Living with glioblastoma - the need for integrated support based on experiences of chaos, loss of autonomy, and isolation in both patients and their relatives.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of living with glioblastoma from the perspective of patients themselves as well as their closest relatives, focusing on the changes in the life situation and the need for support. METHODS: Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 patients (mean age 61 years, 7 male, 5 female) and 10 relatives (mean age 56 years, 3 male, 7 female). The relatives comprised of partners (n = 7), child (n = 1), sister (n = 1), or friend (n = 1). Questions focused on changes in the life situation and support needed to face these changes. Data was analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis (QCA). RESULTS: Living with glioblastoma dramatically changes the lives of both patients and relatives. Cognitive symptoms (e.g., speech and memory disturbances), deterioration of physical function (e.g., paresis), and psychological function (e.g., behavioral changes, anxiety) can lead to impaired family dynamics, social isolation, and fear of the future. Support from other family members, friends, and healthcare professionals is crucial. Timely, tangible, and easily available support from the healthcare system the entire disease trajectory is sought after, enabling individualized care with emotional support, clearer information, and faster feedback. CONCLUSION: The changes in life situations faced by patients with glioblastoma and their closest relatives are dramatic and underline the importance of providing integrated care throughout the entire healthcare continuum, encompassing specialist neuro-oncological care, municipal support, and palliative care. Individualized support for both patients and relatives can enhance the sense of safety amid the chaos in their life situation.

Person-centred support programme (RESPECT intervention) for women with breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy: a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: The peRson-cEntred Support Programme EndoCrine Therapy intervention is a complex intervention encompassing a person-centred support programme for patients with breast cancer being treated with endocrine therapy (ET). The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of the trial design and patient acceptability of the intervention and outcome measures and to provide data to estimate the parameters required to design the final intervention. DESIGN: A controlled before-and-after design following the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials 2010 statement for feasibility trials. SETTING: A surgical outpatient clinic in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-one patients (aged 47-85) with breast cancer who were treated with ET. INTERVENTIONS: Eligible patients were assigned to the control group or intervention group, which included individual education material, an individualised learning plan and a personalised reminder letter using a person-centred approach. The intervention could be delivered as a telephone or digital follow-up during a 12-week follow-up. OUTCOME MEASURES: The aims were to determine the recruitment rate, assess the rate of retention, explore whether the intervention was delivered according to the protocol, assess the preferred form of educational support, rate of education sessions, length per education session and length between each education session, determine the distribution of education materials and assess completion rates of patient-reported instruments, including the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Quality of Care from the Patient's Perspective Questionnaire and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Eighty-six per cent of the patients in the intervention group completed the intervention and questionnaires 3 months after their inclusion. The call attendance was 90%. During the intervention, the contact nurse complied with the intervention protocol. For self-efficacy, symptoms and quality of care, there were no differences in effect size between the control and intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention seems to be feasible and acceptable among patients.

Pain and pain management in children and adolescents receiving hospital care: a cross-sectional study from Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a common symptom in children receiving hospital care. Adequate pain management in paediatric patients is of the utmost importance. Few studies have investigated children's own experiences of pain during hospitalization. AIM: To describe the prevalence of pain, self-reported pain intensity at rest and during movement, pain management and compliance with pain treatment guidelines in children and adolescents receiving hospital care. Furthermore, to examine self-reported statements about pain relief and how often staff asked about pain. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study with descriptive statistics as the data analysis method was conducted at a county hospital in western Sweden. Sixty-nine children/adolescents aged 6-18 years who had experienced pain during their hospital stay were included. A structured, verbally administered questionnaire was used to obtain pain reports. The participants were also asked what they considered alleviated pain and how often they told staff about pain. Patient demographics, prescribed analgesics and documentation of pain rating were obtained from medical records. RESULTS: Fifty children/adolescents (72%) experienced moderate to severe pain in the previous 24 hours. At the time of the interview 36% reported moderate to severe pain at rest and 58% during movement. Seven participants (10%) reported severe pain both at rest and during movement. About one-third were on a regular multimodal analgesic regimen and 28% had used a validated pain rating scale. Thirty children/adolescents (43%) reported that they had experienced procedural pain in addition to their underlying pain condition. Most of the children/adolescents (74%) reported that analgesics provided pain relief. Forty (58%) stated that various non-pharmacological methods were helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence-based guidelines, half of the children/adolescents experienced moderate to severe pain, highlighting the need for improvement. Pain levels should be assessed both at rest and during movement. Response to treatment should be evaluated to prevent undertreatment of pain. Compliance with guidelines and professional communication are of the utmost importance for pain management in children/adolescents. Non-pharmacological methods are a valuable part of a pain management strategy. This study shows that it is important to evaluate and improve pain care also outside specialised tertiary clinics.

