Providing Palliative Care in Ecuador: Development, Current Status and Areas of Improvement from the Perspective of Five Ecuadorian Palliative Care Pioneers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Current Status

scholarly journals Experience of symptom control, anxiety and associating factors in a palliative care unit evaluated with Support Team Assessment Schedule Japanese version

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Ito ◽  
Emi Tomizawa ◽  
Yuki Yano ◽  
Kiyozumi Takei ◽  
Naoko Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Palliative Care Unit ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Patient Anxiety ◽  
Team Assessment ◽  
Support Team

AbstractVarious physical and psychosocial difficulties including anxiety affect cancer patients. Patient surroundings also have psychological effects on caregiving. Assessing the current status of palliative care intervention, specifically examining anxiety and its associated factors, is important to improve palliative care unit (PCU) patient quality of life (QOL). This study retrospectively assessed 199 patients admitted to a PCU during August 2018–June 2019. Data for symptom control, anxiety level, disease insight, and communication level obtained using Support Team Assessment Schedule Japanese version (STAS-J) were evaluated on admission and after 2 weeks. Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) and laboratory data were collected at admission. Patient anxiety was significantly severer and more frequent in groups with severer functional impairment (p = 0.003) and those requiring symptom control (p = 0.006). Nevertheless, no relation was found between dyspnea and anxiety (p = 0.135). Patients with edema more frequently experienced anxiety (p = 0.068). Patient survival was significantly shorter when family anxiety was higher after 2 weeks (p = 0.021). Symptoms, edema, and disabilities in daily living correlate with patient anxiety. Dyspnea is associated with anxiety, but its emergence might be attributable mainly to physical factors in this population. Family members might sensitize changes reflecting worsened general conditions earlier than the patients.

Screening for Palliative Care Needs: Pilot Data From German Comprehensive Cancer Centers

2021 ◽  
pp. OP.20.00698
Author(s):  
Carmen Roch ◽  
Maria Heckel ◽  
Birgitt van Oorschot ◽  
Bernd Alt-Epping ◽  
Mitra Tewes
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Cancer Centers ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Centers ◽  
Palliative Care Needs

PURPOSE: Guidelines recommend several screening tools to identify patients with complex palliative needs. This diversity and lack of structural recommendations offer a wide scope for implementing screening. Against this background, the current status of implementation at German Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) funded by the German Cancer Aid has not yet been investigated. METHODS: e-mail survey of the 17 hospital sites of the 13 CCCs. The questionnaire asked for structural characteristics of the centers as well as preconditions of the screening process. Structurally established screening procedures (one item) and standardized workflows, modes of performance, screening tools (four items), modes of training how to screen, and responsibilities (two items) were assessed. RESULTS: In a 2-month period, 15 hospital sites responded; seven hospital sites conducted a palliative care needs (PCN) screening. Only one hospital site carried out PCN screening in almost all oncology departments, but only with the distress thermometer. Other hospital sites determined palliative needs by assessing physical symptoms using the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale or the Minimal Documentation System, and two hospital sites combined tools to determine both physical and psychological stress. The type of screening varied from paper-pencil–based to tablet computer–based documentation. The main barriers to implementation were identified as a lack of human resources and a lack of structural conditions. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of consensus among palliative care specialists and oncologists in the CCCs supported by the German Cancer Aid in PCN screening as well as of structured guidelines and the professional association. Structural requirements should be adapted to these needs, which include both technical and human resources. A combined psycho-oncologic and palliative care screening might help to formulate best practice recommendations.

Safety Aspects of Acupuncture in Palliative Care

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Filshie
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Symptom Management ◽  
Tumour Progression ◽  
Clinical Stage ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Alternative Therapies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Neutropenic Patients ◽  
Full Knowledge ◽  
Clotting Disorder

Acupuncture can mask symptoms of cancer and tumour progression. It is not safe to use such a therapy without full knowledge of the clinical stage of the disease, and the current status of orthodox therapy. Contraindications to acupuncture needling include an unstable spine, severe clotting disorder, neutropenia and lymphoedema. Whilst semi-permanent needles are used increasingly in symptom control and pain management they should not be used in patients with valvular heart disease or in vulnerable neutropenic patients. Acupuncture has an increasing role in support for pain and symptom management, but patients should not be advised to abandon conventional treatments in favour of complementary or alternative therapies alone, and should not have their hopes raised inappropriately, or have any guilt projected on to them for the cause of their cancer.

