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Larsen LL, Hoffmann Merrild C. Good cancer follow-up for socially disadvantaged patients in general practice? Perspectives from patients and general practitioners. Scand J Prim Health Care 2024; 42:316-326. [PMID: 38376126 PMCID: PMC11003317 DOI: 10.1080/02813432.2024.2317843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the core principles of providing care in general practice is giving more to those who need it most. We investigate some of the complexities of this ambition in the context of cancer care for patients defined as socially disadvantaged by their general practitioner (GP). We do this by exploring how care is sought, how it is offered, and what expectations patients and GPs carry with them when receiving and providing cancer care in the Danish welfare state. We carried out semi-structured interviews with eight GPs and seven socially disadvantaged cancer patients living with different types and stages of cancer. The interviews focused on needs and challenges in cancer follow-up in general practice and were thematically coded. Drawing on theoretical concepts of morality and Nordic individualism, we point to how one of the main challenges in cancer care and follow-up is to figure out how the doctor-patient relationship should be established, practiced, and maintained. Both GPs and patients stressed the importance of the relationship, but how it should be practiced amidst social norms about being a patient, a citizen and how care-seeking should unfold seems less clear. In conclusion we argue that giving more to those who need it the most is a difficult and ill-defined task that is shaped by the cultural, social, and political expectations of both GPs and patients.
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Brose JM, Willis E, Morgan DD. Occupational adaptation for adults living with advanced cancer: A phenomenological longitudinal study. Aust Occup Ther J 2024; 71:52-63. [PMID: 37806961 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People living with advanced cancer want to continue participating in their valued occupations amid cancer progression. However, increasing dependence and bodily deterioration challenge a person's ability to do so, thus requiring adaptation to how they engage in their occupations. Theoretical frameworks on the process of occupational adaptation often do not address the implications of progressive functional decline. METHODS A longitudinal phenomenological design was used to understand the lived experience of occupational engagement for working-aged adults living with advanced cancer. A semi-structured interview series explored participants' experience of occupational engagement and how this changed over time. Data were analysed thematically and mapped against the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). FINDINGS Eight adults (40-64 years old) participated in 33 interviews over 19 months. Three themes were constructed from the data: ongoing adaptation through doing, the significance of volition in adaptation, and everyday life is contingent on my environment. Study findings demonstrate that the process of adaptation occurs through occupational engagement, is motivated by volition, and is affected by the environment. Volition and the environment play a more central role in occupational adaptation than occupational competency for the advanced cancer cohort. CONCLUSION Study findings further MOHO's theoretical conceptualisation of occupational adaptation by identifying the centrality of volition and the environment in the process of adaptation. For people living with advanced cancer, disease progression results in unremitting functional decline, thus rendering competency an unstable and untenable construct. Rather, this paper argues that occupational adaptation is facilitated by volition (i.e., the motivation behind the doing) and the environment, thus fostering a sense of identity and meaning at the end of life. Occupational therapists' awareness of the significance of volition and the environment can thus foster continued occupational engagement and meaning at the end of life for people living with advanced cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Brose
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
- Research Centre for Palliative Care Death and Dying (RePaDD), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Eileen Willis
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Deidre D Morgan
- Research Centre for Palliative Care Death and Dying (RePaDD), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Kyota A, Kanda K, Senuma M, Tsukagoshi N, Futawatari T, Kondo Y. The perception of life and death in patients with end-of-life stage cancer: A systematic review of qualitative research. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2023; 66:102354. [PMID: 37586291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to clarify the perceptions on life and death among patients with the end-of-life stage cancer through a systematic review. METHODS The search strategy combined MeSH terminology with free text searches, and was applied to the PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and ICHUSHI (Japan Medical Abstracts Society) databases covering from 2010 to 5/2022. To ensure the quality of the research included, the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Qualitative Studies Checklist was used. Data relating to the perceptions of life and death of patients with the end-of-life stage cancer was extracted and analyzed with reference to qualitative meta-synthesis methods. RESULTS Ultimately, 50 studies were included. Five themes were derived based on the perceptions of life and death of patients with the end-of-life stage cancer: despair, making sense of death, how to live the rest of life, special feelings for loved ones, and fluctuation. By making sense of death in their own way, and reconciling it with their current situation, patients with the end-of-life stage cancer, even in despair over their impending death, look ahead into the future and their surroundings and consider how they would live the remaining time they have. During this time, the special feelings they have for their loved ones make an impact. CONCLUSIONS An important new finding from this study lies in the fact that the patients' desire to live as ordinary people who were not patients were expressed as a face that they hid from their families. Further research is needed in low-income countries/regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Kyota
- Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan.