Quality of life in patients with glioblastoma and their relatives.

OBJECTIVES: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumour in adults. The rapid decline of physical and cognitive functions is likely to affect patients and relatives during the entire course of disease. The aim of this study was to describe and compare (a) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological symptoms between patients with glioblastoma and their relatives, and (b) HRQoL between patients and a general population over time. METHODS: At baseline, 63 patients and 63 relatives were included. The participants completed the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) at seven different occasions from pre-surgery until two years post-surgery. A comparison of SF-36 was made between patients and an age- and gender-matched control group. Descriptive analysis, effect size and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used. RESULTS: Relatives scored lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and higher symptoms of anxiety than patients, whilst patients scored worse in the physical parts of the SF-36. Three weeks post-surgery, relatives scored their lowest HRQoL and had the highest risk of anxiety symptoms. Comparing patients with controls, the patients rated worse in both the mental and physical component summaries in HRQoL at most time points. CONCLUSION: Both patients and relatives showed deterioration of HRQoL. In addition, relatives showed high frequency of anxiety symptoms. Our data reveal that relatives of patients with glioblastoma need attention throughout the disease trajectory and they also need support at the right time point.

Strategies for knowledge translation of a palliative approach outside specialized palliative care services: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Research suggests palliative care to be translated and integrated in non-specialized palliative care services throughout the palliative care continuum across populations and settings. A need has been identified to build on the existing research literature in order to design strong knowledge translation strategies that can be evaluated in future research. The aim was to map strategies for knowledge translation of a palliative approach to care into non-specialized palliative care services for adult patients. The objectives were to explore the primary research activities, the specific type of knowledge translation strategies used, the research designs and study settings for such evaluations along with the major results thereof, and to identify major research gaps in this area. METHODS: A scoping review was performed to map the volume and characteristics of research literature (project registered in PROSPERO #2018 CRD42018100663). The ten-year period 2010 to 2019 was searched in six major databases for original articles published in English in which the knowledge translation of a palliative approach for adult patients was evaluated in non-specialized palliative healthcare settings, and all type of empirical data-based research designs. We excluded non-English, non-empirical articles, non-evaluation of knowledge translations, specialized palliative care settings, and other types of publications (i.e. non-original articles). RESULTS: Most of the 183 included articles focused on patients with cancer who were dying in hospitals and in high income countries. Only 13 articles focused on early palliative care. A palette of different strategies was used to implement palliative care in non-specialist palliative settings; no strategy was identified as outstanding. The majority of the articles had unspecified essential components of the research designs. CONCLUSION: Previous suggestions for utilization of implementation science for knowledge translation of a palliative approach to care into non-specialized palliative care services are confirmed, and established knowledge translation theories can strengthen the field. To advance this specific field of knowledge, meticulously detailed reporting of studies is required as related to research designs, clarifications of contextual influences and mechanisms at work. Specific systematic reviews and meta-syntheses in the field are merited.

An intervention mapping-based support program that empowers patients with endocrine therapy management.

BACKGROUND: For women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, endocrine therapy (ET) is recommended. Patients experience diverse side effects, and difficulties in managing these side effects have been identified as obstacles for treatment continuation. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a support program for patients prescribed ET. METHODS: Intervention mapping (IM) a comprehensive theory-based approach was used in the support program development. A participatory design was used and four advisory groups was formed including both patients and healthcare professionals. RESULTS: This study employed the systematic stages of IM to develop a theory-based support program with the goal to empower patients prescribed ET to manage ETrelated symptoms and problems, and to illuminate the healthcare structure. The needs assessment identified three performance objectives: (1) Patients have knowledge of and understand their symptoms and their management strategies. (2) Patients have the knowledge and confidence to express their care needs and to ask for guidance from healthcare professionals. (3) Patients are active in and lead their healthcare process. CONCLUSION: This is a systematic developed model, built upon aspects of ET both from a patient´ perspective as well as from healthcare professionals' perspectives.

Teaching about death and dying-A national mixed-methods survey of palliative care education provision in Swedish undergraduate nursing programmes.

