Cancer practice
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The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the influence of culture on cancer pain management in Hispanic (Mexican and Central American) patients. ⋯ When providing care to Hispanic patients, it is imperative to be nonjudgmental, sensitive, and respectful. To improve compliance, the multidisciplinary cancer team should 1) incorporate the patients' folk healthcare practices and beliefs into the plan of care when possible; 2) involve family members and friends in the patient's care, identifying one key family contact; and 3) ensure that instructions for medications are available in Spanish and understood by the patient and care giver. When patients' overall beliefs and values are respected, compliance with pharmacological and other interventions may increase accordingly.
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Improving or maintaining the quality of life for persons with cancer is a major goal of end-of-life care; however, to measure quality-of-life outcomes, a valid and reliable measure is needed. The purpose of this project was to report the psychometric properties of the revised Hospice Quality of Life Index (HQLI), including validity and reliability for hospice patients with cancer. ⋯ Emphasis has been placed recently on understanding quality of life from the patient's perspective. The development of a valid and reliable tool can guide care givers in providing meaningful quality-of-life care. The HQLI provides patients the opportunity to express beliefs about quality-of-life issues and to maintain direction over a critical aspect of their care. Of note from this study, the significant difference between groups in functional well-being and minimal difference in social/spiritual well-being suggest that patients are able to appraise their functional abilities realistically and still maintain their social network and spiritual beliefs. Indeed, it may be that patients give family relationships and spiritual beliefs greater focus during a terminal illness.