International Journal of Palliative Nursing最新文献

Background: Fear of COVID-19 may have adverse psychological effects on palliative patients; it may also reduce their quality of life, increase physical symptoms and lead to the postponement of treatment.

Aim: This study aimed to determine how the fear of COVID-19 influences factors (personal and disease-related characteristics) in palliative care patients.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design study was conducted on 110 patients. A patient information form, the 'Fear of COVID-19 scale' and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status were used for data collection.

Findings: The mean score obtained from the COVID-19 scale was 20.44±5.78. There was a statistical significance between the stage of disease and the fear of COVID-19 score. The fear of COVID-19 was higher for participants who had received polymerase chain reaction testing.

Conclusion: There was a positive and statistically significant relationship between the oxygen flow rate and fear of COVID-19 score, as well as a statistically significant relationship between the stage of disease and fear of COVID-19 score. It was determined that the COVID-19 pandemic process affected the mental health of palliative care patients.

In light of the increasing number of people living into advanced age and the intensification of migration flows, care provision to multi-cultural and religious patient populations has become an important concern for many palliative care professionals. The current scoping review aims to explore the main barriers to spiritual care provision for minority groups and identify some strategies to overcome such obstacles. The review draws some general recommendations for researchers, policymakers and clinicians. First, more empirical research on different patient groups is needed; studies should target not only nurses, but also other healthcare providers, to ensure that practice adequately reflects the multidisciplinary nature of palliative care. Secondly, training and education should be offered in various forms and at different levels, as well as go beyond factual knowledge about the beliefs and practices of various religions.

Background: Nurses played a critical role in providing care for patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: This study aimed to explore perspectives of Australian palliative care nurses regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of care for patients with advanced illness, or at the end of life.

Methods: The authors conducted a survey of palliative care nurses in ward- and consultation-based roles at a metropolitan health service in Victoria, Australia.

Findings: A total of 24 out of 39 nurses completed the survey. Responses included strong themes of fear of COVID-19 and sadness about separating dying patients from their families.

Conclusion: Delivery of palliative care changed at an individual and service level. Importantly, there were strong themes of adapting to change and 'soldiering on' with the core business of palliative care.

Background: Caregiving burden is common among family caregivers (FCs). In Taiwan, no reports have compared caregiving burden according to disease stage, or explored the comprehensive factors of caregiving burden in the FCs of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate caregiving burden at different diagnosis stages and its potential predictors in the FCs of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 192 FCs. Caregiving burden was measured using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment tool. The predictive factors of caregiving burden in the FCs of patients with HCC were identified using a linear regression model.

Results: The global caregiving burden had no significant differences between the four disease stages. The lack of family support and impact on schedule were significantly higher at the terminal stage than at the earlier stage. The risk factors of caregiving burden were high depression, high financial demand, heavy caregiving tasks, advanced age and frequent patient contact, which obtained a variance of 47.8% in the regression model.

Conclusion: Healthcare providers need to proactively identify and assess FCs with risk factors of caregiving burden and provide appropriate interventions specific to individual needs at different disease stages.

Background: The rising prevalence of life-limiting conditions in children and young people warrants an evaluation of paediatric palliative care, hospice services and delivered care.

Aim: First, this study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of how extended viewing is experienced by the parents of a deceased child (or young person) with a life-limiting condition, based in Australia. Second, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of bereavement care delivered during the first few days after death.

Findings: A total of 17 bereaved parents of 13 children completed an interview. In-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. While the authors acknowledge the complexity and individual nature of grief, four broad themes were identified, namely the importance of the 'physical environment' being conducive to spending time with their child; 'seeing their child'; 'time to say goodbye'; and 'supportive care'.

Conclusion: The findings of this study reinforce that extended viewing can provide therapeutic benefits for parents, as well as the importance of a skilled palliative care nursing workforce in assisting with grief management.

Telehealth looks to be a viable tool to meet patients' expectations and requirements during home treatment; however, there are obstacles to overcome. Palliative care has been described as 'high touch' rather than 'high tech', which may restrict healthcare workers' enthusiasm in integrating technological advances into the development and refinement of interventions. As a result, the goal of this integrative review was to map and evaluate existing research on the use of telemedicine and telehealth in palliative care patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. This review was guided using the PRISMA Model and CASP guidelines. A total of 17 articles on the use of telehealth in palliative care satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the review. This integrative review provided more evidence for the function and application of telehealth in palliative care. It demonstrated the resiliency of individuals in swiftly adjusting to a new system or application and the adaptability of healthcare systems and providers in establishing an alternate means of providing treatment to patients during a crisis.

Background: Hospice care is a perceived need in the Iranian health system.

Aim: This qualitative study is explaining the stakeholders' perception of what is required to develop a hospice care system for patients living with cancer in Iran.

Methods: A total of 21 participants (specialists, policymakers, healthcare providers, cancer patients and family caregivers) were selected through purposeful sampling and interviewed in-depth in 2020. Interviews were analysed through directed content analysis.

Findings: A total of 1054 codes, 7 categories and 21 subcategories were extracted. The requirements include the need to provide: multiple settings and diverse services; participatory decision making; integration into the health system; specialised human resources; an organised system of accountability; the preparation of the existing health system; and wider capacity-building in existing Iranian society.

Conclusion: It is essential that Iranian services create a participatory comprehensive care plan, utilise expert manpower, integrate hospice care into the existing health system and organise a system of accountability. Policymakers should focus on the preparation of the health system and capacity building in society.

Mobile device-based healthcare has emerged as a game-changing method of telerehabilitation. Society, including the scientific community, is paying more attention to smart health rehabilitation during the COVID-19 era. This study provides a review of smart health rehabilitation in palliative care. Alongside monitoring, some systems provide additional patient-caregiver communication and progress management. The findings of this study may aid researchers and clinicians in the development of smartphone-based rehabilitation systems' functionalities and interactions, as well as in the selection of technology in palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic.