Inclusion of Social Work in Comprehensive Palliative Care to Address Psychosocial Needs of Advanced Cancer Patients in Vietnam.

The need for psychosocial care among patients with serious illnesses and available social work services continues to be great, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To evaluate the specific needs of Vietnamese cancer patients' quality of life (QOL), prevalence and severity of symptoms including depression and anxiety, and caregiver burden were assessed. Data on QOL, mood, caregiver burden, and other parameters were collected through face-to-face and phone- interviews. The QOL assessed by European Quality of Life scale version 5D (EQ5D) was poor but consistent with other studies of cancer patients. Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and depression Scale (HADS), borderline or severe anxiety and depression were prevalent. Caregiver burden was high for one third of study participants. These results confirm the need among cancer patients for psycho-social support services that currently are rarely available in Vietnam. In light of this need, a comprehensive palliative care (CPC) service, including social work, was created to improve the quality of life (QOL) of Vietnamese cancer patients.

Symptom prevalence, burden and correlates among people living with HIV in Vietnam: a two-centre self-report study.

Physical and psychological symptoms among people living with HIV (PLWH) adversely affect quality of life and treatment adherence. Study objectives were: (i) to determine validity and reliability of a Vietnamese translation of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF) among PLWH in Vietnam; (ii) to measure prevalence and burden of physical and psychological symptoms using the MSAS-SF including the Global Distress Index (GDI), Physical Distress subscale (PHYS), and Psychological Distress subscale (PSY); (iii) to identify symptom burden risk factors. We recruited 567 patients. Cronbach's alpha scores were: total MSAS-SF 0.91, GDI 0.83, PHYS 0.85, PSYCH 0.81. The scale showed good discriminant validity (low vs high function) (p < 0.001). The mean number of symptoms was 7.66, and the most prevalent were "worrying" (41.6%), "lack of energy" (40.6%), "feeling irritable" (40.4%), and "feeling sad" (39.2%). Monthly income below the poverty line was independently associated with increased: GDI,, PHYS, and PSY and a greater number of symptoms. The Vietnamese version of the MSAS-SF is valid to measure symptom prevalence and burden in HIV-positive populations. Here is a high symptom prevalence and burden among PLWH in Vietnam, especially those living in poverty, and a great need for palliative care integrated with HIV treatment.

Frailty and Adverse Outcomes Among Older Patients Undergoing Gastroenterological Surgery in Vietnam.

PURPOSE: With the ageing population, more older adults undergo surgery, and frailty increases the risk of postoperative complications in older patients. This study aimed to determine the association between frailty and 30-day adverse outcomes in older patients undergoing gastroenterological surgery in Vietnam. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the Gastroenterology Department of the University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City. Frailty was determined using Fried's criteria. Adverse outcomes within 30 days of gastroenterological surgery were recorded, including postoperative infections, acute respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, and death. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were performed to determine the association between frailty and 30-day postoperative adverse outcomes using Stata 14.0. RESULTS: Data of 302 elective surgical participants were collected (mean age: 69.8± 8.1 years, 53.3% female), and the prevalence of frailty was 18.5%. Frailty was an independent risk factor for 30-day adverse outcomes (odds ratio=6.56, 95% confidence interval, 2.77-15.53, p<0.001), which included postoperative infections, acute respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, and death. Frail participants had a significantly higher risk of postoperative infections (odds ratio=8.21, 95% confidence interval, 3.28-20.54, p<0.001), and exhaustion was strongly associated with postoperative adverse outcomes. CONCLUSION: Frailty was a predictor of 30-day adverse outcomes in older patients undergoing gastroenterological surgery. Therefore, preoperative frailty should be screened in older patients, and frailty-associated risks should be considered during the decision-making process by physicians, patients, and their families.