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.

A Favorable Course of Palliative Sedation: Searching for Indicators Using Caregivers' Perspectives
Conclusions: A favorable course during palliative sedation seems more probable when health care professionals report on a (relatively) shorter time to reach the required depth of sedation and when a deeper level of sedation can be obtained. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - February 11, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Brinkkemper, T., Rietjens, J. A. C., Deliens, L., Ribbe, M. W., Swart, S. J., Loer, S. A., Zuurmond, W. W. A., Perez, R. S. G. M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Unsafe to Go Home
(Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Albert, S. M. Tags: End-of-Life Vignettes Source Type: research

Brand
(Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Moon, P. J. Tags: End-of-Life Vignettes Source Type: research

Reconnection: Having the End-of-Life Discussion With Mom
Learning how to speak with patients about end-of-life topics is often anxiety provoking for medical trainees. However, it also provides a unique opportunity for personal growth. The surprising reward of having such a conversation is presented in this reflection. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Peng, M. H. Tags: End-of-Life Vignettes Source Type: research

The Allegedly Abusive Surrogate
(Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Baumrucker, S. J., Schmidt, L. S., Stolick, M., Adkins, R. W., Oertli, R. K., McCall-Burton, M., VandeKieft, G. Tags: Ethics Roundtable Source Type: research

Young Adult Palliative Care: Challenges and Opportunities
Young adulthood is a time of immense growth and possibilities. As a result, it is also a time when serious illness can have profound effects. This review examines the current data pertinent to young adult palliative care and discusses the challenges and opportunities where palliative medicine can enhance the care provided to this growing and vulnerable population. From the data, 2 primary themes emerged (1) ongoing young adult development not only generates unique biologic disease burdens and clinical treatment options but also requires frequent assessment and promotion and (2) binary health care systems often leave young ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Clark, J. K., Fasciano, K. Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research

Biofield Therapies for Symptom Management in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Terminally ill patients experience negative symptoms at end of life (EOL) that hinder well-being and quality of life (QOL). Current intervention strategies are not always effective or feasible. A focused literature review to evaluate the use of biofield therapies (ie, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and Reiki) to manage the symptoms in EOL revealed no studies on the use these therapies, specifically in this population. Evidence from studies on relevant populations (patients with cancer, elderly patients, and patients experiencing chronic pain), which addressed the outcomes relevant to palliative and EOL care (EOLC; pain ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Henneghan, A. M., Schnyer, R. N. Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research

The Influence of Race on End-of-Life Choices Following a Counselor-Based Palliative Consultation
We present a retrospective cohort study of 2843 patients who received a counselor-based palliative care consultation at a large US southeastern hospital. Before the palliative consultation, 72.8% of the patients had no restrictions in care, and only 4.6% had chosen care and comfort only (CCO). After the consult, these choices dramatically changed, with only 17.5% remaining full code and 43.3% choosing CCO. Both before and after palliative consultation, blacks chose more aggressive medical care than whites, but racial differences diminished after the counselor-based consultation. Both African American and white patients and...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Benton, K., Stephens, J., Vogel, R., Ledlow, G., Ackermann, R., Babcock, C., McCook, G. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Enhancing Provider Knowledge and Patient Screening for Palliative Care Needs in Chronic Multimorbid Patients Receiving Home-Based Primary Care
This article describes a pilot model to increase palliative care (PC) knowledge and collaboration among providers and to systematically identify chronic multimorbid home care patients who would benefit from focused discussion of potential PC needs. Thirty health care providers from a home-based primary care team attended interdisciplinary trainings. The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) tool was used to trigger discussions of potential palliative needs at team rounds for patients who scored below a cutoff point on the tool. Palliative Performance Scale implementation added little burden on nurses and triggered a discussio...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Wharton, T., Manu, E., Vitale, C. A. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Preferences of Patients With Parkinson's Disease for Communication About Advanced Care Planning
Conclusions: Preferences regarding end-of-life discussions vary. Consequently, neurologists should ask patients about their preferences for this information and offer discussion periodically. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Tuck, K. K., Brod, L., Nutt, J., Fromme, E. K. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Use of Prognostic Tools in the Hospital, Assessment of Factors Behind Their Use or lack Thereof Through a Physician-Oriented Survey
Physician's use of prognostic tools may help to decide on the intensity of therapies provided and communicate with patients and their caregivers in a timely fashion. However, literature that describes knowledge, perceived limitations and overall use of these tools by doctors is lacking. By way of a physician survey, we attempted to look at the use of prognostic tools in our community of doctors in our department of internal medicine. Our results showed that overall physicians have superficial knowledge of prognostic tools. We also discovered that physicians believe these tools to be helpful, yet their availability is compr...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Zanartu, C., Matti-Orozco, B. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

The Effects of an Early Observational Experience on Medical Students' Attitudes Toward End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care is paramount in maintaining the quality of life of the terminally ill, protecting them from unnecessary treatment, and controlling costs incurred in their care. Training doctors to be effective end-of-life caregivers begins in medical school. A survey design was used to collect data from 166 first-year medical students before and after exposure to hospice or palliative care through an early clinical exposure program. Data demonstrated that students had a significant change in attitude scores after the observational experience (P < .05). Providing students with the opportunity to observe and participate ...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Wechter, E., O'Gorman, D. C., Singh, M. K., Spanos, P., Daly, B. J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Improving End-of-Life Care in Hospitals: A Qualitative Analysis of Bereaved Families' Experiences and Suggestions
Discussion: The view of bereaved families confirmed the need for improvement in general hospital EOL care. The results underline the importance of a more holistic EOL care. The application of communication skills training, structured family meetings, and integrated pathways is recommended. (Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Bussmann, S., Muders, P., Zahrt-Omar, C. A., Escobar, P. L. C., Claus, M., Schildmann, J., Weber, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

The Benefits of Rehabilitation for Palliative Care Patients
Palliative care requires an interdisciplinary team approach to provide the best care for patients with life-threatening illnesses. Like palliative medicine, rehabilitation also uses an interdisciplinary approach to treating patients with chronic illnesses. This review article focuses on rehabilitation interventions that can be beneficial in patients with late stage illnesses. Rehabilitation may be useful in improving the quality of life by palliating function, mobility, activities of daily living, pain relief, endurance, and the psyche of a patient while helping to maintain as much independence as possible, leading to a de...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Barawid, E., Covarrubias, N., Tribuzio, B., Liao, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Identifying Predictors of Hospice Eligibility in Patients With Parkinson Disease
This study aims to improve recognition of hospice eligibility for patients with Parkinson disease (PD) by ascertaining which variables have a higher probability of occurring uniquely in 6 to 12 months before death when compared to 18 to 24 months before death. Participants were 339 patients who died who were diagnosed with PD or Parkinsonism and treated with dopaminergic prescriptions for at least 3 years in northwestern US Veterans Affairs medical centers. A range of indicators were compared across 3 time periods (30-36 months, 24-18 months, and 12-6 months before death) using within-subjects repeated measures design. Res...
Source: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine - January 8, 2015 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Goy, E. R., Bohlig, A., Carter, J., Ganzini, L. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research