The American journal of hospice & palliative care
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Mar 2019
Multicenter StudyA Retrospective Chart Review of Transfusion Practices in the Palliative Care Unit Setting.
There remains limited data in the literature on the frequency, clinical utility and effectiveness of transfusions in palliative care, with no randomized controlled trials or clinical practice guidelines on this topic. There are no routinely accepted practices in place for the appropriate transfusion of blood products in this setting. ⋯ Transfusions in the palliative care units were infrequent, symptom targeted, and well tolerated, though the lack of standardized pre/post assessment tools limits any ability to draw conclusions about utility. Patients would benefit from additional research in this area and the development of clinical practice guidelines for transfusions in palliative care.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Mar 2019
Do Electronic Medical Records Improve Advance Directive Documentation? A Systematic Review.
Documentation rates of advance directives (ADs) remain low. Using electronic medical records (EMRs) could help, but a synthesis of evidence is currently lacking. ⋯ Limited evidence suggests EMRs could be used to help address AD documentation challenges but may also create additional problems. Stronger evidence is needed to more conclusively determine how EMR may assist in population approaches to improving AD documentation.