Journal of palliative medicine
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Little is known about young caregivers of people with advanced life-limiting illness. Better understanding of the needs and characteristics of these young caregivers can inform development of palliative care and other support services. ⋯ Young people can be integral to end-of-life care, and represent a significant cohort of active caregivers with unique needs and experiences. They may have a more negative experience as caregivers, and increased needs for grief counseling services compared to other age cohorts of caregivers.
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The provision of supportive and palliative care for people with life-shortening illness has been emphasized throughout Department of Health and National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) cancer guidance. However, the question of whether services are achieving this aim has been sparsely researched to date particularly in relation to Specialist Palliative Day Care (SPDC) services. The current study aims to explore the experiences of patients attending SPDC with regard to coping with a terminal illness. ⋯ This work provides a piece of the puzzle in the exploration of the processes underpinning attendance at SPDC from a patient's perspective. It suggests that SPDC provides an environment in which patients receive help in coping with terminal illness. In such an under researched area it provides an insight regarding SPDC attendance which can be built upon or challenged by future research.
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High symptom burden and hospital mortality among patients with lung cancer argues for early palliative care intervention. Patient characteristics and discharge dispositions in hospitalized patients with lung cancer receiving usual care were compared to those referred to a new palliative care service. ⋯ In the first 3 years of a new palliative care initiative consults for lung cancer patients occurred late in the hospital stay or when death was imminent.
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A wide range of palliative care services has been implemented in Catalonia over the past 20 years. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the organization of palliative care services between districts and settings can result in wide variability in the quality of these services, and their accessibility. ⋯ We conclude that benchmark methodology is valuable in acquiring data for use in improving palliative care organization for patients' benefit.
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Multicenter Study
Preferences of patients with advanced lung cancer regarding the involvement of family and others in medical decision-making.
To explore the preferences of competent patients with advanced lung cancer regarding involvement of family and/or others in their medical decision-making, and their future preferences in case of loss of competence. ⋯ The majority of patients with lung cancer wanted family involvement in decision-making, and almost all did so in case of future loss of competence. However, as half of the patients changed their minds over time about the degree of family involvement they wanted if they lost competence, physicians should regularly rediscuss a patient's preferences.