Effective communication in palliative care

This article focuses on the definitions of communication and an examination of their relationship to palliative care nursing. The underpinning theory is analysed as a means of understanding the communication process. The communication process in nursing is considered in the context of nurse/patient/family communication. While the focus of the article is on palliative care, the principles of communication as outlined also have relevance and applicability to nurses working in a variety of other clinical settings.     

Improving palliative care through effective communication

Effective communication in palliative care is instrumental in the development of the therapeutic relationship that should exist between patients and nurses, and the importance of it is well recognized by nurses working in this specialist practice area. This article examines the reason behind the need for effective communication, identifies systems of communication and explores the influence and value of contemporary communication theories and models in palliative care. It recommends that palliative care nurses develop a framework that will facilitate and give structure to the interview process with the aim of alleviating anxieties, encouraging situational control and promoting quality of life for patients.     

Mini-Mental State Questionnaire: problems with its use in palliative care

The Mini-Mental State Questionnaire (MMSQ) has been established as a reliable research instrument and is recommended for the early detection of impaired mental status (Fainsinger et al, 1993). Using reflection on a clinical incident, the problems associated with the clinical application of the MMSQ that may outweigh its usefulness are identified. The patient's experience of MMSQ as routine cognitive monitoring can be distressing as the person experiences loss of cognitive ability in a visible way. This experience has a negative influence on the person's quality of life, which is contrary to the essential aim of palliative care. Research evidence suggests that the MMSQ lacks specificity (the ability to detect impaired mental status) because it is affected by pre-morbid ability and intelligence, and therefore cannot be used to assess competence in decision making. Further research on the meaning of losing cognitive ability in terminal illness and other cognitive assessment strategies is required.     

Applying motivational interviewing techniques to palliative care communication

Palliative care relies heavily on communication. Although some guidelines do address difficult communication, less is known about how to handle conversations with patients who express ambivalence or resistance to such care. Clinicians also struggle with how to support patient autonomy when they disagree with patient choices. Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques may help address these responses. Specifically, MI techniques such as reflective statements and summarizing can help reduce a patient's resistance, resolve patient ambivalence, and support patient autonomy. Not all the MI techniques are applicable, however, in part because palliative care clinicians do not guide patients to make particular choices but, instead, help patients make choices that are consistent with patient values. Some elements from MI can be used to improve the quality and efficacy of palliative care conversations.     

Practical use of rectal medications in palliative care

The rectal route of drug administration is an efficient and economical method for pharmacologic intervention in the terminally ill patient for whom the oral route is precluded. This review first describes the physiology and general considerations surrounding rectal drug administration, then evaluates the literature pertaining to analgesic and adjuvant medications and dosage forms that are and are not approved for rectal administration by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A paucity of studies deal with rectal administration in terminally ill patients, and data have been gathered from pharmacokinetic studies or studies in which the drugs were used for other indications. Where plausible, practical clinical recommendations for the rectal use of opioids, nonopioid analgesics, anxiolytics, and other adjuvants are formulated.     

The use of corticosteroids in home palliative care

Evidence for the effectiveness of corticosteroids in palliative care is anecdotal, and more information is required. From January to December 1999 a total of 376 consecutive patients admitted to a home palliative care program were longitudinally surveyed. Patients who started a corticosteroid treatment after admission on the basis of common indications prescribed by their home care physicians were selected. Fifty patients were enrolled in the study. Dexamethasone, in doses ranging from 4 to 16 mg, was the drug of choice. Corticosteroids were found to be effective in anorexia, weakness, headache, and nausea and vomiting. The reduction of symptom intensity was achieved in less than 3 days on average. However, no great advantages were found in terms of controlling drowsiness or confusional states associated with advanced illness because of cerebral involvement. It can be concluded from this study that: (a) corticosteroids may be effective in controlling anorexia, weakness, headache, and nausea and vomiting associated with cerebral involvement or bowel obstruction; (b) they should be stopped if no therapeutic effect has become evident within 3-5 days; (c) the treatment is not useful when given in the presence of severe neurological impairment resulting from the advanced stage of disease; (d) the range of adverse effects was acceptable for limited periods and in the circumstances in which the preparations were used in this study; and (e) corticosteroids may have an adjuvant role in potentiation of analgesic drugs. These findings will be very useful in the planning of future controlled studies designed to yield evidence-based data on the role of corticosteroids in the relief of specific symptoms.     

The use of nurses in community palliative care

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological life world perspective to examine the utilization of nurses in community palliative care for people with noncancer conditions with a life expectancy of 2 years. Sited in Otago, New Zealand, while there was a number of health professionals involved in providing palliative care in the community for people with malignant conditions, none of the participants with nonmalignant disease were receiving specialist palliative care at the time of interview. Support services used a rehabilitative model of care that was not always appropriate in meeting the needs of the people who were dying and their families.     

