Animal assisted intervention for oncology and palliative care patients: A systematic review

The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers exist to the utilization of palliative care in oncology. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to palliative care utilization in an oncology population. A systematic review of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psych Info databases were used for the literature search. Articles were included if they: 1) focused on cancer, (2) examined and discussed barriers to palliative care, and c) were peer reviewed, published in English, and had an accessible full text. A total of 29 studies (8 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) were identified and synthesized for this review. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 10 participants to 313 participants. The barriers to palliative care were categorized into barriers related to the patient and family, b) barriers related to providers, and c) barriers related to the healthcare system or policy. The factors identified in this review provide guidance for intervention development to mitigate the existing barriers and facilitate the use palliative care in individuals with cancer.

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The effectiveness of hope-fostering interventions in palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Palliative Medicine ◽

10.1177/0269216321994728 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026921632199472

Author(s):

Natalia Salamanca-Balen ◽

Thomas V Merluzzi ◽

Man Chen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Symptom Burden ◽

Well Being ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Quasi Experimental

Background: The concept of hope is an important theme in chronic illness and palliative care and has been associated with increased psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life. Psycho-spiritual interventions have been described in this population, but no systematic review of hope-enhancing interventions or hopelessness-reducing interventions has been conducted for persons with palliative care diseases. Aim: To describe and assess the effectiveness of interventions in palliative care that measure hope and/or hopelessness as an outcome. Design: This systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered (Prospero ID: CRD42019119956). Data sources: Electronic databases, journals, and references were searched. We used the Cochrane criteria to assess the risk of bias within studies. Results: Thirty-five studies (24 randomized controlled trials, 5 quasi-experimental, 6 pre-post studies) involving a total of 3296 palliative care patients were included. Compared with usual/standard cancer care alone, interventions significantly increased hope levels at a medium effect size ( g = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28–0.93) but did not significantly reduce hopelessness ( g = −0.08, 95% CI = −0.18 to 0.02). It was found that interventions significantly increase spirituality ( g = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.02–1.37) and decrease depression ( g = −0.29, 95% CI = −0.51 to −0.07), but had no significant effect over anxiety, quality of life, and symptom burden. Overall, quality of evidence across the included studies was rated as low. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that interventions can be effective in increasing hope in palliative care patients.

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Palliative care education and its effectiveness: a systematic review

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2021.02.033 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 194 ◽

pp. 96-108

Author(s):

W.W. Li ◽

J. Chhabra ◽

S. Singh

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Care Education ◽

Palliative Care Education

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Effects of dignity therapy on palliative patients’ family members: A systematic review

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s147895152100033x ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Leonor Grijó ◽

Carolina Tojal ◽

Francisca Rego

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

End Of Life ◽

Meaning In Life ◽

Family Members ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Publication Date ◽

Dignity Therapy ◽

Bibliographic Search ◽

Palliative Patients

Abstract Objective Dignity therapy (DT) is a kind of psychotherapy that identifies the main concerns of end-of-life patients that affect their perception of dignity and helps them to find a new meaning in life. Most prior studies on DT analyze outcomes for palliative care patients. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the outcomes of DT in palliative care patients’ family members. Method In June 2020, a bibliographic search was performed using the terms “Dignity Therapy” and “Palliative Care” in the following databases: Cochrane library, TRIP database, PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Of the 294 articles found, 8 met the selection criteria and were considered in the present study. No articles were excluded based on their publication date. Results Family members generally believe that DT helps them to better prepare the patient's end-of-life and overcome the bereavement phase. The legacy document was considered a source of comfort, and most would recommend DT to other people in their situation. DT is generally considered as important as any other aspect of the patient's treatment. Significance of results There is evidence of the benefits of DT for palliative patients’ family members. However, there are still few studies that evaluate these outcomes. The existing evidence is poorly generalized, and thus, further studies are needed to deeply explore the benefits of this therapy both for patients and their families.

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Palliative Care for Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease on the Liver Transplant Waiting List: An International Systematic Review

Digestive Diseases and Sciences ◽

10.1007/s10620-020-06779-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shan Shan Vijeratnam ◽

Bridget Candy ◽

Rachel Craig ◽

Aileen Marshall ◽

Patrick Stone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Liver Transplant ◽

Waiting List ◽

End Stage Liver Disease ◽

Liver Transplant Waiting List ◽

End Stage

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Understanding the Needs of Australian Carers of Adults Receiving Palliative Care in the Home: A Systematic Review of the Literature

SAGE Open Nursing ◽

10.1177/2377960820985682 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 237796082098568

Author(s):

Elizabeth M. Miller ◽

Joanne E. Porter

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Information Needs ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Data Set ◽

Final Data ◽

Perceived Impact ◽

Meta Analyses

Introduction Caring for someone at home requiring palliative care is an ominous task. Unless the current support systems are better utilised and improved to meet the needs of those carers, the demand for acute hospital admissions will increase as the Australian population ages. The aim of this review was to examine the needs of unpaid carers who were caring for adults receiving palliative care in their home in Australia. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines between 2008–2020. Results: Only Australian papers were selected due to the intent to understand carers’ needs in the Australian context and 17 papers made up the final data set. Four themes emerged: 1) Perceived factors influencing caregiving; 2) Perceived impact and responses to caregiving; 3) Communication and information needs; and 4) Perceptions of current palliative support services and barriers to uptake. Conclusion: Carers reported satisfaction and positive outcomes and also expressed feeling unprepared, unrecognised, stressed and exhausted.

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