BACKGROUND: In coming decades, the number of people affected by illnesses who need palliative care will rise worldwide. Registered Nurses are in a central position in providing this care, and education is one of the necessary components for meeting coming requirements. However, there is a lack of knowledge about palliative care in undergraduate nursing education curricula, including the extent of the education provided and the related pedagogical methods. AIM: The aim was to investigate the extent, content and pedagogical methods used and to explore lecturers' experiences of being responsible for teaching and learning about palliative care for undergraduate nursing students on nursing programmes at Swedish universities. SETTING: All 24 universities responsible for providing undergraduate nursing education in Sweden participated. PARTICIPANTS: One lecturer with in-depth knowledge about palliative care or end-of-life care education participated in the quantitative (n = 24) and qualitative (n = 22) parts of the study. METHOD: A mixed-method research study with an explorative design was used. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, and content analysis for qualitative, with both also analysed integratively. RESULTS: Few undergraduate nursing programmes included a specific course about palliative care in their curricula, however, all universities incorporated education about palliative care in some way. Most of the palliative care education was theoretical, and lecturers used a variety of pedagogical strategies and their own professional and personal experience to support students to understand the palliative care approach. Topics such as life and death were difficult to both learn and teach about. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for substantial education about palliative care. Lecturers strive on their own to develop students' understanding and increase the extent of palliative care education with innovative teaching strategies, but must compete with other topics. Palliative care teaching must be prioritised, not only by the universities, but also by the national authority.

Framing healthcare professionals in written adverse events: A discourse analysis.

Healthcare professionals have a major responsibility to protect patients from harm. Despite vast efforts to decrease the number of adverse events, the progression of patient safety has internationally been acknowledged as slow. From a social construction perspective, it has been argued that the understanding of patient safety is contextual based on historical and structural rules, and that this meaning construction points out different directions of possible patient safety actions. By focusing on fact construction and its productive and limiting effect on how something can be understood, we explored the discourses about healthcare professionals in 29 written reports of adverse events as reported by patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Through the analysis, a discourse about the healthcare professionals as experts was found. The expert role most dominantly included an understanding that adverse events were identified through physical signs and that patient safety could be prevented by more strictly following routines and work procedures. We drew upon the conclusion that these regimes of truth brought power to the expert discourse, to the point that it became difficult for patients and relatives to engage in patient safety actions on their terms.

Benefits, for patients with late stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, of being cared for in specialized palliative care compared to hospital. A nationwide register study.

BACKGROUND: In early stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dyspnea has been reported as the main symptom; but at the end of life, patients dying from COPD have a heavy symptom burden. Still, specialist palliative care is seldom offered to patients with COPD; they more often receive end of life care in hospitals. Furthermore, symptoms, symptom relief and care activities in the last week of life for COPD patients are rarely studied. The aim of this study was to compare patient and care characteristics in late stage COPD patients treated in specialized palliative care (SPC) versus hospital. METHODS: Two nationwide registers were merged, the Swedish National Airway Register (SNAR) and the Swedish Register of Palliative Care (SRPC). Patients with COPD and < 50% of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), who had died in inpatient or outpatient SPC (n = 159) or in hospital (n = 439), were identified. Clinical COPD characteristics were extracted from the SNAR, and end of life (EOL) care characteristics from the SRPC. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and the registered care and treatments. Independent samples t-test, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and Fisher's exact test was used to compare variables. To examine predictors of place of death, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with a dependent variable with demographic and clinical variables used as independent variables. RESULTS: The patients in hospitals were older and more likely to have heart failure or hypertension. Pain was more frequently reported and relieved in SPC than in hospitals (p = 0.001). Rattle, anxiety, delirium and nausea were reported at similar frequencies between the settings; but rattle, anxiety, delirium, and dyspnea were more frequently relieved in SPC (all p < 0.001). Compared to hospital, SPC was more often the preferred place of care (p < 0.001). In SPC, EOL discussions with patients and families were more frequently held than in hospital (p < 0.001). Heart failure increased the probability of dying in hospital while lung cancer increased the probability of dying in SPC. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence for referring more COPD patients to SPC, which is more focused on symptom management and psychosocial and existential support.

