A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / American Indians and American Native (AI/AN) populations have faced health disparities for a period of time. Although their incidence for some chronic diseases such as cancer, may be lower than the general population, they suffer from the poorest survival rates of any ethnic group. As the AI/AN populations age and live longer with chronic disease as seen with the rest of the general population, the discussion of palliative care is becoming more important. Currently, there is not a lot of literature about palliative care that is specific to the AI/AN population. The paucity of research serves as an impetus to learn and examine the need of available palliative care resources for the AI/AN populations. We present the analysis of twenty interviews with staff members of local hospice organizations and hospitals. The interview questions ask participants about their views and experiences in delivering palliative care. Through these discussions, we investigate the current needs, social and cultural barriers, and the infrastructure of how palliative care is accessed and delivered.

Introduction: Despite the public and policy attention on ensuring access to health care for all Canadians, research continues to identify inequities in access to cancer care services. The objectives of this thesis are to define inequity in access to colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as to measure inequity in access to radiotherapy and end-of-life care. Methods: This study examined income-, geography-, sex-, and age-related inequity in access to CRC services along the continuum of care, using the Horizontal Inequity Index. Specifically, we measured and compared inequity in access CRC services in Nova Scotia using linked administrative databases. Results: We have identified that age- and geography-related inequity in access to radiotherapy and end-of-life care are the most consistent for CRC patients in Nova Scotia. Discussion: The clear distinction between inequity and inequality in this study provides indication to policy makers that the variations in access, may be of social concern.

Our objective was to examine the impact of palliative care (PC) on aggressive care near death for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Measures of aggressive care included (i) chemotherapy within 14 days of death; (ii) more than one emergency department (ED) visit; (iii) more than one hospitalization; and (iv) at least one intensive care unit (ICU) admission, all within 30 days of death. A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted with patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in Ontario. Multivariable logistic analyses were performed. Our final cohort consisted of 5,381 patients (median survival of 75 days). 52% received a PC consultation. PC consultation was associated with decreased use of chemotherapy near death (OR=0.34); and lower risk of ICU admission (OR=0.12), multiple ED visits (OR=0.19), and multiple hospitalizations near death (OR=0.24). A per unit increase in the monthly rate of PC visits was associated with lower odds of aggressive care.

Our objective was to examine the impact of palliative care (PC) on aggressive care near death for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Measures of aggressive care included (i) chemotherapy within 14 days of death; (ii) more than one emergency department (ED) visit; (iii) more than one hospitalization; and (iv) at least one intensive care unit (ICU) admission, all within 30 days of death. A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted with patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in Ontario. Multivariable logistic analyses were performed. Our final cohort consisted of 5,381 patients (median survival of 75 days). 52% received a PC consultation. PC consultation was associated with decreased use of chemotherapy near death (OR=0.34); and lower risk of ICU admission (OR=0.12), multiple ED visits (OR=0.19), and multiple hospitalizations near death (OR=0.24). A per unit increase in the monthly rate of PC visits was associated with lower odds of aggressive care.

This qualitative phenomenological study attempts to gain the physician's essences, meanings and understanding surrounding death and dying. Starting with themes revealed in literature, in-depth interviews were used to ask selected physicians providing care: How does death affect them? Are physicians receiving adequate training in end-of-life care? Does the medical culture still see death as failure? How do they find meaning in end-of-life care? Using three different groups of physicians: early in career, mid-career, and retired, this research attempted to examine the phenomena of death and dying over apparent time and developmental experiences of physicians. Results: Physicians have not been adequately trained to handle end-of-life care. Communications skills, specific end-of-life care training and support for physicians dealing with death and dying are needed.

Many people need palliative care in the end of life. In palliative care, the ones closest to the dying patient has a central role. Previous studies have shown that it can be a challenge for the nurses to care for the ones closest to the dying patient because they carries a lot of emotions. The aim of this study was to describe nurse’s experiences of meeting relatives in end of life care. The method used in this study was a literature review based on qualitative studies. Twelve articles were analyzed according to Friberg’s (2017) qualitative content analyze in five steps for literature-based studies. The result showed that nurses experienced the meeting with relatives as a journey. Three themes emerged from how the nurses experienced the meeting with relatives in end of life care: The support from the start of the journey until the end, Together through the journey and Challenges during the journey. The conclusion is that it is challenging for the nurses to meet the relative in end of life care. It is a lot of feelings involved and the nurses have to think about many things to give as good care as possible.

Background: Palliative care can be given to patients with progressive, incurable disease. In palliative care the patient is seen in a holistic perspective, the goal is to prevent and relieve physical, psychological, social and existential suffering. The four cornerstones of palliative care are symptom relief, teamwork, communication/relation and support to next of kin. The nurse in palliative care builds a relationship with the patient and next of kin. The nurse also works with symptom relief and informing patient and next of kin. Next of kin to patients in palliative care often put themselves aside to care for the patient and wish to be with the patient until the end of the patients’ life. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe next of kins’ need for support from the nurse in end-of-life care in hospitals. Method: A literature study based on nine qualitative articles retrieved through systematic search in database Cinahl. The articles were analysed with a five-step method. Results: Two categories emerged in the results. The first was A respectful nurse, with the subcategories Emotional support, To be together and The patient is well taken care of. The second was To be involved as next of kin with the subcategories To be informed and Participation. Conclusion: Next of kin to patients in end-of-life care need a nurse who cares for them, enables them to be with the patient and participate in the patients’ care, guides and informs them in the end-of-life process and takes good care of the patient.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第23465号 / 医博第4772号 / 新制||医||1053(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 近藤 尚己, 教授 山本 洋介, 教授 松村 由美 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Symptom control may become challenging for terminally ill patients as they near the end of life. Patients often seek hospital admission to address symptoms, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness. Alternatively, palliative medicine focuses on the control and mitigation of symptoms, while allowing patients to maintain their quality of life, whether in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Hospice care provides, in addition to inpatient care at a hospice facility or in a hospital, the option for patients to receive symptom management at home. This option for symptom control in the outpatient setting is essential to preventing repeated and expensive hospital readmissions. This article discusses the impact of hospice care on hospital readmission rates.

Healthcare teams can implement care initiatives to promote a positive dying experience. However, there is a lack of knowledge related to how best to care for dying patients. Nurses do not receive extensive training in nursing school to care for patients at the end of life, yet most, at some point in their careers, experience the provision of this type of care. It is important to ensure that nurses caring for dying patients have been educated about end-of-life care. The purpose of the quality improvement project was to address the lack of end-of-life care education among critical care nurses in an acute care hospital by implementing and testing the effectiveness of an end-of-life care educational program. Kolcaba's theory of comfort was chosen as the theoretical framework for the project. Registered nurses (n = 34) employed on a critical care unit participated in the one-group pretest/posttest design project. The nurses completed the Healthstream online end-of-life care education, and knowledge improvement was determined through comparison of pretest and posttest scores. Descriptive tests were completed to determine the mean score. The descriptive data analysis and tests showed that participants' level of end-of-life care knowledge improved after they completed the formalized educational program. Participants' scores increased from pretest (68% to 100% correct answers) to posttest (93% to 100% correct answers). The primary populations benefiting from the project are nurses, dying patients, and family members of dying patients. The social change implication of the findings is that if nurses receive education on end-of-life nursing, increased knowledge of appropriate care for dying patients is expected.