Home Care for Cancer Patients

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 913-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastiano Mercadante ◽  
Francesco Masedu ◽  
Isabella Balzani ◽  
Daniela De Giovanni ◽  
Luigi Montanari ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 3495-3507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Lobchuk ◽  
Lesley F. Degner

PURPOSE: This study used a comparative descriptive design to compare family caregivers’ and advanced-stage cancer patients’ perceptions of patients’ multidimensional symptom experiences on presence, frequency, severity, and distress. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of 98 dyads, composed of advanced-stage heterogeneous cancer patients and their caregivers, completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale in the home care setting on a one-time basis. This scale is a 32-item Likert-type scale for assessing the presence, frequency, severity, and distress arising from symptoms in cancer patients. RESULTS: There was confirmation of trends previously described in related studies where, for example, caregivers tend to overreport on symptom experiences. However, the degree of absolute difference between patient and caregiver responses was normally around 1 unit (on a theoretical range of 0 to 4 units). Levels of patient-caregiver agreement were better on more concrete questions related to symptom frequency, severity, and distress than on broad questions related to the presence of a symptom. Patients and caregivers achieved better levels of agreement on physical versus psychological symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that family caregivers can provide reasonable proxy or complementary reports on patient symptom experiences of frequency, severity, and distress. However, family caregivers have greater difficulty in achieving high levels of accuracy on psychological versus physical symptoms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastiano Mercadante ◽  
Francesco Masedu ◽  
Marco Maltoni ◽  
Daniela De Giovanni ◽  
Luigi Montanari ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-192
Author(s):  
Kotaro Hashimoto ◽  
Kazuki Sato ◽  
Mitsuharu Sasaki ◽  
Hiroaki Takabayashi ◽  
Masanori Kawahara ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Dhollander ◽  
Tinne Smets ◽  
Aline De Vleminck ◽  
Lore Lapeire ◽  
Koen Pardon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: To support the early integration of palliative home care (PHC) in cancer treatment, we developed the EPHECT intervention and pilot tested it with 30 advanced cancer patients in Belgium using a pre post design with no control group. We aim to determine the feasibility, acceptability and perceived effectiveness of the EPHECT intervention.Methods: Interviews with patients (n=16 of which 11 dyadic with family caregivers), oncologists and GPs (n=11) and a focus group with the PHC team. We further analyzed the study materials and logbooks of the PHC team (n=8). Preliminary effectiveness was assessed with questionnaires EORTC QLQ C-30, HADS and FAMCARE and were filled in at baseline and 12, 18 and 24 weeks.Results: In the interviews after the intervention period, patients reported feelings of safety and control and an optimized quality of life. The PHC team could focus on more than symptom management because they were introduced earlier in the trajectory of the patient. Telephone-based contact appeared to be insufficient to support interprofessional collaboration. Furthermore, some family caregivers reported that the nurse of the PHC team was focused little on them.Conclusion: Nurses of PHC teams are able to deliver early palliative care to advanced cancer patients. However, more attention needs to be given to family caregivers as caregiver and client. Furthermore, the home visits by the PHC team have to be further evaluated and adapted. Lastly, professionals have to find a more efficient way to discuss future care.


1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Loven ◽  
Efrat Goldberg ◽  
Yaakov Hart ◽  
Baruch Klein

1989 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorio Ventafridda ◽  
Franco De Conno ◽  
Antonio Viganò ◽  
Carla Ripamonti ◽  
Michele Gallucci ◽  
...  

Treatment and care of terminal cancer patients are conducted in different ways, according to the cultural, social, political and economical situations of the countries which have progressively adopted and developed them. In Italy there are no specialized structures such as « hospices » or the « palliative care units » like in the Anglo-Saxon world: the care of terminal cancer patients is carried out either in a general hospital or at their own home. In Milan and elsewhere there are home care teams in which doctors, nurses, social workers and volunteers, all work in connection with hospital structures. In this way, patients can receive specialized care for physical, psycological and social problems at home too. To evaluate costs and effectiveness of this program, a comparison was made between the home care and the conventional treatment carried out in general hospitals. Two groups of thirty terminal cancer patients have been studied: the first group was composed of hospital patients in Desio and the second one included patients cared for by the home care service organized by the Floriani Foundation and the Italian League against Cancer (Milan Section). We evaluated intensity and duration of pain, hours of sleep and hours of standing, sitting and lying, presence of side-effects, performance status and therapies. Data were also collected on the quality of life (Spitzer QLI), social and economical needs of the patients, type and quality of care, degree of awareness of the diagnosis by the patient and the family. This data were collected by the nurse who looked after the patient. Care costs were also quantified. The comparison between the two groups significantly favours the home care group as shown by the performance status after 2 weeks of care, the « health scale » and the Total Index of the Spitzer QLI and in general the greater satisfaction of the care received. Home care produces results equivalent to those achieved in hospitals as far as clinical parameters are concerned. An approximate quantification of the costs shows that an average cost for a day's home care was about Lit. 52,500 as compared with Lit. 360,000 for a day's hospitalization.


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