| | - Kiyoko Kanda
- Niigata College of Nursing, 240 Shinnan-cho, Joetsu, Niigata, 943-0147, Japan.
| | - Maiko Senuma
- Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan.
| | - Noriko Tsukagoshi
- Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan.
| | - Tamae Futawatari
- Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan.
| | - Yuka Kondo
- Department of Nursing, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan.
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Lim GH, Yong C, Breen LJ, Keesing S, Buchanan A. Occupational therapy practice with terminally ill Chinese older adults in Singapore: A qualitative exploratory study. Aust Occup Ther J 2023; 70:18-31. [PMID: 35791064 PMCID: PMC10083987 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As the majority of occupational therapy philosophy has Western origins, occupational therapists working with palliative care clients in Singapore can provide invaluable insight into the practice of occupational therapy within a non-Western, family-centric population. This study aimed to describe occupational therapists' perceptions of the occupations of terminally ill Chinese older adults and their caregivers and explore occupational therapy practice with terminally ill Chinese older adults in Singapore. METHODS Eleven occupational therapists were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria were being fully registered with the Allied Health Professionals Council (Singapore) with at least 2 years of working experience and currently working with/had experience working with terminally ill patients within the past 2 years. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. FINDINGS Five themes were constructed from the data: (1) Independence may not be for everyone, (2) it is a family unit, (3) contributing to others' lives is important, (4) what respecting clients means, and (5) a different way of engaging. These themes describe how occupational therapists adapted their practice to better meet the needs of clients and families in Singapore. DISCUSSION In family-centric societies, it may be more relevant for occupational therapists to facilitate interdependence instead of independence in activities of daily living. In addition, activities that contribute to others' lives tangibly/intangibly may be more meaningful and relevant. Finally, occupational therapists could engage clients through the 'being' instead of 'doing' dimension of occupation. CONCLUSION While occupational therapists in Singapore faced some challenges working with terminally ill clients and families due to differences between occupational therapy philosophy and practice context, by reframing their thinking, they were able to adapt their practices to meet the needs of a family-centric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geck Hoon Lim
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Health and Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore
| | | | - Lauren J Breen
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Sharon Keesing
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Angus Buchanan
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Lim GH, Breen LJ, Keesing S, Buchanan A. Understanding Occupations of Terminally Ill Chinese Adults and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review. Occup Ther Health Care 2023; 37:75-100. [PMID: 34505796 DOI: 10.1080/07380577.2021.1972379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This scoping review explored the occupations of terminally ill Chinese adults and their caregivers. Seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles published in English or Chinese before June 2020. Of the 16 studies that met the selection criteria, only one directly used the term "occupations" while the other 15 studies contained descriptions of occupations. Eight themes were extracted and compared with existing literature. The top two reported themes were occupations surrounding life roles and tasks and those surrounding food and eating. More study is required about the occupational engagement of this client group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geck Hoon Lim
- Health & Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore.,Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Lauren J Breen
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Sharon Keesing
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Angus Buchanan
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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6
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Plage S, Kirby E. Reconfiguring time: optimisation and authenticity in accounts of people surviving with advanced cancer. HEALTH SOCIOLOGY REVIEW : THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTH SECTION OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 2022; 31:96-111. [PMID: 33886429 DOI: 10.1080/14461242.2021.1918016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Increasingly, people live longer with advanced cancer, despite having no prospect of full recovery. Ongoing survival is owed to early detection and effective disease management, yet experienced as highly precarious. In this article we explore how cancer chronicity brings into effect a pre-occupation with time, what time is to people with advanced cancer, and what socio-cultural norms inflect everyday practices. We analyse 20 interviews conducted in Queensland, Australia with 11 participants with advanced cancer, to trace the intersections of what time means, what people do with time, and what time feels like. Drawing on scholarship on the moralities around ill health, we discuss how awareness of time emerges in cancer chronicity and raises moral questions on how to live well. Here, imperatives of optimisation (urging people with advanced cancer to make the most of limited time) intersect with imperatives of authenticity (marked by emphasis on how to live one's own best life). These dynamics reveal expressions of living with advanced cancer in morally viable ways. Such ontological processes have implications for the lived experience of people with advanced cancer, their families and oncological care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Plage
- Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (Life Course Centre), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Emma Kirby
- Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH), The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Morgan DD, Taylor RR, Ivy M, George S, Farrow C, Lee V. Contemporary occupational priorities at the end of life mapped against Model of Human Occupation constructs: A scoping review. Aust Occup Ther J 2022; 69:341-373. [PMID: 35199343 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People with end-of-life care needs are seen in an increasingly diverse range of health and community settings. Opportunity for continued occupational participation is highly valued by people at the end of life. This scoping review sought to identify the priorities and preferences for participation at the end of life and to map findings using the model of human occupation. METHODS A search strategy informed by the research question was developed in collaboration with a research librarian. Data sources used were Ovid Medline(R), CINAHL, Ovid Emcare, Scopus, Web of Science and PsychInfo. Studies that focused on clinician perspectives, clinical care, grief and loss, did not clearly identify end-stage diseases, <18 years and written in languages other than English were excluded. FINDINGS Forty-four studies were included with a total of 1,070 study participants. Inductively developed themes were mapped against the model of human occupation constructs of volition (personal causation, values, interests), habituation (habits of occupational performance and routine), performance capacity and the lived body within the physical, social and occupational environment. The majority of findings sat within the construct of volition, particularly around sense of personal capacity, self-efficacy and values. At the end of life, people prioritise ongoing engagement in valued occupations even if participation is effortful. As disease progresses, opportunity to exert influence and control over this participation and engagement increases in importance. Personal causation plays an important role in the experience of occupational participation at this time. CONCLUSION This review provides important insights into the occupational priorities of people at the end of life and the importance of supporting agency and volition at this time. The model of human occupation and its client-centred focus offer a framework for a more robust examination of ways to enhance volitional capacity and enable occupational participation for people at the end of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidre D Morgan
- Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying (RePaDD), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Renée R Taylor
- Director, Model of Human Occupation Clearinghouse, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mack Ivy
- Rehabilitation Services, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Manvel, Texas, USA
| | - Stacey George
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Caroline Farrow
- SA Health, Northern Adelaide Palliative Care Service, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Vincci Lee
- Eastern Health, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
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Tarbi EC, Gramling R, Bradway C, Meghani SH. "If it's the time, it's the time": Existential communication in naturally-occurring palliative care conversations with individuals with advanced cancer, their families, and clinicians. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2021; 104:2963-2968. [PMID: 33992483 PMCID: PMC8578593 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore how patients with advanced cancer, their families, and palliative care clinicians communicate about existential experience during palliative care conversations. METHODS We analyzed data from the Palliative Care Communication Research Initiative (PCCRI) - a multisite cohort study conducted between 2014 and 2016 involving hospitalized adults with advanced cancer who were referred for inpatient palliative care consultations at two academic medical centers. We used a qualitative descriptive approach paired with inductive content analysis to analyze a random subsample of 30 patients from the PCCRI study (contributing to 38 palliative care conversations). RESULTS We found existential communication to be woven throughout palliative care conversations, with key themes related to: 1) time as a pressing boundary; 2) maintaining a coherent self; and 3) connecting with others. CONCLUSION Communication about existential experience is omnipresent and varied in palliative care conversations between individuals with advanced cancer, their families, and clinicians. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Clinicians can recognize that discussion of time, routines of daily life, and relationships in the clinical context may hold profound existential relevance in palliative care conversations. Understanding how patients and families talk about existential experience in conversation can create opportunities for clinicians to better meet these needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Tarbi
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA; NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Robert Gramling
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, USA
| | - Christine Bradway
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Salimah H Meghani
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA
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9
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Tarbi EC, Meghani SH. A concept analysis of the existential experience of adults with advanced cancer. Nurs Outlook 2019; 67:540-557. [PMID: 31040052 PMCID: PMC6764914 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention to the existential dimension of an individual's experience during serious illness is important. However, existential concerns continue to be poorly defined in literature, leading to neglect in the clinical realm. PURPOSE This concept analysis seeks to clarify the concept of the existential experience within the context of adults with advanced cancer. METHODS Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis was used. DISCUSSION Existential experience in adults with advanced cancer is a dynamic state, preceded by confronting mortality, defined by diverse reactions to shared existential challenges related to the parameters of existence (body, time, others, and death), resulting in a dialectical movement between existential suffering and existential health, with capacity for personal growth. Personal factors and the ability to cope appear to influence this experience. CONCLUSION These findings can drive future research and enhance clinician ability to attend to the existential domain, thereby improving patient experience at end-of-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Tarbi
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA.
