Journal of palliative medicine
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Observational Study
Operationalizing Outpatient Palliative Care Referral Criteria in Lung Cancer Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using Health Administrative Data.
Background: Early referral of cancer patients for palliative care significantly improves the quality of life. It is not clear which patients can benefit from an early referral, and when the referral should occur. A Delphi Panel study proposed 11 major criteria for an outpatient palliative care referral. Objective: To operationalize major Delphi criteria in a cohort of lung cancer patients, using a prospective approach, by linking health administrative data. Design: Population-based observational cohort study. Setting/Subjects: The study population comprised 38,851 cases of lung cancer in the Ontario Cancer Registry, diagnosed from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Measurements: We operationalized 6 of the 11 major criteria (4 diagnosis or prognosis based and 2 symptom based). ⋯ The median time from palliative care eligibility to the receipt of first palliative care or death or maximum study follow-up was 56 days (range = 17-348). Conclusions: We operationalized six major criteria that identified the majority of lung cancer patients who were eligible for palliative care. Most eligible patients received the palliative care before death. Future research is warranted to test these criteria in other cancer populations.
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Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is usually adopted to prevent urinary tract infection (UTI) after nephrostomy catheter placement and replacement. This prophylaxis has been little studied in cancer patients, and its efficacy is uncertain. Objective: To determine the rate of UTI associated with percutaneous nephrostomy catheters placement and replacement and associated risk factors. ⋯ Results: In the univariate analyses, there was no significant difference in the rate of urinary infection between patients receiving and not receiving antibiotic prophylaxis before percutaneous nephrostomy and after replacement. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for managing urinary tract obstruction by percutaneous nephrostomy is not recommended in cancer patients. In contrast, for catheter replacement, antibiotic prophylaxis appears to have a protective effect for UTI.
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Review
Evaluation Tools for Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Learning Experiences: A Literature Review.
Background: An interdisciplinary palliative care team began exploring evaluation tools used to assess changes in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of learners participating in clinical learning experiences on an interdisciplinary palliative care consult service. This article will review existing evaluation tools, examine the themes that emerge, discuss their strengths and limitations, and make recommendations for continued development in the field. Methods and Findings: A literature search was performed using the MEDLINE database. Search terms included combinations of the following: interdisciplinary education, assessment/evaluation, and palliative care or palliative care assessment/test. ⋯ Evaluation tools varied in terms of learner type, assessment type, and frequency. No tool was comprehensive in the assessment of knowledge, skills, and attitudes or truly interdisciplinary. Conclusions: There is a lack of comprehensive and interdisciplinary evaluation tools in the published literature. Further research should be conducted to develop a tool that meets the needs of learners in clinical experiences within an interdisciplinary service.
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Background: A significant number of newborns are affected by life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Despite this prevalence, there are inconsistencies in attitudes toward, and delivery of, neonatal palliative care. Implementing neonatal palliative care practice requires a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort. Objective: To examine institutional and individual barriers to and facilitators of neonatal palliative care from both medical and nursing perspectives. Design/Setting/Subjects: A prospective cross-sectional study design was used to collect data using the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale (NiPCAS) survey from medical providers and nurses in a 64-bed level IV neonatal intensive care unit in the United States. ⋯ In addition, there were differences between medical and nursing staffs' attitudes on several topics. Conclusions: Several facilitators and barriers of neonatal palliative care were identified. There were similarities and differences in perceptions of neonatal palliative care between medical and nursing staff. Future work should be done to strengthen facilitators and to mitigate barriers.