THE PROVINCIAL HEART FAILURE STRATEGY AT WORK: CREATING STANDARDIZED HEART FAILURE END OF LIFE SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE RESOURCES FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA’S (BC) HEART FAILURE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. S369
Author(s):  
B. Catlin ◽  
C. Galte ◽  
B. Hennessy ◽  
M. Daniel ◽  
E. Garland ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
Molly Antone ◽  

Dying today looks dramatically different than it did a century ago, largely due to wider treatment options and more specialized medical practices. Often missing from these advancements is the focus on factors relative to a patient’s total circumstances. Especially in light of the recent pandemic, it is incumbent upon Catholic health care providers to treat who whole person rather than simply focus on more utilitarian philosophies of care.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Sami Khan

Pakistan is facing an exorbitant burden of Non-communicable diseases among which Cardiovascular diseases are the most prominent which has not only caused mortality but also posed a big threat on weakened economy and health care system of the country. Amidst of this growing crisis, Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors emerge as a ray of hope by reducing simultaneously the complication and health care expenditure associated with the management of this major mortality-bringing Non-communicable disease. SGLT2 inhibitors, including Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin, are evidence-based standardized novel anti-diabetic agents tested in cardiovascular outcome trials namely DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced, when added to standard care in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, provides breakthrough heart failure outcomes and also addresses massive health care expenditures. This novel finding provides an impetus to promote its beneficial effects among health care providers and early implementation. Continuous....


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Relyea ◽  
Brooke MacDonald ◽  
Christina Cattaruzza ◽  
Denise Marshall

Schizophrenia is a serious chronic mental illness that results in marginalization and stigma for sufferers. It is the seventh leading cause for disability worldwide. The symptoms of the illness, including hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior, may also introduce barriers to accessing treatment, education, housing, and employment. Little is known about end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia. To address this gap, a scoping review was conducted to enhance understanding of hospice and palliative care for patients with schizophrenia. From this scoping review, 342 unique titles and abstracts were identified through a search of 20 databases, including 11 social science databases, 6 medical databases, and 3 gray literature databases. A total of 32 articles met the inclusion criteria and the following 4 themes were identified: Stigma affecting quality of care and access to care; Issues related to consent and capacity for the patient’s end-of-life care decisions and to appoint substitute decision makers; Best practices for psychosocial interventions, pharmacology, family and health-care collaborations, goals of care, setting, and smoking; and Barriers to care, including setting, communication, provider education, and access to care. The review suggests the importance of mandatory interdisciplinary training practices and policy standards outlining cooperative communication across health-care providers. It highlights gaps in evidence-based research on psychosocial interventions and collaborative frameworks to enable the provision of quality end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 155-155
Author(s):  
Cleo A. Samuel ◽  
Kea Turner ◽  
Heidi AS Donovan ◽  
G J. Van Londen

155 Background: Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET)-related symptom management (SM) among breast cancer survivors (BCS) typically involves a multidisciplinary team of health care providers; yet few studies have examined provider perspectives on AET-related SM. The purpose of this study was to examine provider perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to AET-related SM among BCS and opportunities for improvement. Methods: We conducted 3 focus groups (FGs) with a multidisciplinary group of health care providers (n = [6] physician; n = [7] non-physician) experienced in caring for BCS undergoing AET. We utilized semi-structured discussion guides to elicit provider perspectives on AET-related SM and its barriers and facilitators as well as recommendations for improvement. All FGs were held at the University of Pittsburgh, audiotaped, and transcribed. We analyzed FG transcripts using qualitative software to identify key themes. Results: Providers described patient-, provider-, and system- level facilitators and barriers to AET-related SM. At the patient-level, facilitators included social support and provider communication about symptoms while cancer-related distress, misinformation and misinterpretation of online information were identified as barriers. Provider-level facilitators included strong relationships with other providers and ongoing communication with patients; however, lack of time, insufficient resources, and challenges distinguishing AET-related symptoms from other conditions were key provider-level barriers. Finally, at the system-level, electronic health records were described as both a facilitator and barrier to SM. Moreover, poor care coordination among different providers and lack of clear guidelines on which provider “owns” AET-related SM emerged as key system-level barriers. Conclusions: Findings suggest that efforts to improve AET-related SM should span multiple levels, in order to address patient-, provider-, and system-level barriers to SM. Recommendations include increased education for patients, greater access to clinical decision support tools for providers, and improved coordination of survivorship resources within hospitals.


