicians, patients and families. Clinicians' interactions with patients and their families strongly influences adherence with opioid treatment regimens for chronic breathlessness. Clinicians', patients' and families' knowledge about the delicate balance between benefits and risks is generally poor. Education for all, but particularly clinicians, is likely to be a necessary (but insufficient) factor for improving implementation in practice.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialComparing the effect of a consult model versus an integrated palliative care and medical oncology co-rounding model on health care utilization in an acute hospital - an open-label stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial.
The benefit of specialist palliative care for cancer inpatients is established, but the best method to deliver specialist palliative care is unknown. ⋯ The co-rounding model was associated with a shorter hospital length of stay. Readmissions within 30 days and access to specialist palliative care were similar.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2021
Nationwide evaluation of palliative care (Q-PAC study) provided by specialized palliative care teams using quality indicators : Large variations in quality of care.
Although a number of quality indicators for palliative care have been implemented worldwide, evidence regarding the performance of palliative care teams is scarce. ⋯ The large risk-adjusted variation found across the quality indicator scores suggest that repeated and standardized quality improvement evaluations can allow teams to benchmark themselves to each other to identify areas of their palliative care delivery that need improvement.