Update on Palliative Care for Pediatric Neurology

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel M. Lyons-Warren
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
American Academy ◽  
Palliative Medicine ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Care Model ◽  
Pediatric Neurology ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
American Academy Of Neurology

It has long been recognized that patients with neurological conditions, and particularly pediatric neurology patients, are well suited for palliative care because they frequently have a high symptom burden and variable prognoses. In 1996, the American Academy of neurology formally recognized a need for neurologists to “understand and apply the principles of palliative medicine.” Subsequently, some reviews have proposed a simultaneous care model in which palliative care is integrated for all neurology patients from the time of diagnosis. This article will review the current status of palliative care in pediatric neurology and discuss barriers to its integration.

Cancer pain management in Mexico

2019 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-001871
Author(s):  
Sarah Barry Lincoln ◽  
Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis ◽  
Yanin Chavarri-Guerra ◽  
Alfredo Covarrubias-Gomez ◽  
Mariana Navarro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Cancer Pain ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Pain Control ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cancer Pain Management ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Care Training

BackgroundPain control is an essential component of high-quality palliative care. Unfortunately, many low-income and middle-income countries lack an appropriate infrastructure to provide palliative care and suffer from a severe lack of access to opioid analgesics to alleviate pain from various conditions such as cancer.ObjectivesWe aimed to review the history and current status of cancer pain management in Mexico, a middle-income Latin American country. Our objective was to identify existing barriers to proper, effective opioid use, as well as provide practical recommendations for improvement.MethodsUsing a search of EBSCOhost database, PubMed and Google, we found official documents and peer-reviewed articles related to health legislation, opioid consumption, palliative care infrastructure and palliative care training in Mexico.ResultsDespite advances in palliative care and access to opioids in Mexico, there are still several barriers that undermine effective pain management, showing a major gap between policy and practice. Although Mexican legislation and guidelines include adequate palliative care and pain control as a right for all patients with cancer, the lack of adequate infrastructure and trained personnel severely hampers the implementation of these policies. Additionally, there are important barriers to prescribing opioids, many of which are related to attempts at reducing the consumption of recreational drugs.ConclusionsAlthough Mexico has made significant improvements in pain control and palliative care, much needs to be done. Expansion of drug availability, improvement of palliative care training, and constant oversight of regulations and guidelines will help to strengthen Mexico’s palliative care services.

scholarly journals Current status of integrating oncology and palliative care in Japan: A nationwide survey

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Uneno ◽  
Kazuki Sato ◽  
Tatsuya Morita ◽  
Mayumi Nishimura ◽  
Satoko Ito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Control ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Full Time ◽  
International Consensus ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Symptom Screening ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background: Palliative care (PC) is increasingly recognized as essential for oncology care, and several academic societies strongly recommend integrating oncology and palliative care (IOP) in daily practice. Similarly, the Japanese government encouraged the implementation of IOP through the Cancer Control Act of 2007; however, its detailed progress remains unclear. Therefore, this cross-sectional nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the current status and hospital executive physicians’ perception of IOP. Methods: The questionnaire was developed based on IOP indicators with international consensus. It was distributed to executive physicians at all government-designated cancer hospitals (DCHs, n = 399) and matched non-DCHs (n = 478) in November 2017 and the results were compared. Results: In total, 269 (67.4%) DCHs and 259 (54.2%) non-DCHs responded. The number of PC resources in DCHs was significantly higher than those in non-DCHs (e.g., full-time PC physicians and nurses, 52.8% vs. 14.0%, p < 0.001; availability of outpatient PC service ≥3 days per week, 47.6% vs. 20.7%, p < 0.001). Routine symptom screening was more frequently performed in DCHs than in non-DCHs (65.1% vs. 34.7%, p < 0.001). Automatic trigger for PC referral availability was limited (e.g., referral using time trigger, 14.9% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.700). Education and research opportunities were seriously limited in both types of hospitals. Most executive physicians regarded IOP as beneficial for their patients (95.9% vs. 94.7%, p = 0.163) and were willing to facilitate an early referral to PC services (54.7% vs. 60.0%, p < 0.569); however, the majority faced challenges to increase the number of full-time PC staff, and <30% were planning to increase the staff members. Conclusions: This survey highlighted a considerable number of IOP indicators met, particularly in DCHs probably due to the government policy. Further investigation is warranted whether those indicators effectively work in real clinical situations.

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