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.

Use of the Word "Cure" in the Oncology Literature
Conclusion: There is heterogeneity in the use of the word cure in the literature. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - July 9, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Prasad, V. Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

Mortality Trends for Pediatric Life-Threatening Conditions
Internal data from the sole pediatric hospice in British Columbia were utilized to investigate mortality trends among children dying from life-threatening conditions. Characteristics of the sample (hospice) were compared to that of the population (province) for individuals aged 0 to 18 years from 2002 to 2011. The provincial death rate was 2.30 per 10 000. The sample did not significantly vary with respect to sex and geographic distribution when compared to the population. Infants contributed to a significantly larger proportion of pediatric deaths in the population. Children referred to the hospice were more likely to be ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Chavoshi, N., Miller, T., Siden, H. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Decisions and Caregiving: End of Life Among Blacks From the Perspective of Informal Caregivers and Decision Makers
This focus group study describes end-of-life caregiving and decision making among blacks from the perspective of the informal caregivers and decision makers. The Behavioral Model of Health Services Use framed the study. Five focus groups with a total of 53 informal caregivers/decision makers were conducted. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used for the data analysis. Findings are presented under the themes of end of life caregiving and decision making roles, dynamics and process, and beliefs and values. The common thread of care giving and decision-making within relationship and six subthemes were identified. Fi...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Conner, N. E., Chase, S. K. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Telemedicine as a Tool to Provide Family Conferences and Palliative Care Consultations in Critically Ill Patients at Rural Health Care Institutions: A Pilot Study
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that palliative care consultations can be provided via telemedicine for critically ill patients and that adequate preparation and technical expertise are essential. Although this study is limited by the nature of the retrospective review, it is evident that more research is needed to further assess its applicability, utility, and acceptability. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Menon, P. R., Stapleton, R. D., McVeigh, U., Rabinowitz, T. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Assessment of Levels of Hospice Care Coverage Offered to Commercial Managed Care Plan Members in California: Implications for the California Health Insurance Exchange
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act that provides for the expansion of affordable insurance to uninsured individuals and small businesses, coupled with the provision of mandated hospice coverage, is expected to increase the enrollment of the terminally ill younger population in hospice care. We surveyed health insurance companies that offer managed care plans in the 2014 California health insurance exchange and large hospice agencies that provided hospice care to privately insured patients in 2011. Compared with Medicare and Medicaid hospice benefits, hospice benefits for privately insured patients, particularly ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Chung, K., Jahng, J., Petrosyan, S., Kim, S. I., Yim, V. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Hospice Referral After Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment of Individuals With Advanced Dementia From a Nursing Home
This report addresses the discharge disposition following inpatient psychiatric treatment for advanced dementia. The total population included 685 305 Medicare fee-for-service decedents with advanced cognitive and functional impairment, with a mean age of 85.9 years who had resided in a nursing home. In the last 90 days of life, 1027 (0.15%) persons received inpatient psychiatry treatment just prior to the place of care where the individual died. Discharge dispositions included 132 (12.9%) persons to a medical hospital, 728 (70.9%) to nursing home without hospice services, 73 (7.1%) to hospice services in a nursing home, 3...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Epstein-Lubow, G., Fulton, A. T., Marino, L. J., Teno, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Existential Concerns About Death: A Qualitative Study of Dying Patients in a Danish Hospice
Research suggests that addressing dying patients’ existential concerns can improve their quality of life. We aimed to illuminate dying patients’ existential concerns about the impending death through a descriptive analysis of semistructured interviews with 17 patients in Danish hospices. The main findings demonstrated how the patients faced the imminent death without being anxious of death but sorrowful about leaving life. Some patients expressed that they avoided thinking about death. They wished to focus on positive aspects in their daily life. We argue that the patients’ existential concerns could not ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Moestrup, L., Hansen, H. P. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Comparison Between Home and Hospital as the Place of Death for Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in the Last Stages of Illness
Conclusion: Providing family education and ensuring the availability of local family physicians are vital to meeting a patient's desire to die at home. Home care nursing should be introduced in the early stage after diagnosis to provide support to patients for timely decision-making.   (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Ushikubo, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Bridging the Gap Between Continuous Sedation Until Death and Physician-Assisted Death: A Focus Group Study in Nursing Homes in Flanders, Belgium
The distinction between continuous sedation until death (CSD) and physician-assisted death (PAD) has become a topic of medical ethical debate. We conducted 6 focus groups to examine how nursing home clinicians perceive this distinction. For some, the difference is clear whereas others consider CSD a form of euthanasia. Another group situates CSD between pain relief and ending life. Arguments for these perspectives refer to the following themes: intention, dosage of sedative drugs, unconsciousness, and the pace of the dying process. Generally, CSD is considered emotionally easier to deal with since it entails a gradual dyin...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Rys, S., Deschepper, R., Mortier, F., Deliens, L., Bilsen, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Withdrawal of Artificial Nutrition: Influence of Prior Experience on the Perception of Caregivers
Conclusion: The coherence of the withdrawal of AN with the personal beliefs of the caregivers, already high in the absence of being confronted with this practice, is better among caregivers who have been confronted with this situation. The lack of information perceived by caregivers should prompt us to develop additional training on the withdrawal of AN, its objectives, and its clinical consequences. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Leheup, B. F., Piot, E., Goetz, C., Quilliot, D., Niemier, J.-Y., Wary, B., Ducrocq, X. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

