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Starr LT, Washington KT, Jabbari J, Benson JJ, Oliver DP, Demiris G, Cagle JG. Pain Management Education for Rural Hospice Family Caregivers: A Pilot Study With Embedded Implementation Evaluation. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024; 41:619-633. [PMID: 37491002 PMCID: PMC11032627 DOI: 10.1177/10499091231191114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assessing and managing hospice patients' pain is a common source of anxiety among hospice family caregivers (HFCGs), especially caregivers in rural communities who face special challenges including distance, limited access, and concerns about opioid misuse. OBJECTIVE To pilot test Ready2Care, a pain management education intervention for rural HFCGs. We sought to determine whether there was a signal of benefit for clinically-relevant outcomes and to identify contextual factors pertinent to conducting a future randomized clinical trial of Ready2Care. METHODS We conducted a multi-method, single-arm study, enabling completion of paired t-tests comparing pre- and post-intervention measures of caregiver anxiety, pain management self-efficacy, barriers to pain management, and reports of patient pain intensity and corresponding patient and caregiver distress. We concurrently conducted an embedded implementation evaluation via calculation of descriptive statistics (recruitment and retention data) and directed content analysis of brief caregiver interviews. RESULTS Twenty-seven (n = 27) HFCGs participated; 15 completed the study. Among completers, significant improvement was observed in patient pain intensity (average 1.4 points decrease on 0-10 scale) and in overall pain experience. No statistically significant changes were detected in caregiver anxiety, barriers to pain management, or pain management self-efficacy. Facilitators to successful conduct of a future clinical trial included high acceptability of Ready2Care, driven by its perceived clarity and relevance to caregivers' concerns. Barriers included lower-than-anticipated accrual and an attrition rate of nearly 44%. CONCLUSION A multisite clinical trial of Ready2Care is warranted; however, its success may require more effective recruitment and retention strategies for rural caregiver participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T. Starr
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - JoAnn Jabbari
- Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Barnes-Jewish College, Goldfarb School of Nursing, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Debra Parker Oliver
- Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Barnes-Jewish College, Goldfarb School of Nursing, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - George Demiris
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John G. Cagle
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Phongtankuel V, Czaja S, Park T, Dignam R, Adelman R, Shah S, Vasquez F, Reid MC. Assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel symptom management care delivery intervention for caregivers receiving home hospice care: The I-HoME protocol. Contemp Clin Trials 2024; 136:107389. [PMID: 37972753 PMCID: PMC10922463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Terminally ill patients experience high symptom burden at the end of life (EoL), even when receiving hospice care. In the U.S., family caregivers play a critical role in managing symptoms experienced by patients receiving home hospice services. Yet, most caregivers don't receive sufficient support or formal training in symptom management. Therefore, providing additional visits and education to caregivers could potentially improve outcomes for both patient and caregiver. In response, we developed the Improving Home hospice Management of End-of-life issues through technology (I-HoME) intervention, a program designed for family caregivers of home hospice patients. This paper describes the intervention, study design, and protocol used to evaluate the intervention. METHODS The I-HoME study is a pilot randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing patient symptom burden through weekly tele-visits and education videos to benefit the patient's family caregiver. One hundred caregivers will be randomized to hospice care with (n = 50) or without (n = 50) the I-HoME intervention. Primary outcomes include intervention feasibility (e.g., accrual, attrition, use of the intervention) and acceptability (e.g., caregivers' comfort accessing the tele-visits and satisfaction). We will also examine preliminary efficacy using validated patient symptom burden and caregiver outcome measures (i.e., burden, depression, anxiety, satisfaction). CONCLUSION The trial is evaluating a novel symptom management intervention that supports caregivers of patients receiving home hospice services. The intervention employs a multi-pronged approach that provides needed services at a time when close contact and support is crucial. This research could lead to advances in how care gets delivered in the home hospice setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerawat Phongtankuel
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara Czaja
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taeyoung Park
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Ronald Adelman
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shivani Shah
- VNS Health, 220 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | | | - M C Reid
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
