Journal of palliative medicine
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Inpatient Palliative Care (PC) consultations help develop a patient-centered and quality-of-life-focused plan of care for patients with serious illness. Discharge summaries (DSs) are an essential tool to maintain continuity of these care plans across multiple locations and providers. ⋯ More than one in five DSs lacked any code words of the completed PC consultation and more than one in three DSs lacked mention of PC. As DSs are the main source of provider communication, it is critical they reflect the key discussion points from the PC consultation, which will improve the transition of care and provider communication.
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The Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for improvement in education and training of pediatricians in pediatric palliative care (PPC). Given the shortage of PPC physicians and the immediate need for PPC medical education, this study reports the outcomes of a problem-based learning (PBL) module facilitated by academic general and subspecialty pediatric faculty (non-PPC specialists) to third year medical students. Objectives/Setting: To test the effectiveness of a PPC-PBL module on third year medical students' and pediatric faculty's declarative knowledge, attitudes toward, perceived exposure, and self-assessed competency in PPC objectives. ⋯ This study suggests that key concepts in PPC can be taught to medical students utilizing a PBL format and pediatric faculty resulting in improved knowledge and self-assessed competency in PPC.
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Patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) methods and social learning theory (SLT) require intensive interaction between researchers and stakeholders. Advance care planning (ACP) is valuable before major surgery, but a systematic review found no extant perioperative ACP tools. Consequently, PCOR methods and SLT can inform the development of an ACP educational video for patients and families preparing for major surgery. ⋯ Through an iterative process utilizing diverse PCOR engagement methods and informed by SLT, storyboards were developed for an ACP video. Field testing revealed the storyline to be highly meaningful for surgery patients and family members.
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With the increase in elderly population, life-threatening chronic diseases are increasing, simultaneously increasing the need for palliative care centers (PCCs). ⋯ The results of this study revealed some basic factors that affect LOS in PCCs. However, there may be much variation in the data obtained with the various reasons for which this patient group is admitted to a PCC.
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Palliative Care Matters is a national initiative designed to develop consensus on the steps that need to be taken now to ensure Canadians can access high-quality palliative care services as part of Canada's universal healthcare model. Covenant Health and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer joined with leading national health organizations to lead this initiative, resulting in a Consensus Development Conference in November 2016. Six questions were identified by experts in the field to form the basis of the conference. ⋯ Awareness of palliative care is not widespread in Canada, but support for a modest educational public health campaign is prevalent. Canadians also strongly support national palliative care standards and integration into the Canada Health Act, but simultaneously express financial concerns regarding the associated costs required. The public opinion survey results were used as part of the deliberations at the Consensus Development Conference, culminating in a consensus statement being issued to inform potential policy options and implementation plans for palliative care in Canada.