Using patients' own knowledge of early sensations and symptoms to develop an interactive, individualized e-questionnaire to facilitate early diagnosis of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: One reason for the often late diagnosis of lung cancer (LC) may be that potentially-indicative sensations and symptoms are often diffuse, and may not be considered serious or urgent, making their interpretation complicated. However, with only a few exceptions, efforts to use people's own in-depth knowledge about prodromal bodily experiences has been a missing link in efforts to facilitate early LC diagnosis. In this study, we describe and discuss facilitators and challenges in our process of developing and initial testing an interactive, self-completion e-questionnaire based on patient descriptions of experienced prodromal sensations and symptoms, to support early identification of lung cancer (LC). METHODS: E-questionnaire items were derived from in-depth, detailed explorative interviews with individuals undergoing investigation for suspected LC. The descriptors of sensations/symptoms and the background items obtained were the basis for developing an interactive, individualized instrument, PEX-LC, which was refined for usability through think-aloud and other interviews with patients, members of the public, and clinical staff. RESULTS: Major challenges in the process of developing PEX-LC related to collaboration among many actors, and design/user interface problems including technical issues. Most problems identified through the think-aloud interviews related to design/user interface problems and technical issues rather than content, for example we re-ordered questions to be in line with patients' chronological, rather than retrospective, descriptions of their experiences. PEX-LC was developed into a final e-questionnaire on a touch-screen smart tablet with one background module covering sociodemographic characteristics, 10 interactive, individualized modules covering early sensations and symptoms, and a 12th assessing current symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Close collaboration with patients throughout the process was intrinsic for developing PEX-LC. Similarly, we recognized the extent to which clinicians and technical experts were also important in this process. Similar endeavors should assure all necessary competence is included in the core research team, to facilitate timely progress. Our experiences developing PEX-LC combined with new empirical research suggest that this individualized, interactive e-questionnaire, developed through systematizing patients' own formulations of their prodromal symptom experiences, is both feasible for use and has potential value in the intended group.

Registered nurses and undergraduate nursing students' attitudes to performing end-of-life care.

Registered Nurses (RNs) are in the immediate position to provide End-of-life (EOL) care and counselling for patients and families in various settings. However, EOL-care often creates feelings of uncertainty and inadequacy linked to inexperience, lack of education, and attitude. To identify and describe factors associated with RNs' attitudes towards EOL-care, and to identify whether and how these attitudes differ from undergraduate nursing students' (UNSs) attitudes, a descriptive and comparative, quantitative study was performed. The FATCOD-instrument, focusing on attitude towards EOL-care, was used and the results analysed with descriptive and nonparametric statistics. In total, 287 RNs in 14 different specialist programmes, and 124 UNSs participated. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.032) was found in attitude towards EOL-care based on clinical experience. RNs in "Acute Care" and "Paediatric & Psychiatry Care" specialist programmes had a less positive attitude towards EOL-care (compared to RNs in other specialist programmes), while RNs attending the Palliative Care programme had the most positive attitudes. RNs and UNSs' scores differed statistically significantly in 17 out of 30 FATCOD variables. Finally, the results imply that there is a need for greater emphasis on further continuing education within EOL care for RNs working in all types of clinical specialities to encourage RNs talking about death and to enhance attitudes towards EOL care.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a New Short Version of the Swedish Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale.

BACKGROUND: The Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) is widely used as a measure of attitudes toward care of dying patients. However, poor factor structure and item redundancy have been reported across the literature. OBJECTIVE: A short version of the questionnaire is needed, to facilitate effective assessments of the attitudes of those caring for dying patients. The purpose of this study was to develop a FATCOD-Short Form and to secure its psychometric properties. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: Data gathered from 1000 nurses in previous studies were pooled and reanalyzed. Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were utilized to assess the factor structure of the FATCOD-30. A Rasch model was used to evaluate the measurement functioning of the scale. RESULTS: Of the original 30 items, 9 items of FATCOD were chosen for retention in the short form based on the principal components analysis, floor or ceiling effects, interitem correlations, and item-total correlation. All 9 items had good internal reliability. Both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis supported the unidimensionality of the FATCOD-Short Form. CONCLUSIONS: The 9-item FATCOD-Short Form demonstrates evidence of acceptable validity and reliability to identify nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying persons because of its brevity and comprehensive content. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: When changing curricula in nursing education or implementing new procedures in nursing practice, it is important to have valid instruments to evaluate the results of the change. Such instruments should not be too lengthy or complicated. FATCOD-Short Form is a brief and valid instrument that can be easily used.

The 6S-model for person-centred palliative care: A theoretical framework.

