Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Oct 2003
Barriers to cancer pain management: home-health and hospice nurses and patients.
Undertreatment of cancer pain remains a major health-care problem. We utilized focus groups of hospice and home-health nurses and patients to elucidate factors contributing to inadequate pain management and to generate solutions for closing the gap between the current reality and optimal pain management. ⋯ This study identified several barriers to cancer pain control not previously identified in the literature. Strategies to improve cancer pain control are suggested.
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Support Care Cancer · Oct 2003
The relationship between patient characteristics and carer psychological status in home palliative cancer care.
Despite being both providers and intended recipients of care, informal carers in cancer palliative care report high levels of distress and unmet needs. In order to develop supportive care strategies, this analysis aimed to identify which patient characteristics contribute to carer psychological distress and which coping strategies carers employ. ⋯ Adequate provision of patient psychological interventions and effective pain education and control are needed in order to improve carers' psychological health. Patient characteristics are associated with apparently opposing forms of carers' coping (i.e. both avoidance and engagement), demonstrating the importance of interventions addressing a range of coping responses. Further research is needed to understand why carers employ problem-focused coping in response to symptoms but not to pain. Evidence-based interventions for informal carers are urgently needed but must be delivered in the context of optimal patient pain and symptom control.