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10
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Capodanno I, Tamagnini E, Alfieri P, Codeluppi K, Luminari S, Merli F. Home care of acute leukaemia patients: From active therapy to end‐of‐life and palliative care. The 3‐year experience of a single centre. Eur J Haematol 2019; 102:424-431. [DOI: 10.1111/ejh.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Capodanno
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
| | - Enrica Tamagnini
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
| | - Pierluigi Alfieri
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
| | - Katia Codeluppi
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
| | - Stefano Luminari
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
| | - Francesco Merli
- Department of Hematology Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale IRCCS di Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia Italy
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Abstract
AbstractObjectiveThis paper is concerned with the phenomenology of death awareness within the context of being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The objective of the research presented here is to provide a deeper insight into terminally ill cancer patients’ engagement with their mortality.MethodThe analysis forms part of a wider project that involved conducting a metasynthesis of 23 phenomenological studies of the experience of living with the awareness of having terminal cancer published between 2011 and 2016.ResultThe metasynthesis identified four master themes that represent distinct experiential dimensions of living with terminal cancer. This paper focuses on one of these themes, liminality, to provide novel insights into the structure of death awareness whilst living with terminal cancer.Significance of resultsThe results suggest that liminality describes an experiential space from within which terminal cancer patients encounter a new relationship with their existence. Liminality offers opportunities for both connection (e.g., with the natural world) as well as disconnection (e.g., from loved ones and others who still have a future) and therefore contains the potential for suffering and distress as well as for joy and a sense of fulfillment. This understanding of liminality can help healthcare professionals provide psychological support for this client group.
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12
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von Post H, Wagman P. What is important to patients in palliative care? A scoping review of the patient’s perspective. Scand J Occup Ther 2017; 26:1-8. [DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2017.1378715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen von Post
- Advanced Palliative Home Care, Region Skåne, Helsingborg, Sweden
| | - Petra Wagman
- School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Sweden
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13
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Uhrenfeldt L, Martinsen B, Jørgensen LB, Sørensen EE. The state of Danish nursing ethnographic research: flowering, nurtured or malnurtured - a critical review. Scand J Caring Sci 2017; 32:56-75. [PMID: 28795475 DOI: 10.1111/scs.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nursing was established in Denmark as a scholarly tradition in the late nineteen eighties, and ethnography was a preferred method. No critical review has yet summarised accomplishments and gaps and pointing at directions for the future methodological development and research herein. AIM This review critically examines the current state of the use of ethnographic methodology in the body of knowledge from Danish nursing scholars. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search in relevant databases from 2003 to 2016. The studies included were critically appraised by all authors for methodological robustness using the ten-item instrument QARI from Joanna Briggs Institute. RESULTS Two hundred and eight studies met our inclusion criteria and 45 papers were included; the critical appraisal gave evidence of studies with certain robustness, except for the first question concerning the congruity between the papers philosophical perspective and methodology and the seventh question concerning reflections about the influence of the researcher on the study and vice versa. In most studies (n = 34), study aims and arguments for selecting ethnographic research are presented. Additionally, method sections in many studies illustrated that ethnographical methodology is nurtured by references such as Hammersley and Atkinson or Spradley. CONCLUSIONS Evidence exists that Danish nursing scholars' body of knowledge nurtures the ethnographic methodology mainly by the same few authors; however, whether this is an expression of a deliberate strategy or malnutrition in the form of lack of knowledge of other methodological options appears yet unanswered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt
- Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Nord University, Bodø, Norway.,Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg Ø, Denmark.,Danish Centre of Systematic reviews: An Affiliate Center of Joanna Briggs Institute, The Center of Excellence- Clearing House, Aalborg University, Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - Bente Martinsen
- Department of Public Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Erik Elgaard Sørensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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14
