scholarly journals Perceived factors to providing palliative care for patients with cancer - a qualitative systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haydeh Heidari ◽  
Marjan Mardani-Hamooleh ◽  
Masoud Amiri

Palliative care (PC) is one of the necessary cares given throughout a patient’s experience with cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the perceived factors to providing PC for patients with cancer. Our study was a systematic review of qualitative literature. To this end, electronic databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Ovid, and Web of Science as well as Persian databases were searched and qualitative studies on the role of PC in patients with cancer published between Jan 2008 and Dec 2017 were selected. Generally, 12 studies were reviewed. A thematic synthesis approach was used to analyze the data. Exploring the selected articles, the findings on the perceived factors to providing PC for patients with cancer were categorized into three themes, including organizational factors, ethical factors, and psychological factors. This qualitative systematic review expands our knowledge about factors influencing the provision of PC for patients with cancer. It is necessary for health system managers and caregivers to pay attention to all aforesaid factors in order to improve PC for cancer patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-60
Author(s):  
Piotr Teodorowski ◽  
Ruth Woods ◽  
Catriona Kennedy

Moving to a new country impacts on migrants’ mental health and wellbeing. There are over 3.6 million European Union citizens living in the United Kingdom. We conducted a systematic review of the qualitative literature to explore what is known about their mental health and wellbeing at the post-migration stage in pre-Brexit period. We searched five databases from 1st January 2009 to 19th February 2019; Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SocIndex and Scopus for studies. Ten papers reporting nine studies were included in this review. Two themes were constructed; a narrative of adjustment and of employment realities. The former focuses on the process of settling in and the role of social connectedness. The latter concerns employment realities with included studies exploring the financial position and employment experiences of migrants. Findings indicate that we still know relatively little about the range of post-migration experiences among EU citizens and their implications for mental health


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3872
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Styczewska ◽  
Małgorzata A. Krawczyk ◽  
Ines B. Brecht ◽  
Konrad Haug ◽  
Ewa Iżycka-Świeszewska ◽  
...  

Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor of Infancy (MNTI) is a very rare pediatric neoplasm of neural crest origin. In most cases, it develops in infants as a localized tumor of the maxilla, and surgery is usually curative. In less than 10% of patients with inoperable, metastatic or persistently recurring MNTI, chemotherapy (CHT) may be considered; however, its role is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of CHT in children with large, inoperable, metastatic and/or recurrent MNTI. Four such infants, treated with CHT in Polish and German centers of pediatric oncology, were presented. Additionally, a systematic literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed, yielding 38 similar cases within the last 42 years. Neoadjuvant CHT, based mainly on the protocols for neuroblastoma, was often effective, allowing for complete delayed surgery in most cases. However, the role of adjuvant CHT in preventing recurrences after incomplete resection of MNTI remains unclear. Disseminated inoperable MNTI was almost universally associated with poor response to CHT and unfavorable outcome. Further investigations to elaborate standards of management in patients with inoperable, metastatic or persistently recurring MNTIs are necessary to improve outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002638
Author(s):  
Juan Yang ◽  
Dietlind L Wahner-Roedler ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
Lesley A Johnson ◽  
Alex Do ◽  
...  

BackgroundPain is one of the most common and problematic symptoms encountered by patients with cancer. Due to the multifactorial aetiology, pain management of these patients frequently requires multidisciplinary interventions including conventional support and specialty palliative care. Acupuncture has been identified as a possible adjunctive therapy for symptom management in cancer pain, and there is currently no systematic review focused solely on the evidence of acupuncture on cancer pain in palliative care.ObjectiveTo critically analyse currently available publications regarding the use of acupuncture for pain management among patients with cancer in palliative care settings.MethodsMultiple academic databases were searched from inception to 29 October 2020. Randomised controlled trials involving acupuncture in palliative care for treatment of cancer-related pain were synthesised. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers, and methodological quality of each included study was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 Levels of Evidence.ResultsFive studies (n=189) were included in this systematic review. Results indicated a favourable effect of acupuncture on pain relief in palliative care for patients with cancer. According to OCEBM 2011 Levels of Evidence, they were level 2 in one case (20%), level 3 in two cases (40%) and level 4 in the remaining (40%). Low-level evidence adversely affects the reliability of findings.ConclusionsAcupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment associated with pain reduction in the palliative care of patients with cancer. Further high-quality, adequately powered studies are needed in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1316-1331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tieghan Killackey ◽  
Emily Lovrics ◽  
Stephanie Saunders ◽  
Sarina R. Isenberg