Palliative care is provided at a certain timepoint, both in a person's life and in a societal context. What is considered to be a good death can therefore vary over time depending on prevailing social values and norms, and the person's own view and interpretation of life. This means that there are many interpretations of what a good death can actually mean for an individual. On a more general level, research in palliative care shows that individuals have basic common needs, for example physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Therefore, in today's pluralistic Western society, it becomes important that palliative care is person centred to enable individuals to receive, as far as can be achieved, care that promotes as good a life as possible based on the person's own needs and preferences, and in accordance with evidence and current laws. For many years a research group, consisting nurse researchers together with nurses working in palliative care, has developed a model for person-centred palliative care, the 6S-model. The model's central concept is Self-image, where the starting point is the patient as a person and their own experience of the situation. The other concepts: Self-determination, Symptom relief, Social relationships, Synthesis and Strategies are all related to the patient's self-image, and often to each other. The model's development, value base and starting assumptions are reported here, as are examples of how the model is applied in palliative care in Sweden. The model has been, and still is, constantly evolving in a collaboration between researchers and clinically active nurses, and in recent years also with patients and close relatives.

Health-related quality of life and emotional well-being in patients with glioblastoma and their relatives.

PURPOSE: The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with glioblastoma is known to be largely affected. Little is known about the HRQoL for relatives and the relationship between these two. To optimize family care, such issues need to be addressed early on, preferably from the time of diagnosis. This study aimed to describe and compare the HRQoL of patients with glioblastoma and their relatives before surgery. METHODS: A prospective cohort study including 89 patients diagnosed with glioblastoma and their relatives. HRQoL (Short Form Health Survey, SF-36) and emotional well-being (hospital anxiety and depression scale, HADS) were analysed with descriptive, comparative and multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: Relatives scored worse for mental HRQoL (p < 0.001) and for symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p = 0.022) compared to patients. The multivariable regression showed an increased risk of affected mental HRQoL in relatives of patients with poor functional status (WHO) (p = 0.01) and higher levels in symptoms of anxiety (p = 0.03), or when relatives had low physical HRQoL themselves (p = 0.01). There was increased risk of affected mental HRQoL in patients with comorbidities (p = 0.003), and when the respective relative showed higher levels in symptoms of anxiety (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Relatives scored worse for mental HRQoL and emotional well-being than patients, suggesting that HRQoL in patients and relatives might be connected to symptoms of anxiety in the respective individual at disease onset. The results illustrate the need to screen HRQoL and emotional well-being in both patients and relatives from an early stage-before surgery.

Early Predictors of Mortality in Patients with COPD, in Relation to Respiratory and Non-Respiratory Causes of Death - A National Register Study.

Background: Both single factors and composite measures have been suggested to predict mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and there is a need to analyze the relative importance of each variable. Objective: To explore the predictors of mortality for patients with COPD in relation to respiratory, cardiac, and malignant causes, as well as all causes of death. Methods: After merging the Swedish Respiratory Tract Register (SRTR) and the Swedish Cause of Death Register, patients with respiratory, cardiac, and other causes of death were identified. Demographic and clinical variables from the deceased patients' first registration with the SRTR were compared. Three univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted for different causes of death, with time from first registration to either death or a fixed end date as dependent variable, and variables regarding demographics, respiration, and comorbidities as independent variables. Results: In the multivariable Cox models, mortality for patients with all causes of death was predicted by older age 1.79 (CI 1.41, 2.27), lower percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 %) 0.99 (CI 0.98, 0.99), lower saturation 0.92 (CI 0.86, 0.97), worse dyspnea 1.48 (CI 1.26, 1.74) (p<0.002 to p<0.001), less exercise 0.91 (CI 0.85, 0.98), and heart disease 1.53 (CI 1.06, 2.19) (both p<0.05). Mortality for patients with respiratory causes was predicted by higher age 1.67 (CI 1.05, 2.65) (p<0.05), lower FEV1% 0.98 (CI 0.97, 0.99), worse dyspnea 2.05 (CI 1.45, 2.90), and a higher number of exacerbations 1.27 (CI 1.11, 1.45) (p<0.001 in all comparisons). For patients with cardiac causes of death, mortality was predicted by lower FEV1% 0.99 (CI 0.98, 0.99) (p=0.001) and lower saturation 0.82 (CI 0.76, 0.89) (p<0.001), older age 1.46 (CI 1.02, 2.09) (p<0.05), and presence of heart disease at first registration 2.06 (CI 1.13, 3.73) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Obstruction predicted mortality in all models and dyspnea in two models and needs to be addressed. Comorbidity with heart disease could further worsen the COPD patient's prognosis and should be treated by a multidisciplinary team of professional specialists.

To make and execute decisions throughout life: A person-centred model that facilitates self-determination in residential care, developed through participatory research.

