The American journal of hospice & palliative care
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Hip fracture in the elderly patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There is great need for advance care planning should a patient fail to rehabilitate or experience an adverse event during or after recovery. This study was performed to evaluate for palliative care consultation and changes in code status and/or advance directives in elderly patients with hip fracture. ⋯ Hip fracture in elderly patients is an important opportunity to reassess the patient's personal health-care priorities. Advance directives, goals of care, and code status documentation should be updated in all elderly patients with hip fracture, should the patient's health decompensate.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Apr 2018
Comparative StudyPatient Reported Outcomes After Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases as a Function of Age: A Secondary Analysis of the NCIC CTG SC-Twenty-Three Randomized Trial.
To explore the age difference in response and patient-reported outcomes in patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy. ⋯ In patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy, there was no significant difference in general with age in response to radiation and patient-reported outcomes. Palliative radiotherapy should be offered to elderly patients when needed.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Apr 2018
Disparities Associated With Inpatient Palliative Care Utilization by Patients With Metastatic Gynecologic Cancers: A Study of 3337 Women.
To determine the factors associated with inpatient palliative care (PC) use in patients with metastatic gynecologic cancer. ⋯ Patients who were older, black, or had uterine and cervical cancers were more likely to use PC. Although the overall use of PC has increased, less than one-quarter of patients who died in the hospital used PC services during their final hospital admission.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Apr 2018
Pain Management Concerns From the Hospice Family Caregivers' Perspective.
Pain management is a challenging task for family caregivers in home hospice care. However, there are limited studies that examine the challenges regarding pain management in hospice care from family caregivers' perspectives. ⋯ The study provided an investigation on hospice family caregivers' difficulties in pain management. The results can inform health-care providers and researchers of family caregivers' challenges and provide insights for future designs of educational tools targeting pain management strategies, so that family caregivers can perform pain management effectively at home.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Apr 2018
Comparative StudyThe Comfort Measures Order Set at a Tertiary Care Academic Hospital: Is There a Comparable Difference in End-of-Life Care Between Patients Dying in Acute Care When CMOS Is Utilized?
Standardized protocols have been previously shown to be helpful in managing end-of-life (EOL) care in hospital. The comfort measures order set (CMOS), a standardized framework for assessing imminently dying patients' symptoms and needs, was implemented at a tertiary academic hospital. ⋯ Implementation of the CMOS is helpful in providing a foundation to a comfort approach in imminently dying patients. However, more education on its utility as a framework for EOL care and assessment across the organization is still required.