Background: Transitioning from the hospital to community is a vulnerable point in patients’ care trajectory, yet little is known about this experience within the context of palliative care. While some studies have examined the patient and caregiver experience, no study to date has synthesized the literature on the healthcare provider’s perspective on their role and experience facilitating these transitions. Aim: The purpose of this systematic review was to understand the experience and perspective of healthcare providers who support the transition of patients receiving palliative care as they move from acute care to community settings. Design: A qualitative systematic review of studies using thematic analysis as outlined by Thomas and Harden. PROSPERO: ID # CRD42018109662. Data Sources: We searched four databases: MEDLINE, Embase, ProQuest and CINAHL for studies published in English from 1995 until May 22, 2020. Four reviewers screened records using the following selection criteria: (1) peer-reviewed empirical study, (2) adult sample, (3) qualitative study design, (4) perspective of healthcare providers, and (5) included a component of transitions between acute to community-based palliative care. Study findings were analyzed using thematic analysis which entailed: (1) grouping the findings into recurring themes; (2) iteratively referring back to the articles to obtain nuances of the theme and quotations; and (3) defining and solidifying the themes. Results: Overall 1,791 studies were identified and 15 met inclusion criteria. Studies were published recently (>2015, n = 12, 80%) and used a range of qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and field interviews. Three core themes related to the role and experience of healthcare providers were identified: (1) assessing and preparing for transition; (2) organizing and facilitating the logistics of transition; and (3) coordinating and collaborating transitional care across sectors. The majority of studies focused on the discharge process from acute care; there was a lack of studies exploring the experiences of healthcare providers in the community who receive patients from acute care and provide them with palliative care at home. Conclusion: This review identified studies from a range of relatively high-income countries that included a diverse sample of healthcare providers. The results indicate that healthcare providers experience multiple complex roles during the transition facilitation process, and future research should examine how to better assist clinicians in supporting these transitions within the context of palliative care provision.


Author(s):  
Fernanda Leite-Pereira ◽  
Filipa Brandao ◽  
Rui Costa

Purpose Diverse factors may influence travelers when choosing a hotel. Even though breakfast is often commented on in hotel and booking sites, its relative role in hotel selection is rarely studied. This paper aims to determine which attributes clients consider essential regarding the option towards a hotel and their hierarchy namely of breakfast. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review was performed in Scopus, ISI-Web of Science and Google Scholar, including relevant original manuscripts published in all languages between 1998 and 2018. Findings Out of 337 initial references, 25 manuscripts were included. Features related to facilities and services were considered in most manuscripts with 21 and 20 citations, respectively, as being the more relevant factors in hotel selection. Room and accommodation were ranked first as the most important characteristic regarding the option for a hotel, whereas breakfast was only referred to in two articles, published in 2015 and 2017, rated in the tenth and fourth positions, respectively. Research limitations/implications Breakfast seems to be addressed in recent published manuscripts, what may reflect a trend toward its evaluation in travelling experiences. More studies should address the relevance of breakfast and food to (diverse type of) costumers, and managers should also consider these factors when advertising their hotels. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic approach to this question, emphasizing the apparent contradiction of breakfast being often cited in booking sites and not adequately studied in tourism research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 959-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Scholz ◽  
Alan Bevan ◽  
Ekavi Georgousopoulou ◽  
Aileen Collier ◽  
Imogen Mitchell

Background: Contemporary health policies call for consumers to be part of all aspects of service planning, implementation, delivery and evaluation. The extent to which consumers are part of the systemic decision-making levels of palliative care appears to vary between and within services and organisations. Aim: The aim of this systematic review is to develop understandings about consumer and carer leadership in palliative care. Design: A systematic, narrative synthesis approach was adopted due to the heterogeneity of included studies. The review was registered on PROSPERO prospectively (PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018111625). Data sources: PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO were searched for all studies published in English specifically focusing on consumers’ leadership in palliative care organisations and systems. Articles were appraised for quality using a modified JBI-QARI tool. Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment. Consumers are currently involved in leadership of palliative care teaching, research and services. Findings highlight the benefits of consumer leadership in palliative care including more relevant, higher-quality services, teaching and research. Across the included studies, it was not clear the extent to which consumer leaders had influence in relation to setting agendas across the palliative care sector. Conclusion: The findings suggest that more could be done to support consumer leadership within palliative care. Academics and clinicians might improve the relevance of their work if they are able to more meaningfully partner with consumers in systemic roles in palliative care.


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