The American journal of hospice & palliative care
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Oct 2018
Hope Tree: An Interactive Art Installation to Facilitate the Expression of Hope in a Hospice Setting.
Individuals confronting a terminal illness can experience intense psychological distress. Previous research has shown that hope can enhance one's ability to acknowledge, accept, and fight a terminal illness. Patients can continue to have hope or be hopeful, even in the face of a terminal illness. Can participation in a creative writing practice improve the expression of hope in a hospice setting? ⋯ The Hope Tree is a creative art project that can be used within a hospice environment to promote hope among family members and the health-care professionals who care for patients.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Oct 2018
Comparative StudyComparative Analysis of the Views of Oncologic Subspecialists and Palliative/Supportive Care Physicians Regarding Advanced Care Planning and End-of-Life Care.
Early palliative/supportive care (PSC) consultation and advance care planning (ACP) improve outcomes for patients with incurable cancer. However, PSC is underutilized in the United States. ⋯ Differences in perception of appropriate end-of-life care exist between oncologists and PSC physicians, suggesting a need for improved education and communication between these groups.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Oct 2018
Older Patients' Perspectives on Quality of Serious Illness Care in Primary Care.
Despite increased focus on measuring and improving quality of serious illness care, there has been little emphasis on the primary care context or incorporation of the patient perspective. ⋯ Efforts to improve quality measurement and implementation of quality improvement initiatives in serious illness care should consider these aspects of care that patients deem important, particularly communication as an overarching priority.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Oct 2018
"Sacred Pause" in the ICU: Evaluation of a Ritual and Intervention to Lower Distress and Burnout.
Increased exposure to deaths in the intensive care unit (ICU) generate grief among ICU staff, which remains unresolved most of the time. Unresolved grief becomes cumulative and presents a risk factor for burnout. "sacred pause" is a ritual performed at patient's death to honor the lost life and recognize the efforts of the health-care team. ⋯ Sacred pause brings closure, prevents cumulative grief and distress, builds resilience, promotes team effort, and improves professional satisfaction of ICU team. It may lower burnout syndrome in ICU, but further studies are warranted.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Oct 2018
Providing Palliative Care in the Medical ICU: A Qualitative Study of MICU Physicians' Beliefs and Practices.
With the current and projected shortage of palliative care (PC) specialists, an integrative model of PC will be needed to meet the needs of patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Prior studies of PC interventions suggest that success depends upon meeting the needs of individual institutions or ICUs. ⋯ Developing an integrative model of PC in the ICU ought to take into account both studied interventions shown likely to be effective in the ICU setting and the specific needs and barriers to PC in that unit. This study demonstrates one way that needs and barriers can be identified and provides important findings that might be applicable to other institutions.