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Chi NC, Fu YK, Nakad L, Barani E, Gilbertson-White S, Tripp-Reimer T, Herr K. Family Caregiver Challenges in Pain Management for Patients with Advanced Illnesses: A Systematic Review. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:1865-1876. [PMID: 36178473 PMCID: PMC9784612 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although pain management is integral to the caregiving role, there is a paucity of evidence synthesizing specific challenges family caregivers (FCs) face when managing pain for their care partners. This review comprehensively identified and summarized such challenges in the setting of advanced illnesses. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Health and Psychosocial Instruments) were searched using index and keyword methods for all articles published before April 2021. Fifty-five studies were included in this review. Most articles were published within the last 10 years (54%) in community settings, with home hospice care comprising the majority (50%). Most studies included patients with an advanced cancer diagnosis (84%), and 16% of the studies included patients with a noncancer diagnosis. Four major categories of challenges were identified: (1) caregiver-related issues (e.g., fears, beliefs, function), (2) caregivers' limited knowledge and skills in pain management (e.g., verbal and nonverbal pain assessment skills, pharmacological knowledge, documentation, safe management of medication), (3) communication challenges with health care providers, and (4) patient-related issues (e.g., inability to report pain). Many of these challenges have not been fully addressed in prior literature. Thus, this review provides a framework for needed future research to develop interventions that target FCs' specific challenges in providing pain management. The results also highlight a significant lack of research surrounding challenges faced by caregivers of care partners having a noncancer, dementia, or multimorbidity diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Ching Chi
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Ying-Kai Fu
- College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Lynn Nakad
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Emelia Barani
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | - Keela Herr
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Smith TO, Pearson M, Smith MJ, Fletcher J, Irving L, Lister S. Effectiveness of caregiver interventions for people with cancer and non-cancer-related chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Pain 2022; 16:71-83. [PMID: 35111316 PMCID: PMC8801680 DOI: 10.1177/20494637211022771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with chronic pain frequently have difficulties in completing everyday tasks to maintain independence and quality of life. Informal caregivers may provide support to these individuals. However, the effectiveness of interventions to train and support these individuals in caregiving remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence to determine the effectiveness of caregiver interventions to support informal caregivers of people with chronic pain. METHODS A systematic review of published and unpublished literature databases was undertaken (9 April 2021). Trials reporting clinical outcomes of caregiver interventions to train informal caregivers to support community-dwelling people with chronic pain were included. Meta-analysis was undertaken and each outcome was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies were eligible (N = 3427 patients). Twenty-four studies assessed patients with cancer pain and three with musculoskeletal pain. No other patient groups were identified. There was very low-quality evidence that caregiver interventions were beneficial for caregiver health-related quality of life (standardised mean difference = 0.26, 95% confidence interval = 0.01 to 0.52; N = 231). There was moderate-quality evidence that caregiving interventions were effective in reducing pain in the short-term (standardised mean difference = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = -0.29 to -0.03). There was low-quality evidence that caregiving interventions had no beneficial effect over usual care for psychological outcomes, fatigue, coping or physical function in the long-term. CONCLUSION Caregiving interventions may be effective for patients and caregivers but only in the shorter-term and for a limited number of outcomes. There is insufficient evidence examining the effectiveness of caregiver interventions for people with non-cancer-related pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby O. Smith
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Matthew Pearson
- Dynamic Health, Cambridgeshire Community Services, Huntingdon, UK
| | | | - Jessica Fletcher
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lisa Irving
- Physiotherapy Department, Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK
| | - Sarah Lister
- Physiotherapy Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK
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Bittencourt NCCDM, Santos KA, Mesquita MGDR, Silva VGD, Telles AC, Silva MMD. Sinais e sintomas manifestados por pacientes em cuidados paliativos oncológicos na assistência domiciliar: uma revisão integrativa. Esc Anna Nery 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/2177-9465-ean-2020-0520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Objetivo identificar os principais sinais e sintomas manifestados por pacientes em cuidados paliativos oncológicos na assistência domiciliar. Método revisão integrativa nas bases LILACS, MEDLINE e CINAHL em janeiro de 2020. Perguntou-se: “Quais os principais sinais e sintomas manifestados por pacientes em cuidados paliativos oncológicos destacados nos estudos abrangendo o contexto do domicílio?”. Foram descritores/termos: Sinais e Sintomas/Signs and Symptoms; Assistência Domiciliar/Home Care Services; Cuidados Paliativos/Palliative Care e Neoplasias/Neoplasms. Elencaram-se como critérios de elegibilidade: texto completo; entre 2015 e 2019; em inglês, português ou espanhol e idade adulta. Para o mapeamento dos dados, consideraram-se: título; país; ano; objetivo; método; sinais e sintomas. Os resultados foram categorizados em subgrupos, considerando a classificação conceitual predeterminada (sinal e sintoma). O elemento contagem facilitou a análise e a comparação de dados. Resultados foram selecionados 35 artigos, sendo identificados 25 sinais e 23 sintomas. Os mais frequentes foram: dor, náusea/vômito, dispneia, fadiga, depressão, ansiedade, constipação, perda de apetite, sonolência, bem-estar e insônia. A maioria (39) relacionou-se ao domínio físico. Conclusão a identificação dos principais sinais e sintomas, neste contexto, direciona a prática dos profissionais de saúde para as intervenções mais adequadas e o mais precocemente possível, contribuindo para viabilizar a assistência domiciliar, e alerta para a necessidade de educação permanente sobre este tema.
