J Palliat Care
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Multicenter Study
Factors associated with fulfilling the preference for dying at home among cancer patients: the role of general practitioners.
This study aimed to explore clinical and care-related factors associated with fulfilling cancer patients' preference for home death across four countries: Belgium (BE), The Netherlands (NL), Italy (IT), and Spain (ES). ⋯ Those who develop policy to facilitate home death need to examine available resources for primary end-of-life care.
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This prospective descriptive study investigated pain characteristics in 20 outpatients with endstage liver disease (ESLD) who were approaching the end of life, described variability in pain between and within patients, and described the pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain management strategies used. The instruments we utilized were the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the self-care behaviour (SCB) log for pain. ⋯ The top three pain-relieving behaviours reported by patients were "taking pain medication," "taking a nap," and "asking for help." Pain medication intake-differed between patients who were pursuing a liver transplant and those who were not eligible for one. If we are to effectively improve care for ESLD patients, it is essential that we understand the ways in which these patients experience pain and the pain management strategies they employ.
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Few data are available on the costs occurring during the palliative phase of care and on the sharing of these costs in rural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the costs related to all resources used by rural palliative care patients and to examine how these costs were shared between the public healthcare system (PHCS), patients' families, and not-for-profit organizations (NFPOs). A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken of 82 palliative care patients and their main informal caregivers in rural areas of four Canadian provinces. ⋯ The mean total cost per patient for a six-month participation in a palliative care program was CA$31,678 +/- 1,160. A large part of this cost was attributable to inpatient hospital stays and was assumed by the PHCS. The patient's family contributed less than a quarter of the mean total cost per patient, and this was mainly attributable to caregiving time.