Articles: palliative-care.
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Palliative medicine · Nov 2000
Nonwhite ethnicity and the provision of specialist palliative care services: factors affecting doctors' referral patterns.
The aim of this paper was to examine the use of palliative care services by members of black/minority ethnic communities. Referral patterns of hospital consultants and general practitioners (GPs) to Birmingham St Mary's Hospice were examined. Semistructured interviews were carried out to explore doctors' perceptions of the benefits and limitations of hospice services for their black/minority ethnic patients and to identify potential barriers to referral. ⋯ Doctors did, however, refer their black/minority ethnic patients for hospice home-care services: 8.5% of referrals received by the hospice were for nonwhite patients. This referral rate increased to 19.3% in specific postcode areas known to have significant black/minority ethnic communities. Further research is needed to establish levels of awareness, explore attitudes towards palliative care services and assess the demand for specific services within various black/minority ethnic communities.
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Oncology nursing forum · Nov 2000
Experience of palliative home care according to caregivers' and patients' ages in Hong Kong Chinese people.
To identify the relationship between family caregivers' reported difficulty in managing caregiver tasks and ages of caregivers and patients. ⋯ Nursing support and preparation to younger caregivers and caregivers of younger patients are suggested in the practice of palliative home care.
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Recent UK government initiatives have stressed the importance of patient choice in health care. In relation to palliative care, this involves the achievement of the best quality of life, respect for patient autonomy and choice over treatment options. Regarding selection of analgesic, the treatment options are evaluated by considering efficacy and potency, routes of delivery, titration and conversion, adverse effects and cost effectiveness. ⋯ Opioid selection should take into account quality of life issues. However the scope for opioid selection seems likely to be restricted by considerations of cost effectiveness. The challenge is to ensure that the patient voice is heard.