Journal of palliative medicine
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Social work practitioners have the potential to make meaningful contributions to improving palliative and end-of-life care because of their work in varied and divergent practice settings across the lifespan, their role in addressing mental health needs, grief and psychosocial aspects of well-being, and their commitment to promoting culturally competent, effective, and humane care, particularly for the most vulnerable and oppressed members of society. The federal government and several national and professional institutes have called for steps to increase the participation of social work researchers as well as to improve the quality, quantity, and dissemination of social work research. ⋯ This research agenda should serve to stimulate social work research initiatives to improve palliative and end-of-life care, and ultimately inform direct practice, policy and professional education.
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Poetry plays an age-old role in the art of healing. Although medicine today seems distant from the world of poetic expression, there are surprising commonalities between the two. ⋯ Reading and writing poetry can help physicians, especially those who care for dying patients, become more reflective, creative, and compassionate practitioners.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Supportive-affective group experience for persons with life-threatening illness: reducing spiritual, psychological, and death-related distress in dying patients.
Attention to psycho-socio-spiritual needs is considered critical by patients with life-threatening illnesses and their caregivers. Palliative care interventions that address these needs--particularly spirituality--are lacking. ⋯ The use of the LTI-SAGE model for enhancing the end-of-life illness experience is promising.
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A majority of medical students feel uncomfortable with dying patients. ⋯ A Hospice based elective can be an effective model for facilitating learning about how to approach the patient with a terminal illness.