What Consumers Want to Know About Quality When Choosing a Hospice Provider
This study drew on focus group and survey data collected in 5 metropolitan areas. The study found that consumers reported the hospice quality indicators we tested were easy to understand. Participants placed top priority on measures related to pain and symptom management. Relative to consumers with hospice experience, consumers without previous experience tended to place less value on spiritual support for patients and caregivers, emotional support for caregivers, and after-hours availability. The National Quality Forum-approved measures resonate well with consumers. Consumers also appear to be ready for access to data on ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Smith, B., McDuff, J., Naierman, N., Kreling, B., Tein, N., Hunter, D., Deviney, M., Lynn, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

End-of-Life Care Beliefs Among Muslim Physicians
Conclusion: Muslim physicians' beliefs on EOLC issues are affected more by the area of practice, country of origin and previous experience in talking about comfort care than the religious beliefs. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Saeed, F., Kousar, N., Aleem, S., Khawaja, O., Javaid, A., Siddiqui, M. F., Holley, J. L. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Accepting Transitions: African Americans Discuss End of Life
Background: African Americans typically underuse hospice care; this study explores their end of life attitudes. Methods: An iterative focus group strategy generated qualitative data using 4 baseline groups and 1 confirmatory focus group recruited from predominantly African American churches. Each group consisted of 8 to 14 adults. Investigators analyzed data for dominant themes, representatives from baseline groups returned to discuss the results. Results: A total of 43 African Americans (male: 8 [18.6]; female: 35 [81.4]) participated in initial discussions, with 10 returning for follow-up. The prevailing theme was tran...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Yancu, C. N., Farmer, D. F., Graves, M. J., Rhinehardt, A., Leahman, D. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Patient-Centered Care or Cultural Competence: Negotiating Palliative Care at Home for Chinese Canadian Immigrants
The literature about Chinese attitudes toward death and dying contains frequent references to strong taboos against open discussion about death; consequently, there is an assumption that dying at home is not the preferred option. This focused ethnographic study examined the palliative home care experiences of 4 Chinese immigrants with terminal cancer, their family caregivers, and home care nurses and key informant interviews with 11 health care providers. Three main themes emerged: (1) the many facets of taboo; (2) discursive tensions between patient-centered care and cultural competence; and (3) rethinking language barrie...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Nielsen, L. S., Angus, J. E., Howell, D., Husain, A., Gastaldo, D. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

The Study on Evaluation and Improvement of Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer by China's Hospice Program
This multicenter study evaluated the quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced cancer and assessed the improvement in patients’ QOL by hospice service program, using McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire-Hong Kong version (MQOL-HK) questionnaire in China’s 32 hospice centers from March to June, 2012. Among 640 recruited cases, data of 630 patients were analyzed. Differences in patients’ pre- and posthospice QOL were evaluated. Compared to prehospice results, patients’ QOL scores improved significantly in physical, psychological, existential, and support domains after 3 weeks of hospice services...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - May 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Deng, D., Lin, W., Law, F. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research