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Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe current evidence-based strategies to manage severe pain in patients living with terminal illnesses. A comprehensive pain assessment is a critical step in the initial development of a pain management plan and for ongoing evaluation of patients' pain. Although we have many effective clinical tools available for pain assessment, they are not always used consistently, which can negatively affect the pain management plan. Home care and hospice nurses need to be consistent in using the tools and documenting the patient's pain level and response to the pain management plan. Patients and caregivers have concerns and fears surrounding medication use, particularly with narcotic analgesics. It is vital that nurses provide thorough patient-centered teaching about medications to help address these concerns. Research has found that nurses who also provided validation to patients and families regarding their concerns, followed by education, were the most effective.
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Chi NC, Barani E, Fu YK, Nakad L, Gilbertson-White S, Herr K, Saeidzadeh S. Interventions to Support Family Caregivers in Pain Management: A Systematic Review. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020; 60:630-656.e31. [PMID: 32339651 PMCID: PMC7483228 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Family caregivers encounter many challenges when managing pain for their loved ones. There is a lack of clear recommendations on how to prepare caregivers in pain management. OBJECTIVES To evaluate existing interventions that support family caregivers in providing pain management to patients with all disease types. METHODS Four electronic databases were systematically searched (PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and Scopus) using index and keyword methods for articles published before December 2019. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality. RESULTS The search identified 6851 studies, and 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. Only two studies exclusively focused on noncancer populations (8%). Three types of interventions were identified in this review: educational interventions, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and technology-based interventions. Both educational and cognitive-behavioral interventions improved family caregiver and patient outcomes, but the content and intensity of these interventions in these studies varied widely, and there was a limited number of randomized clinical trials (68%). Hence, it is unclear what strategies are most effective to prepare family caregivers in pain management. Technology-based interventions were feasible to support family caregivers in providing pain management. CONCLUSION Providing adequate pain management training can improve patient and family caregiver outcomes. However, the most effective interventions for family caregivers are still unclear. More rigorous and replicable clinical trials are needed to examine the effects of educational interventions, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and technology-based interventions. Also, more studies are needed in patients with a noncancer diagnosis or multimorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Ching Chi
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
| | - Emelia Barani
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ying-Kai Fu
- College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Lynn Nakad
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Keela Herr
- College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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LeBaron V, Bennett R, Alam R, Blackhall L, Gordon K, Hayes J, Homdee N, Jones R, Martinez Y, Ogunjirin E, Thomas T, Lach J. Understanding the Experience of Cancer Pain From the Perspective of Patients and Family Caregivers to Inform Design of an In-Home Smart Health System: Multimethod Approach. JMIR Form Res 2020; 4:e20836. [PMID: 32712581 PMCID: PMC7481872 DOI: 10.2196/20836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Inadequately managed pain is a serious problem for patients with cancer and those who care for them. Smart health systems can help with remote symptom monitoring and management, but they must be designed with meaningful end-user input. Objective This study aims to understand the experience of managing cancer pain at home from the perspective of both patients and family caregivers to inform design of the Behavioral and Environmental Sensing and Intervention for Cancer (BESI-C) smart health system. Methods This was a descriptive pilot study using a multimethod approach. Dyads of patients with cancer and difficult pain and their primary family caregivers were recruited from an outpatient oncology clinic. The participant interviews consisted of (1) open-ended questions to explore the overall experience of cancer pain at home, (2) ranking of variables on a Likert-type scale (0, no impact; 5, most impact) that may influence cancer pain at home, and (3) feedback regarding BESI-C system prototypes. Qualitative data were analyzed using a descriptive approach to identity patterns and key themes. