Journal of palliative medicine
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Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe the current state of end-of-life (EOL) care education within pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship programs and explore potential differences in beliefs on EOL care education between program directors (PDs) and fellows. Design: A mixed-methods study based on data obtained through a nationally distributed, web-based cross-sectional survey of PCCM fellowship PDs and PCCM fellows was performed. Setting: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited PCCM fellowships in the United States. ⋯ Conclusions: Our study describes the current state of EOL care education within a sample of PCCM fellowship programs. We highlight the perceived need for additional EOL education and identify areas within EOL care that deserve more focus by PCCM fellows and PDs. Future studies with focus on EOL curriculum development in PCCM EOL training are needed.
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Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic debilitating pain disorder that is difficult to manage, in part due to its heterogeneous clinical presentation and lack of clearly defined pathophysiology. Patients usually require a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, which can entail pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, and interventional pain procedures, such as sympathetic nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, and dorsal root ganglion stimulation. ⋯ Although the use of ST has been reported for several types of refractory central and peripheral neuropathic pain, there is a paucity of data regarding the use of ST for complex regional pain syndrome. We present two patients with complex regional pain syndrome of the right lower extremity, who each underwent ST and experienced significant pain relief and improvement in function and quality of life.
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Clinical Trial
Support for Use of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Communication Items Among Seriously Ill Patients.
Background: High-quality doctor-patient communication is essential for patients with serious illnesses. The reliability and validity of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) communication items among these patients are unknown. Methods: Five CAHPS communication items, a 4-item Advance Care Planning (ACP) engagement scale, 5-item confidence in others' knowledge of ACP medical wishes scale, and a question about confidence in filling out ACP-related medical forms were administered to 1100 patients (20% response rate) with serious illness receiving primary care at three University of California Health Systems. ⋯ Communication was positively correlated with confidence in other's knowledge of ACP medical wishes (r = 0.32, p < 0.0001), ACP engagement (r = 0.14, p < 0.0001), and confidence in filling out ACP-related medical forms (r = 0.09, p = 0.0022). Conclusions: These findings support the use of CAHPS survey items to assess communication among patients with serious illnesses in primary care. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04012749.