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9 pages, 729 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advances and Challenges in European Paediatric Palliative Care

by Lorna K Fraser, Myra Bluebond-Langner and Julie Ling

Med. Sci. 2020, 8(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci8020020 - 17 Apr 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4800

Advances in both public health and medical interventions have resulted in a reduction in childhood mortality worldwide over the last few decades; however, children still have life-threatening conditions that require palliative care. Children’s palliative care is a specialty that differs from palliative care [...] Read more.

Advances in both public health and medical interventions have resulted in a reduction in childhood mortality worldwide over the last few decades; however, children still have life-threatening conditions that require palliative care. Children’s palliative care is a specialty that differs from palliative care for adults in many ways. This paper discusses some of the challenges, and some of the recent advances in paediatric palliative care. Developing responsive services requires good epidemiological data, as well as a clarity on services currently available and a robust definition of the group of children who would benefit from palliative care. Once a child is diagnosed with a life-limiting condition or life-limiting illness, parents face a number of complex and difficult decisions; not only about care and treatment, but also about the place of care and ultimately, place of death. The best way to address the needs of children requiring palliative care and their families is complex and requires further research and the routine collection of high-quality data. Although research in children’s palliative care has dramatically increased, there is still a dearth of evidence on key components of palliative care notably decision making, communication and pain and symptom management specifically as it relates to children. This evidence is required in order to ensure that the care that these children and their families require is delivered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Palliative and Hospice Care)

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Review

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16 pages, 311 KiB

Open AccessReview

Current Advances in Palliative & Hospice Care: Problems and Needs of Relatives and Family Caregivers During Palliative and Hospice Care—An Overview of Current Literature

by Karin Oechsle

Med. Sci. 2019, 7(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci7030043 - 12 Mar 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7748

Abstract

Palliative and hospice care aims to improve quality of life of patients’ relatives, but still little is known about their specific problems and needs. We present a comprehensive literature update. Narrative review to present an expert overview of peer-reviewed, English-written original research publications [...] Read more.

Palliative and hospice care aims to improve quality of life of patients’ relatives, but still little is known about their specific problems and needs. We present a comprehensive literature update. Narrative review to present an expert overview of peer-reviewed, English-written original research publications and reviews on psychosocial and existential problems, supportive needs as well as interventions for relatives during the patients’ disease trajectory published between January 2017 and November 2018. A total of 64 publications were included. Relatives report high rates of psychological and existential distress, burden and psychological morbidity during the total disease trajectory of the patient. In addition, relatives report an alarmingly high number of unmet needs with information being the central issue. Relatives’ problems and needs are part of complex systems influenced by various socio-demographic factors and patient–relatives-interactions and dependency between different psychological phenomena. First support interventions for relatives during disease trajectory have proven feasible and secondary data from randomized studies suggest beneficial effects of providing early palliative care also for relatives. Relatives should be addressed to a still larger extent in the daily practice of palliative and hospice care, thus further research to reveal more detailed systematic information is needed to improve relatives’ psychological burden and quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Palliative and Hospice Care)

21 pages, 677 KiB

Open AccessReview

Spiritual Care in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review of the Recent European Literature

by Marie-José H. E. Gijsberts, Anke I. Liefbroer, René Otten and Erik Olsman

Med. Sci. 2019, 7(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci7020025 - 07 Feb 2019

Cited by 124 | Viewed by 22744

Abstract

Many studies on spiritual care in palliative care are performed in the US, leaving other continents unexplored. The objective of this systematic review is to map the recent studies on spiritual care in palliative care in Europe. PubMed, CINAHL, ATLA, PsycINFO, ERIC, IBSS, [...] Read more.

Many studies on spiritual care in palliative care are performed in the US, leaving other continents unexplored. The objective of this systematic review is to map the recent studies on spiritual care in palliative care in Europe. PubMed, CINAHL, ATLA, PsycINFO, ERIC, IBSS, Web of Science, EMBASE, and other databases were searched. Included were European studies published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2015, 2016, or 2017. The characteristics of the included studies were analyzed and a narrative synthesis of the extracted data was performed. 53 articles were included. Spiritual care was seen as attention for spirituality, presence, empowerment, and bringing peace. It implied creative, narrative, and ritual work. Though several studies reported positive effects of spiritual care, like the easing of discomfort, the evidence for spiritual care is low. Requirements for implementation of spiritual care in (palliative) care were: Developing spiritual competency, including self-reflection, and visibility of spirituality and spiritual care, which are required from spiritual counselors that they participated in existing organizational structures. This study has provided insight into spiritual care in palliative care in Europe. Future studies are necessary to develop appropriate patient outcomes and to investigate the effects of spiritual care more fully. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Palliative and Hospice Care)

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