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la Cour K, Ledderer L, Hansen HP. Storytelling as part of cancer rehabilitation to support cancer patients and their relatives. J Psychosoc Oncol 2016; 34:460-476. [PMID: 27612167 DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2016.1217964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous research on psychosocial support for cancer-related concerns has primarily focused on either patients or their relatives, although limited research is available on how patients and their relatives can be supported together. The aim of this article is to explore the use of storytelling as a part of a residential cancer rehabilitation intervention for patients together with their relatives, with a specific focus on their management of cancer-related concerns. Ten pairs participated in the intervention and data were generated through ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observations, informal conversations and follow-up interviews conducted one month after completing the intervention. Analysis was performed drawing on narrative theory combined with social practice theory. The results demonstrate that the use of storytelling and metaphors intertwined with other course activities, such as dancing and arts & crafts, provided the patients and their relatives with strategies to manage cancer-related concerns, which they were later able to apply in their everyday lives. The study results may be useful to other professionals in clinical practice for rehabilitation purposes for addressing issues of fear and worry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen la Cour
- a Department of Public Health , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark
| | - Loni Ledderer
- b Department of Public Health , Aarhus University , Aarhus , Denmark
| | - Helle Ploug Hansen
- a Department of Public Health , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark
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15
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Peoples H, Brandt Å, Wæhrens EE, la Cour K. Managing occupations in everyday life for people with advanced cancer living at home. Scand J Occup Ther 2016; 24:57-64. [PMID: 27578556 DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2016.1225815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with advanced cancer are able to live for extended periods of time. Advanced cancer can cause functional limitations influencing the ability to manage occupations. Although studies have shown that people with advanced cancer experience occupational difficulties, there is only limited research that specifically explores how these occupational difficulties are managed. OBJECTIVE To describe and explore how people with advanced cancer manage occupations when living at home. MATERIAL AND METHODS A sub-sample of 73 participants from a larger occupational therapy project took part in the study. The participants were consecutively recruited from a Danish university hospital. Qualitative interviews were performed at the homes of the participants. Content analysis was applied to the data. RESULTS Managing occupations were manifested in two main categories; (1) Conditions influencing occupations in everyday life and (2) Self-developed strategies to manage occupations. SIGNIFICANCE The findings suggest that people with advanced cancer should be supported to a greater extent in finding ways to manage familiar as well as new and more personally meaningful occupations to enhance quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Peoples
- a Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, The Research Initiative for Activity Studies and Occupational Therapy , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark
| | - Åse Brandt
- a Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, The Research Initiative for Activity Studies and Occupational Therapy , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.,b The National Board of Social Services , Odense , Denmark
| | - Eva E Wæhrens
- a Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, The Research Initiative for Activity Studies and Occupational Therapy , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.,c The Parker Institute, University Hospital Bispebjerg & Frederiksberg , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Karen la Cour
- a Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, The Research Initiative for Activity Studies and Occupational Therapy , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark
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Jepsen LØ, Høybye MT, Hansen DG, Marcher CW, Friis LS. Outpatient management of intensively treated acute leukemia patients--the patients' perspective. Support Care Cancer 2015; 24:2111-2118. [PMID: 26553032 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-015-3012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In recent years, patients with acute leukemia (AL) have, to a greater extent, been managed in an outpatient setting where they live at home but appear every other day for follow-up visits at hospital. This qualitative article elucidates how patients with AL experience the different conditions of the inpatient and outpatient settings and how they reflect on these transitions in order to create meaning in and keep up everyday life. METHODS Qualitative semi-structured individual interviews twice with each AL patient focusing on the outpatient setting, impact on everyday life, responsibility and the home were performed. Twenty-two patients were interviewed the first time, and 15 of these were interviewed