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS; basic descriptive statistics and independent sample t tests were run. Results Our sample (n=22; 10 patient-caregiver dyads and 2 patients) uniformly described the experience of managing cancer pain at home as stressful and difficult. Key themes included (1) unpredictability of pain episodes; (2) impact of pain on daily life, especially the negative impact on sleep, activity, and social interactions; and (3) concerns regarding medications. Overall, taking pain medication was rated as the category with the highest impact on a patient’s pain (=4.79), followed by the categories of wellness (=3.60; sleep quality and quantity, physical activity, mood and oral intake) and interaction (=2.69; busyness of home, social or interpersonal interactions, physical closeness or proximity to others, and emotional closeness and connection to others). The category related to environmental factors (temperature, humidity, noise, and light) was rated with the lowest overall impact (=2.51). Patients and family caregivers expressed receptivity to the concept of BESI-C and reported a preference for using a wearable sensor (smart watch) to capture data related to the abrupt onset of difficult cancer pain. Conclusions Smart health systems to support cancer pain management should (1) account for the experience of both the patient and the caregiver, (2) prioritize passive monitoring of physiological and environmental variables to reduce burden, and (3) include functionality that can monitor and track medication intake and efficacy; wellness variables, such as sleep quality and quantity, physical activity, mood, and oral intake; and levels of social interaction and engagement. Systems must consider privacy and data sharing concerns and incorporate feasible strategies to capture and characterize rapid-onset symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia LeBaron
- University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Rachel Bennett
- University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ridwan Alam
- University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Leslie Blackhall
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Kate Gordon
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - James Hayes
- University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Nutta Homdee
- University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Randy Jones
- University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Yudel Martinez
- University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Emmanuel Ogunjirin
- University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Tanya Thomas
- University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - John Lach
- The George Washington University School of Engineering & Applied Science, Washington, DC, United States
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Ehrlich O, Walker RK, Jacelon CS. Cancer Pain Social Processes and Pain Management in Home Hospice Care. Pain Manag Nurs 2019; 20:541-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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10
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Washington KT, Oliver DP, Smith JB, Kruse RL, Meghani SH, Demiris G. A Comparison of Rural and Urban Hospice Family Caregivers' Cancer Pain Knowledge and Experience. J Pain Symptom Manage 2019; 58:685-689. [PMID: 31325546 PMCID: PMC6754759 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Family caregivers play a vital role in managing the pain of hospice patients with cancer; however, caregivers' knowledge of pain management principles and experiences as pain managers vary widely. Differences in cultural values and access to resources suggest that rural and urban hospice family caregivers may differ with regard to their pain knowledge and experience, but this has not been empirically investigated. OBJECTIVES We sought to determine if rural and urban hospice family caregivers differed in terms of their knowledge of cancer pain management principles and their experiences managing cancer pain. METHODS Our study consisted of a secondary analysis of baseline, cross-sectional data from hospice family caregivers (N = 196) participating in an ongoing cluster randomized crossover pragmatic trial. We performed multivariable regression to model associations between caregivers' demographic characteristics and their scores on the Family Pain Questionnaire (FPQ), which included subscales measuring pain knowledge and experience. RESULTS When controlling for other demographic variables, rural caregivers' scores on the FPQ knowledge subscale were worse (P = 0.01) than their urban counterparts. FPQ experience subscale scores and FPQ total scores were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION Rural hospice family caregivers report greater pain knowledge deficits than urban hospice family caregivers, although the two groups report comparable pain management experiences. Additional research is needed to better explain observed differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla T Washington
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
| | - Debra Parker Oliver
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Jamie B Smith
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Robin L Kruse
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Salimah H Meghani
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - George Demiris
- Schools of Nursing and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Oechsle K. Current Advances in Palliative & Hospice Care: Problems and Needs of Relatives and Family Caregivers During Palliative and Hospice Care-An Overview of Current Literature. Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:medsci7030043. [PMID: 30871105 PMCID: PMC6473856 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7030043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Oechsle
- Palliative Care Unit, Department of Oncology, Hematology and BMT, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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