Journal of palliative medicine
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The majority of young people in need of palliative care live in low- and middle-income countries, where curative treatment is less available. ⋯ Comprehensive pediatric palliative care provision is possible even in markedly impoverished settings. Improved national health system support, specialized training and opioid access are key targets for research and advocacy. Application of a checklist methodology can promote awareness of gaps to guide program evaluation, reporting, and strengthening.
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Cancer patients with advanced disease who have exhausted most treatment options are often offered participation in Phase I clinical trials. To date, studies that assess the benefits of palliative care provided concurrently in Phase I clinical trial settings are lacking. The overall purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a palliative care intervention administered concurrently to cancer patients receiving treatment in a Phase I clinical trial. ⋯ Concurrent palliative care is feasible for cancer patients treated in Phase I clinical trial settings. A large, multisite randomized controlled trial based on this pilot will be launched to test the efficacy of the intervention in this understudied cancer population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Nurse education program on meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: a randomized controlled study of a novel two-day workshop.
Fostering patients' sense of meaning is an essential task for palliative care clinicians. Few studies have reported the effects on nurses of a short-term training program aimed at improving skills to relieve feelings of meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients. ⋯ This short-term educational intervention had a significant beneficial effect on nurses' confidence and modest effects on attitudes.
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Comparative Study
Pediatric palliative care consultation services in California hospitals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that palliative care be available to seriously ill hospitalized children, yet little is known about how these services are structured. ⋯ All children's hospital and a few mixed hospitals offer pediatric PCS. Better understanding of the palliative care needs of seriously ill children in mixed hospitals and assessment of the quality of care provided will help ensure that children seen in these hospitals receive necessary care.