American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Changes in and Associations Among Functional Status and Perceived Quality of Life of Patients With Metastatic/Locally Advanced Cancer Receiving Rehabilitation for General Disability
The primary aims were to clarify the changes in the functional status and quality of life of patients with metastatic/locally advanced cancer who received rehabilitation therapy. This is a cohort study, and all consecutive patients who received rehabilitation therapy were evaluated before and 2 weeks after. Outcome measures were the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), perceived independence, and overall quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer C30). A total of 128 patients were included. Although the FIM score significantly decreased, the overall quality of life significantly increased...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - October 4, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Sekine, R., Ogata, M., Uchiyama, I., Miyakoshi, K., Uruma, M., Miyashita, M., Morita, T. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Organizational Barriers to Cultural Competence in Hospice
This national mixed method study with directors of 207 hospices identified major barriers to cultural competence, including (1) lack of funding for additional staff for community outreach or development of culturally competent programs, (2) lack of applications from diverse professionals, and (3) lack of knowledge about diverse cultures and what cultural groups in the community are not being served. Qualitative results indicated that elements of an organizational culture, which create barriers to access included (1) failure to prioritize cultural competence, (2) failure to budget for culturally competent services, and (3) ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - October 4, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Reese, D. J., Beckwith, S. K. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Life Support After Brain Death
(Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Baumrucker, S. J., Hutchinson, L., Stolick, M., Carter, G. T., Oertli, K., Schmidt, L. S., Adkins, R. W. Tags: Ethics Roundtable Source Type: research

Palliative Sedation: An Analysis of International Guidelines and Position Statements
Purpose: To describe the suggested clinical practice of palliative sedation as it is presented in the literature and discuss available guidelines for its use. Methods: CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for publications since 1997 for recommended guidelines and position statements on palliative sedation as well as data on its provision. Keywords included palliative sedation, terminal sedation, guidelines, United States, and end of life. Inclusion criteria were palliative sedation policies, frameworks, guidelines, or discussion of its practice, general or oncology patient population, performance of the interv...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Gurschick, L., Mayer, D. K., Hanson, L. C. Tags: Review Article Source Type: research

Chronic Pain and Risk Factors for Opioid Misuse in a Palliative Care Clinic
Conclusion: Chronic pain and indicators of opioid misuse risk were prevalent. Outpatient palliative care practices should develop policies to address these issues. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Childers, J. W., King, L. A., Arnold, R. M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Knowledge About Hospice Care and Beliefs About Pain Management: Exploring Differences Between Hispanics and Non-Hispanics
Conclusion: Despite the increasing knowledge of hospice care among Hispanics, specific information about the scope of services remains limited. Cultural beliefs about pain management, along with inadequate knowledge of the role of pain management at end of life, persist. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Carrion, I. V., Cagle, J. G., Van Dussen, D. J., Culler, K. L., Hong, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Reaction to Caregiving by Hospice Caregivers Upon Enrollment
This study explores the reactions of hospice caregivers to their caregiving experience prior to enrollment in hospice and identifies potential stressors associated with those reactions. Results found anxiety to be a significant predictor in the reaction of caregivers to their caregiving experience upon hospice enrollment. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Albright, D. L., Oliver, D. P., Demiris, G. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