AIM: The aim of the study was to develop a model that facilitates self-determination in residential care. BACKGROUND: The right to decide on one's own life is self-evident to most adult persons. Nevertheless, dependency on others and the routine-based care that sometimes is provided in residential care, limit the residents' possibilities of self-determination. METHODS: The study had a participatory research design using appreciative inquiry in focus group discussions with staff, residents, and care managers. The research process and the model were audited by two expert groups: a scientific reference group and a dementia-specialist reference group. A theoretical framework of relational autonomy and person-centred care was also used. RESULTS: By combining practical and theoretical knowledge, the model "To make and execute decisions throughout life" was developed. The core message of "In my way, at my pace, with the help of you" was reinforced by the categories "See me as a competent person", "Show me professional consideration", "Meet me in a trustful relationship", "Give me opportunity to a meaningful and safe day", "Support me in being independent", "Let me have power over my own life", and "Help me to plan my end-of-life care". CONCLUSION: The model "To make and execute decisions throughout life" provides a base for a person-centred approach to care. By reflecting on the core message and the different categories in the model, staff can be inspired to see their own contribution to the residents' self-determination and find ways to facilitate it despite the many obstacles.

Women's coping strategies during the first three months of adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Aim: The aim was to explore stressful events, experienced problems and used coping strategies during the first three months of undergoing ET. Design: This study used a mixed method design. Methods: A consecutive sample of 39 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer were included at the start of their adjuvant endocrine therapy. A daily coping assessment was used to create daily reports about stressful events or experienced problems and coping strategies. Results: The most frequently reported physical problems were sleeping difficulties. Anxiety was the most reported emotional problem. Patients used both emotion-and problem-focused coping, and sleeping difficulties were coped by relaxing, and anxiety was coped by thinking about something else. Conclusions: Patients experienced a variety of stressful events or problems during the first three months of endocrine therapy. They also used several coping strategies to endure the treatment.

Benefits of using the Brief Pain Inventory in patients with cancer pain: an intervention study conducted in Swedish hospitals.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of cancer pain is too high. There is a need for improvement of pain management in cancer care. The aim of this study was to explore whether the use of the multidimensional pain assessment questionnaire Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) could improve pain relief in hospitalized patients with cancer. METHODS: A controlled intervention study was performed at two hospitals in western Sweden, 264 patients were included, 132 formed a control group and 132 an intervention group. All participants completed the BPI and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) at baseline. Only the researcher had access to questionnaires from the control group. The completed forms from the intervention group were presented to the patients' care team. A follow-up took place after 2-5 days when patients in both groups rated the scales a second time. RESULTS: In the intervention group, significant differences in all measured items of the BPI were found at follow-up compared with baseline. Symptoms rated with the ESAS also decreased significantly, except shortness of breath. At follow-up, a significant increase in regular use of paracetamol, anti-neuropathic pain drugs and opioids was found, as well as elevated doses of fixed-schedule opioids. In the control group, differences between baseline and follow-up were significant regarding average pain and worst pain over the past 24 h. CONCLUSION: Presenting the patient-reported BPI to the care team helped them to focus on patients' pain, identify pain mechanisms and adjust analgesics accordingly. A possible explanation for the results is changes in the medication prescribed.

Residents' and family members' perceptions of care quality and self-determination in palliative phase in residential care.

OBJECTIVE: Dependency on others can compromise self-determination for older persons in the palliative phase in residential care. Family members can support the residents' self-determination but may also jeopardize it. Quality of care (QoC) is linked to respecting the autonomy of the residents and providing opportunities to participate in decision-making. The aim of the study was to provide knowledge about residents' and family members' perceptions of QoC and self-determination and to detect possible differences between their experiences. METHOD: This cross-sectional study used an abbreviated version of the questionnaire, Quality from the Patients' Perspective, with additional items about decision-making. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used to analyze the perception of QoC and to detect differences between residents' and family members' perceptions. RESULT: QoC was perceived as lower than preferred in the majority of items and there was a high level of agreement between residents and family members. Lowest mean values in QoC were found in: support when feeling lonely; support when feeling worry, anxiety or fear; and staff's time to talk to the residents. Decision-making in everyday life and in life-changing situations showed that neither residents nor family members trusted staff to know about the residents' preferences. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Broad improvements are needed, especially in psychosocial care. Several of the negative outcomes on QoC and self-determination seem to derive from a focus on practical tasks and the lack of trustful relationships between residents and staff. An early implementation of palliative care, with a focus on what brings quality to each resident's life, could facilitate QoC and self-determination, in both everyday life and at the end of life.