Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyFace-validation of quality indicators for the organization of palliative care in hospitals in Indonesia: a contribution to quality improvement.
Quality indicators (QIs) for the organization of palliative care (PC) can contribute to quality improvement as they assess the key elements for adequate organization of care. They might differ between health care organization, cultures and economic resources. The aim of this study was face-validate an Indonesian set of QIs based on a European set, to compare the two sets of QIs and to test the applicability of Indonesian set. ⋯ We found that most QIs for the organization of PC developed for European countries were also considered face-valid for Indonesian hospitals. The top 10 QIs were applicable in Indonesia. This suggests that most of the organizational QIs are universal rather than country specific. The Indonesian set of QIs should be considered as a first step in developing, testing, and implementing a set of QIs for PC in Indonesia. We recommend validation in other Asian regions.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2014
Decision making at the end of life--cancer patients' and their caregivers' views on artificial nutrition and hydration.
Deciding on artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) at the end of life (EoL) may cause concerns in patients and their family caregivers but there is scarce evidence regarding their preferences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of factors associated with ANH decision making. ⋯ Cancer patients and their relatives have similar preferences regarding ANH at the EoL, but relatives are reluctant to withhold AH if deciding for their loved one. While patients seem to be confident with ANH decision making, their caregivers may particularly benefit from discussing ANH options to dissipate fears.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2014
The dyadic effects of coping and resilience on psychological distress for cancer survivor couples.
This study aimed to examine the actor and partner effects of coping and resilience characteristics on psychological distress in cancer survivors and their spouses and to examine the mediating role of resilience characteristics in the relationship between coping and psychological distress. ⋯ Our findings provide insight into the relationships between coping, resilience characteristics, and psychological distress at the individual and dyadic levels. Enhancing cancer survivors' and their spouses' positive thoughts and available external resources can improve resilience and, in turn, reduce their psychological distress of couples coping with cancer.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2014
Making sense of continuous sedation in end-of-life care for cancer patients: an interview study with bereaved relatives in three European countries.
The purpose of the study was to explore relatives' descriptions and experiences of continuous sedation in end-of-life care for cancer patients and to identify and explain differences between respondents from the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. ⋯ Relatives believed that sedation contributed to the patient having a good death. Nevertheless, they also expressed concerns that may have been provoked by unexpected events for which they were unprepared. There seems to exist differences in the process of saying goodbye between the NL/BE and the UK.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2014
A correlational study of suicidal ideation with psychological distress, depression, and demoralization in patients with cancer.
This study aims to study the effects of depression and demoralization on suicidal ideation and to determine the feasibility of the Distress Thermometer as a screening tool for patients with cancer who experience depression and demoralization, and thus to establish a model screening process for suicide prevention. ⋯ Demoralization had more influence on suicidal ideation than depression did. Therefore, attention should be paid to highly demoralized patients with cancer or high demoralization comorbid with depression for the purposes of suicide evaluation and prevention. The DT scale (with a cutoff of ≥5 points) has discriminative ability as a screening tool for demoralization or depression and can also be used in clinical settings for the preliminary screening of patients with cancer and high suicide risk.