End-of-Life Issues in UK Medical Schools
Discussion: Data suggest that UK medical schools have addressed EOL issues. These findings should have significance for medical schools considering changes in their EOL offerings. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Dickinson, G. E., Paul, E. S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Does Tramadol Have a Role in Pain Control in Palliative Care?
Conclusion: The data suggest that tramadol may have a role to play in the treatment of pain in palliative care. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Goncalves, J. A. F., Silva, P., Araujo, P. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Dialogue on Ideal End-of-Life Care for Those With Dementia
Purpose: To identify both meanings and perceptions of delivery of end-of-life (EoL) care for the person experiencing dementia. Design/Methods: As part of a larger cross-sectional mixed methods study examining quality of life in dementia, perspectives of EoL care were sought from 136 seniors using open-ended questions administered at interview. Results: Seniors living in various settings identified obligatory requisites of care as time when the finality of death needed to be accepted, comfort was prioritized, family presence was valued, appearance remained important, and solitude or time "to be with God" was stressed. Ski...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Stewart-Archer, L. A., Afghani, A., Toye, C. M., Gomez, F. A. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Evaluation of A Novel Information-Sharing Instrument for Home-Based Palliative Care: A Feasibility Study
Conclusion: This novel pathway is feasible and seems to be useful. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Tanabe, K., Sawada, K., Shimada, M., Kadoya, S., Endo, N., Ishiguro, K., Takashima, R., Amemiya, Y., Fujikawa, Y., Ikezaki, T., Takeuchi, M., Kitazawa, H., Iida, H., Koseki, S., Morita, T., Sasaki, K., Kashii, T., Murakami, N. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Strategies for Development of Palliative Care From the Perspectives of General Population and Health Care Professionals: A Japanese Outreach Palliative Care Trial of Integrated Regional Model Study
This study primarily aimed to identify future actions required to promote palliative care in Japan. The future actions regarded as effective by the general population were "improve physicians’ skill in palliative care" (61%), "create a counseling center for cancer" (61%), and "improve nurses’ skill in palliative care" (60%). In contrast, future actions regarded as effective by the health care professionals were "set up a Web site that provides information about cancer" (72%), "promote consultation with specialists in palliative care" (71%), and "open an outpatient department specializing in palliative care" (70...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Yoshida, S., Miyashita, M., Morita, T., Akizuki, N., Akiyama, M., Shirahige, Y., Ichikawa, T., Eguchi, K. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Assessment of Intervention by a Palliative Care Team Working in a Japanese General Hospital: A Retrospective Study
Our objective was to explore the effectiveness of a palliative care team (PCT) by investigating potential differences in opioid prescription between patients who had had PCT involvement before admission to an inpatient hospice and those who had not. A total of 221 patients met the criteria; they were divided into an intervention group (n = 140) and a control group (n = 81). The daily dose of opioid before admission to the hospice was significantly higher in the intervention group (P < .001). The difference between the maximum opioid dose and the initial dose, the rate of increase in opioids until death, and the length o...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Amano, K., Morita, T., Tatara, R., Katayama, H., Aiki, S., Kitada, N., Fumimoto, H., Sato, E. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

The Barriers to High-Quality Inpatient Pain Management: A Qualitative Study
The current literature suggests deficiencies in the quality of acute pain management among general medical inpatients. The aim of this qualitative study is to identify potential barriers to high-quality acute pain management among general medical inpatients at an urban academic medical center during a 2-year period. Data are collected using retrospective chart reviews, survey questionnaires, and semistructured, open-ended interviews of 40 general medical inpatients who have experienced pain during their hospitalization. Our results confirm high prevalence and disabling impacts of pain and significant patient- and provider-...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Lin, R. J., Reid, M. C., Liu, L. L., Chused, A. E., Evans, A. T. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Diabetes Management in End of Life: A Preliminary Report Stemming From Clinical Experience
We report our experience of diabetes management in a palliative care setting. In our retrospective 3-year activity sample (n = 563), 27.2% of patients have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus: 80% have cancer whereas 20% have a main diagnosis of other severe chronic diseases. As to the presence/absence of diabetes, no differences emerge in the examined clinical indicators and global survival, with the exception of body mass index and days of hospitalization. At lifetime analysis, Barthel index and palliative prognostic index are the only parameters significantly related to death. Even if diabetes seems not to modify the progn...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - August 6, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Dionisio, R., Giardini, A., De Cata, P., Pirali, B., Rossi, S., Negri, E. M., Ferrari, P., Preti, P. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research