Author(s):  
Harvey Max Chochinov ◽  
Susan E. McClement ◽  
Maia S. Kredentser

The concept of dignity continues to receive attention in health care, with particular implications for end-of-life care. This chapter reviews current conceptualizations of dignity, integrating medical, philosophical, and ontological perspectives. The centrality of dignity to palliative care is discussed, exploring empirical findings, which examine what dignity means to patients and families in the context of illness and end-of-life care. The chapter provides an overview of validated tools, evidence-based therapies, and practical ‘everyday’ communication skills that health-care providers in diverse clinical settings can use to enhance patient dignity. Suggestions are provided for extending existing research into the notion of dignity as it relates to vulnerable groups, and how interventions aimed at supporting patient dignity can impact family members. Dignity subsumes many key aspects of comprehensive care, which can guide health-care providers towards improving end-of-life experiences for patients and families.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (21) ◽  
pp. 3490-3496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Matsuyama ◽  
Sashidhar Reddy ◽  
Thomas J. Smith

Purpose The number of patients receiving chemotherapy near the end of life is increasing, as are concerns about goals of treatment, toxicity, and costs. We sought to determine the available sources of knowledge, the choices, and concerns of actual patients, and how patients balanced competing issues. Methods We used a literature search from 1980 to present. Results Available patient sources provide little information about prognosis, choices, alternatives, consequences, or how to choose. Many patients would choose chemotherapy for a small benefit in health outcomes, and for a smaller benefit than perceived by their health care providers for their own treatment. Adverse effects are less a concern for patients than for their well health care providers. There are no decision aids to assist patients with metastatic disease in making their choices, such as there are for adjuvant breast therapy. Conclusion The perspective of the patient is different from that of a well person. Patients are willing to undergo treatments that have small benefits with major toxicity. Receiving realistic information about the different options of care and the likelihood of successful treatment or adverse effects is difficult. These factors may explain some of the increased use of chemotherapy near the end of life. Decision aids and honest, unbiased sources to inform patients of their prognosis, choices, consequences, typical outcomes, and ways to make decisions are needed. More prospective information about how patients make their choices, and what they would consider a good choice, would assist informed decision making.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 820-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis O. Chavez ◽  
Sharon Einav ◽  
Joseph Varon

Purpose: To investigate how a terminal illness may affect the health-care providers’ resuscitation preferences. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 9 health-care institutions located in 4 geographical regions in North and Central America, investigating attitudes toward end-of-life practices in health-care providers. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and χ2 test for the presence of associations ( P < 0.05 being significant) and Cramer V for the strength of the association. The main outcome measured the correlation between the respondents’ present code status and their preference for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in case of terminal illness. Results: A total of 852 surveys were completed. Among the respondents, 21% (n = 180) were physicians, 36.9% (n = 317) were nurses, 10.5% (n = 90) were medical students, and 265 participants were other staff members of the institutions. Most respondents (58.3%; n = 500) desired “definitely full code” (physicians 73.2%; n = 131), only 13.8% of the respondents (physicians 8.33%; n = 15) desired “definitely no code” or “partial support,” and 20.9% of the respondents (n = 179; among physicians 18.4%; n = 33) had never considered their code status. There was an association between current code status and resuscitation preference in case of terminal illness ( P < .001), but this association was overall quite weak (Cramer V = 0.180). Subgroup analysis revealed no association between current code status and terminal illness code preference among physicians ( P = .290) and nurses ( P = .316), whereupon other hospital workers were more consistent ( P < .01, Cramer V = .291). Conclusion: Doctors and nurses have different end-of-life preferences than other hospital workers. Their desire to undergo CPR may change when facing a terminal illness.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20543-e20543
Author(s):  
Ashley Stuckey ◽  
Katina Robison ◽  
Don S. Dizon ◽  
Michelle Rogers ◽  
Miles Ott ◽  
...  

e20543 Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is an important topic for women with metastatic or recurrent cancer. Unfortunately, data suggest ACP is often not discussed at health care visits. Because patients with metastatic or recurrent cancer are incurable, the issue of end of life (EOL) is one faced by patients and providers. This study evaluates how often oncologic health care providers initiate EOL conversations with their patients. Methods: Eligible patients included women with metastatic or recurrent gynecologic or breast cancer of ≥3 month’s duration in an academic women’s oncology program. Interviews were conducted by research staff. Clinical characteristics and documentation of EOL decisions were obtained through chart reviews. Data were analyzed using SAS v.9.3. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the association of EOL discussions with ACP. The study was approved by the hospital and university Institutional Review Boards. Results: 200 women were enrolled; 64% had stage III-IV cancer at diagnosis. The majority was white (91%) with a mean age of 60 (range 35-82). A total of 638 providers were identified (mean: 3.2 providers per patient; 57% female). Health care provider type and gender were not associated with EOL discussions. Only 49 women (25%) recalled an EOL conversation with at least one provider which appeared to correspond to the low proportion of people with documented ACP. Only 42 (22%) had an advanced directive (AD) and 29 (15%) a health care proxy (HCP) in the chart. Having an EOL conversation with at least one provider was not associated with a chart-documented AD (OR=1.6, 95% CI=0.7-3.6) or HCP (OR=1.8, 95% CI=0.7-4.5). The time since recurrence was shorter for those reporting EOL conversations (1.7 vs. 3.1 years, p=.0274). Conclusions: In this study, oncologic health care providers infrequently initiated EOL discussions with their patients with metastatic or recurrent cancer. More concerning, patient recollection of an EOL discussion with a provider was not associated with chart-documented ACP. Further studies evaluating the factors limiting EOL discussions as well as studies testing interventions to improve provider documentation of the ACP are warranted.


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