the second time. The data were analyzed in an everyday life relational perspective. RESULTS Outpatient management facilitates time to be administrated by the patients and thereby the possibility of maintaining everyday life, which was essential to the patients. The privacy ensured by the home was important to patients, and they accepted the necessary responsibility that came with it. However, time spent together with fellow patients and their relatives was an important and highly valued part of their social life. CONCLUSIONS Approached from the patient perspective, outpatient management provided a motivation for patients as it ensured their presence at home and provided the possibility of taking part in everyday life of the family, despite severe illness and intensive treatment. This may suggest a potential for extending the outpatient management further and also for patient involvement in own care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lene Østergaard Jepsen
- Department of Hematology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000, Odense, Denmark. .,Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Mette Terp Høybye
- Interdisciplinary Research Unit, Elective Surgery Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Falkevej 3, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Dorte Gilså Hansen
- The National Research Center of Cancer Rehabilitation, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Werenberg Marcher
- Department of Hematology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000, Odense, Denmark
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Ellingsen S, Roxberg Å, Kristoffersen K, Rosland JH, Alvsvåg H. The pendulum time of life: the experience of time, when living with severe incurable disease--a phenomenological and philosophical study. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2015; 18:203-215. [PMID: 25205069 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-014-9590-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of time when living with severe incurable disease. A phenomenological and philosophical approach of description and deciphering were used. In our modern health care system there is an on-going focus on utilizing and recording the use of time, but less focus on the patient's experience of time, which highlights the need to explore the patients' experiences, particularly when life is vulnerable and time is limited. The empirical data consisted of 26 open-ended interviews with 23 participants receiving palliative care at home, in hospital or in a nursing home in Norway. The theoretical frameworks used are mainly based upon K. Martinsens philosophy of care, K. E. Løgstrup phenomenological philosophy, in addition to C. Saunders' hospice philosophy, L. Feigenberg's thanatology and U. Qvarnström's research exploring patient's reactions to impending death. Experience of time is described as being a movement that moves the individual towards death in the field of opposites, and deciphered to be a universal, but a typical and unique experience emerging through three integrated levels: Sense of time; where time is described as a movement that is proceeding at varying speeds. Relate to time; where the awareness of limited life changes the understanding of time to be more existential. Being in time; where limited time seems to clarify the basic living conditions and phenomena of life. The existence of life when the prospect of death is present is characterized by emotional swings that move within polarizing dimensions which is reflected in the experience of time illustrated as the moves of the pendulum in a grandfather clock. The diversity of the experience of time is oscillating between going fast or slow, being busy or calm, being unpredictable but predictable, safe or unsafe and between being good or bad, depending on the embodied situation of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidsel Ellingsen
- Department of Nursing and Health Care, Haraldsplass Deaconess University College, Bergen, Norway,
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Redhouse R. Life-story; meaning making through dramatherapy in a palliative care context. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/02630672.2014.996239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Moestrup L, Hansen HP. Existential concerns about death: a qualitative study of dying patients in a Danish hospice. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2014; 32:427-36. [PMID: 24595321 DOI: 10.1177/1049909114523828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that addressing dying patients' existential concerns can improve their quality of life. We aimed to illuminate dying patients' existential concerns about the impending death through a descriptive analysis of semistructured interviews with 17 patients in Danish hospices. The main findings demonstrated how the patients faced the imminent death without being anxious of death but sorrowful about leaving life. Some patients expressed that they avoided thinking about death. They wished to focus on positive aspects in their daily life. We argue that the patients' existential concerns could not be fully captured by Yalom's existential psychology or by Kübler-Ross's theory about death stages. Patients' complex concerns could be more fully explained taking an outset in Heidegger's phenomenological thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lene Moestrup
- Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Helle Ploug Hansen
- Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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