Patient Feels (patient + feel)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Many Lung Cancer Patients Feel Stigmatized

CA: A CANCER JOURNAL FOR CLINICIANS, Issue 5 2004
Article first published online: 31 DEC 200
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Relatives in end-of-life care , part 1: a systematic review of the literature the five last years, January 1999,February 2004

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 9 2006
Birgitta Andershed PhD
Aim., To review systematically research conducted during the past five years focusing on the relatives' situation and needs in end-of-life care. Background and aim., That relatives make a large contribution in the care of the dying is well-known. In this situation, relatives often have to solve many new practical problems in the care as well as dealing with the sorrow of both themselves and the dying person. In recent years, palliative care has been developed in many countries and many new studies have been carried out. Methods., A systematic search of the literature was performed in the CINAHL and Medline databases. Of the 94 papers analysed, there were 59 qualitative and 35 quantitative studies with differing designs. The studies were carried out in 11 countries and were published in 34 different journals. Results., The results were categorized in two main themes with several subthemes: (1) being a close relative , the situation: (i) exposed position , new responsibility, (ii) balance between burden and capacity and (iii) positive values; (2) being a close relative , needs: (i) good patient care, (ii) being present, (iii) knowing and communicating and (iv) support from and trusting relationship with the professional. The relative's feelings of security and trust in the professional were found to be of great importance. Conclusion., More than twice as many studies had a descriptive/explorative design, which is of importance in the assessment of evidence. However, different studies complement one another and in summary, it can be said that analytic evidence is unequivocal: good patient care, communication, information and the attitude of the professional are of decisive importance regarding relatives' situation. These results are also in accord with earlier review studies. Relevance to clinical practice., Staff members have a great deal of responsibility for assuring that the patient feels as good as possible, facilitating relatives' involvement based on the family's wishes and limiting the stress and difficulties experienced by the family. The results showed that the relative's satisfaction could depend on the attitude of the professional as well as on good communication, good listening and good information. This can also be viewed as a prerequisite for the professional to get to know the family and to provide ,care in the light'. [source]


Beyond breaking bad news

CANCER, Issue 2 2008
The roles of hope, hopefulness
Abstract BACKGROUND. Hope is important to patients, yet physicians are sometimes unsure how to promote hope in the face of life-threatening illness. ANALYSIS. Hope in medicine is of two kinds: specific (hope for specific outcomes) and generalized (a nonspecific sense of hopefulness). At the time of diagnosis of a life-ending condition, the specific goal of a long life is dashed, and there may be no medically plausible specific outcome that the patient feels is worth wishing for. Yet the physician may nonetheless maintain an open-ended hopefulness that is compatible with the physician's obligation to be truthful; this hopefulness can help sustain patient and family through the turbulent period of adaptation to the unwelcome reality of major illness. As this adaptation evolves, the physician can help patients and families adapt to suffering and loss of control by selecting and achieving specific goals such as improvement of the patient's environment in hospital or hospice, pain control, and relief of sleeplessness. Thus hope for specific (but far more modest) future events can again become a positive part of the patient s emotional landscape. The authors do not propose that physicians remain upbeat no matter the circumstance, for they must respect the constraints of reality and the patients' mortality. However, physicians can provide both cognitive and affective support as patients learn how to adapt. Hope and hopefulness are both important in this process. SUMMARY. Hope is always important to patients. Physicians can and should promote hopefulness without endorsing unrealistic hope. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source]


,It's quite hard to grasp the enormity of it': Perceived needs of people upon diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

MUSCULOSKELETAL CARE, Issue 3 2008
S. Radford D Clin Psychol
Abstract Objectives:,The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) brings rapid pharmacological and multidisciplinary team interventions to address inflammatory processes and symptom management. However, people may also need support on the journey to self-management. The aim of this study was to explore what professional support patients feel they receive upon diagnosis, and what support they feel would be most helpful. Methods:,Two focus groups comprised patients with at least five years'; disease duration (n = 7), and patients more recently diagnosed (5,18 months, n = 5). The latter had attended at least two appointments in a rheumatology nurse specialist clinic during the previous year, aimed at providing support upon diagnosis. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis to identify common issues regarding support needs, which were then grouped into themes. Interviewing and analysis was performed by researchers not involved in clinical care. Results:,Four overarching themes emerged. ,Information' was needed about the symptoms of RA, its management and personal outcome, while ,Support' related to emotional needs (,It's quite hard to grasp the enormity of it'). Information and Support overlapped, in that patients wanted someone to talk to, and to be listened to. These two themes were underpinned by issues of service delivery: ,Choice' (patient or professional to talk to, groups, one-to-one) and ,Involvement' (holistic care, partnership), which overlapped in terms of the opportunity to decide when and which interventions to access. Conclusions:,People with RA report not only informational, but also emotional support needs at diagnosis. The potential for delivering emotional support to patients around the time of diagnosis warrants further exploration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]