Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2005
ReviewSystematic review of specialist palliative day-care for adults with cancer.
To inform future practice, research and policy in specialist palliative day-care by systematically reviewing the evidence for how the structure and process of this form of care relate to outcomes for adults with cancer. ⋯ There is evidence for high satisfaction among patients selected into day-care, but not yet sufficient to judge whether this improves symptom control or health-related quality of life. Further research should explore selection and access into care, the most effective models of care, its cost, and potential benefits for relatives and carers. Comparison with models of care for older adults and those with mental illness would also be informative.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2005
Multicenter StudyFactors influencing preferences for place of terminal care and of death among cancer patients and their families in Korea.
This study examined cancer patient and family member preferences-and the reasons for the preferences-regarding place of terminal care and of death. ⋯ A majority of cancer patients preferred to receive terminal care at home. Cancer patients and family members with strong support groups were more likely to prefer the home as the place of terminal care and dying. Hence, improving support networks might increase the proportion of patients receiving home care and dying at home.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2005
Discussing end-of-life issues with terminally ill cancer patients and their carers: a qualitative study.
Discussing end-of-life issues is of key importance to terminally ill cancer patients and their families, and a challenging topic for both health professionals and patients/carers. There is a lack of research evidence in the literature to guide clinical practice. The objective of this study was to explore the optimal content and phrasing of information when discussing the dying process and end-of-life issues with terminally ill cancer patients and their carers. ⋯ This paper provides strategies, words and phrases which may inform discussions about the process of dying and end-of-life issues. Further research is needed to determine the generalizability of these findings.