scholarly journals Patient-reported Symptom Burden, Rate of Completion of Palliative Radiotherapy and 30-day Mortality in Two Groups of Cancer Patients Managed With or Without Additional Care by a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Team

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Palliative Radiotherapy ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Patient Reported

Mindful breathing for suffering

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002373
Author(s):  
Yu Zhen Tung ◽  
Seng Beng Tan
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Radical Mastectomy ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Modified Radical Mastectomy ◽  
Physical Discomfort ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Stage 1

We present a case of a 64-year-old woman with stage 1 breast cancer. She underwent a modified radical mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy. She reported physical and psychosocial suffering due to her disease and treatment. Four weekly sessions of guided 30-min mindful breathing were delivered by the palliative care team to ease her suffering. The patient reported feelings of calmness, peace and relaxation after each session, with decrease in suffering, negative emotions and physical discomfort. This is the first report on the use of guided 30-min mindful breathing in palliating suffering of a patient with cancer.

Evaluating the impact of early versus late inpatient palliative care consultation for cancer patients.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6638-6638
Author(s):  
Brian Cassel ◽  
Patrick J. Coyne ◽  
Nevena Skoro ◽  
Kathleen Kerr ◽  
Egidio Del Fabbro
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Social Security Death Index ◽  
Hospital Deaths ◽  
Care Consultation ◽  
The Impact

6638 Background: Access to specialist palliative care (hospital-based or hospice) is a recognized measure of quality in cancer care. Most cancer centers do have palliative care consult services, although the availability of a comprehensive program that includes a palliative care unit and outpatient clinic (Hui 2010) is inconsistent. A simultaneous integrated model of palliative care that facilitates earlier access to a specialized palliative care team may improve clinical outcomes. Palliative care programs should measure the access, timing and impact of their clinical service. Methods: Hospital claims data were linked to Social Security Death Index (SSDI) data from the US Department of Commerce. 3,128 adult cancer patients died between January 2009 and July 2011 and had contact with our inpatient palliative care team in their last six months of life. We determined whether IPC earlier than 1 month prior to death had an impact on hospitalizations, in-hospital mortality and referral to hospice. Results: 27.5% of cancer decedents accessed IPC, median of 22 days before death. 13.2% were discharged to hospice, median of 13 days before death. Patients with IPC earlier than 1 month until death were more likely to have hospice and fewer in-hospital deaths but there was no association between early IPC and a 30-day mortality admission. Conclusions: Palliative care services are accessed by a minority of patients and typically in the last 2-3 weeks of life. Although in-hospital deaths were reduced by earlier palliative care consultation, 30 day mortality did not improve. Hospitals may need to implement other strategies including early integration of outpatient palliative care among cancer patients, to achieve an impact on 30-day mortality admissions. [Table: see text]

Occupational therapy and physiotherapy interventions in palliative care: a cross-sectional study of patient-reported needs

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002337
Author(s):  
Nina Høgdal ◽  
Inge Eidemak ◽  
Per Sjøgren ◽  
Henrik Larsen ◽  
Jonas Sørensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Patient Reported

IntroductionAn interdisciplinary team approach to patients in specialised palliative care is recommended; however, the composition of the professionals tends to vary, and the roles of physiotherapists and occupational therapists may be underestimated. We aimed to investigate patient-reported unmet needs, which potentially could benefit from physiotherapy and occupational therapy interventions in a specialised palliative care team.MethodsAdult patients with chronic advanced diseases referred to the Specialised Palliative Care Team at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet were enrolled in the study. The Three-Levels-of-Needs Questionnaire was used as primary outcome to assess symptom/problem intensity, symptom/problem burden and felt needs for 12 commonly reported symptoms/problems for patients referred to a specialised palliative care team. Furthermore, participants’ level of distress, fatigue and physical activity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and barriers towards the rehabilitation programme were registered with other measures.ResultsIn total, 43 of 67 (64%) patients participated. The majority of participants reported severe symptoms/problems concerning fatigue (81%), impaired physical activities (77%), carrying out work and daily activities (77%), pain (72%), and worries (58%). Furthermore, need for help was expressed concerning physical activities (79%), work and daily activities (77%), fatigue (70%), pain (65%), concentration (58%) and worries (51%). On average the patients characterised 6 (out of 12) symptoms/problems as severe.ConclusionPatients referred to a specialised palliative care team reported extensive unmet needs concerning physical activities, work and daily activities, fatigue, pain, concentration and worries. Unmet needs that potentially could be alleviated by physiotherapists or occupational therapists implemented in the interdisciplinary team.

Hospital palliative care team survey of symptom control requirements of pancreatic cancer patients

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A71.1-A71
Author(s):  
Sarah De Vos ◽  
Karen Badgery ◽  
Sophie Noble ◽  
Matthew Metcalfe ◽  
William Steward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team

scholarly journals Palliative Radiotherapy with or without Additional Care by a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Team: A Retrospective Comparison

ISRN Oncology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Carsten Nieder ◽  
Kent Angelo ◽  
Astrid Dalhaug ◽  
Adam Pawinski ◽  
Gro Aandahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Palliative Radiotherapy ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Dose Fractionation ◽  
Poor Performance Status ◽  
Pattern Of Care ◽  
The Impact

Purpose. To analyze pattern of care and survival after palliative radiotherapy (RT) in patients managed exclusively by regular oncology staff or a multidisciplinary palliative care team (MPCT) in addition. Methods. Retrospective analysis of 522 RT courses. Comparison of Two Groups: MPCT versus none. Results. We analyzed 140 RT courses (27%) with MPCT care and 382 without it. The following statistically significant differences were observed: 33% of female patients had MPCT care versus only 23% of male patients and 37% of patients <65 years had MPCT care versus only 22% of older patients. MPCT patients were more likely to have poor performance status and liver metastases. In the MPCT group steroid and opioid use was significantly more common. Dose-fractionation regimens were similar. Median survival was significantly shorter in the MPCT group, 3.9 versus 6.9 months. In multivariate analysis, MPCT care was not associated with survival. Adjusted for confounders, MPCT care reduced the likelihood of incomplete RT by 33%, P>0.05. Conclusions. Patterns of referral and care differed, for example, regarding age and medication use. It seems possible that MPCT care reduces likelihood of incomplete RT. Therefore, the impact of MPCT care on symptom control should be investigated and objective referral criteria should be developed.

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