Journal of palliative medicine
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The objective was to explore the utility of a new three-item depression screening tool concerning time and life perception (TLP-3), compared with the DSM-IV criteria. ⋯ TLP-3 is a novel and clinically applicable approach to assessing depression among palliative care patients. Further investigation is needed on the psychological significance of time and life perception distortions, and its possible application to screen for depression among patients nearing end of life.
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There are few studies where quality of life (QOL) and contributive factors are assessed in locked-in syndrome (LIS) patients with complete physical and functional disability and dependence on caregivers. ⋯ In our study, QOL in LIS patients was not significantly altered compared to control subjects in MQOL-SIS and in the MCS SF-36 scale; these results match previous studies published in the literature. Several factors may have an impact on QOL in LIS patients, such as family support and patient-computer communication devices; these may have contributed to improve QOL in LIS patients in this study.
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As the United States braces for full implementation of health care reform, the eyes of the nation are on Medicaid. The large number of newly eligible Medicaid beneficiaries may challenge health care resources and ultimately impact quality of care. This is a special concern among current Medicaid beneficiaries such as children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) who have significant health care needs, especially at end of life (EOL). Yet, a comprehensive profile of these children is lacking. ⋯ The current California Medicaid system appears to provide comprehensive care for children at EOL. The underutilization of hospice and home health services, however, represents an opportunity to improve the quality of EOL care while potentially reducing or remaining budget neutral.