The use of epidural and intrathecal analgesia in palliative care

Oral analgesics and adjunctive medicines will be used to meet the needs of most palliative care patients in terms of pain relief. However, for a small number of patients, this will not be adequate for satisfactory relief from pain, resulting in a lower quality of life. For such patients, using some of the more 'technical approaches' to pain relief, e.g. epidural or intrathecal analgesia, can prove beneficial. Taking the anatomy of the spinal space into consideration, this article will present the indications and contraindications for spinal analgesia, as well as drugs used and the most appropriate methods of drug administration.     

Dexmedetomidine: exploring its potential role and dosing guideline for its use in intractable pain in the palliative care setting

Intractable pain continues to pose problems for patients with life-limiting disease. The authors review the potential role of dexmedetomidine (Precedex), an α(2)-adrenergic agonist, as a bridge to obtaining effective analgesia. The authors offer criteria to consider in utilizing this medication within the context of palliative care.     

Ethical decision-making on communication in palliative cancer care: a personalist approach

Perhaps one of the main ethical dilemmas physicians face in cancer medicine is the question of truthfulness with terminally ill cancer patients. Reluctance to share the truth with the patient about his or her diagnosis and/or prognosis is frequently associated with cultural pressures. Based on two cases, the authors illustrate how ethical analysis can help in solving dilemmas related to truth disclosure to terminally ill cancer patients and their families. A personalist approach reveals that the often-adduced conflict between nonmaleficence/beneficence and autonomy with regard to truth telling originates from a narrow understanding of the concept of autonomy. This confrontation is, therefore, more apparent than real. A brief review of the main ethical systems and the results of their application to clinical decision-making follow the discussion of the cases.     

Experience in the use of the palliative care outcome scale

Goals of work

The objective of the study is to assess the Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) as a potential audit tool within a specialist cancer centre. It also aims to answer the following questions: does the tool identify problem areas and demonstrate changes in quality of life over time? How well do staff and patient ratings correlate?

Patients and methods

The POS questionnaire was piloted at a specialist cancer centre. Thirty consecutive patients admitted to the palliative care wards and ward staff completed questionnaires on admission and twice weekly until discharge or death. A further questionnaire assessed staff attitudes.

Results

There was a significant improvement in overall patient POS score at 1 week (days 5–9). Four “symptoms” or issues were scored as being important for our patients: pain, other symptoms, anxiety and patient’s perception of family anxiety. These all significantly improved within the first week. At the initial assessment, staff underestimated patients’ pain and overestimated problems relating to information giving and patients’ ability to share their feelings. There was no significant difference between staff and patient scores after 1 week. The other six areas covered by the tool were less important; this may reflect the patient population seen at our centre. Use of the tool identified areas for staff training and effectively demonstrated improvement in patient care.

Conclusion

The POS is an outcome measure tool designed to assess physical, psychological, practical and existential aspects of quality of life. It may be useful in identifying problems in individual patients and directing care to address these needs.

     

Truth may hurt but deceit hurts more: communication in palliative care

Healthcare professionals often censor their information giving to patients in an attempt to protect them from potentially hurtful, sad or bad news. There is a commonly expressed belief that what people do not know does not harm them. Analysis of doctor and nurse/patient interactions reveals that this well-intentioned but misguided assumption about human behaviour is present at all stages of cancer care. Less than honest disclosure is seen from the moment that a patient reports symptoms, to the confirmation of diagnosis, during discussions about the therapeutic benefits of treatment, at relapse and terminal illness. This desire to shield patients from the reality of their situation usually creates even greater difficulties for patients, their relatives and friends and other members of the healthcare team. Although the motivation behind economy with the truth is often well meant, a conspiracy of silence usually results in a heightened state of fear, anxiety and confusion--not one of calm and equanimity. Ambiguous or deliberately misleading information may afford short-term benefits while things continue to go well, but denies individuals and their families opportunities to reorganize and adapt their lives towards the attainment of more achievable goals, realistic hopes and aspirations. In this paper, some examples and consequences of accidental, deliberate, if well-meaning, attempts to disguise the truth from patients, taken verbatim from interviews, are given, together with cases of unintentional deception or misunderstandings created by the use of ambiguous language. We also provide evidence from research studies showing that although truth hurts, deceit may well hurt more. 'I think the best physician is the one who has the providence to tell to the patients according to his knowledge the present situation, what has happened before, and what is going to happen in the future' (Hippocrates).     

The communication challenges faced in adopting a palliative care approach in advanced dementia

This paper discusses one aspect from the findings of an Australian study aimed at understanding the needs of people with advanced dementia. Specifically, this paper focuses on the communication issues that might potentially inhibit the implementation of a palliative care approach for a person with advanced dementia in a residential aged care facility (RACF). Six focus groups consisting of 34 participants and 24 semistructured interviews were conducted. Participants were drawn from palliative care specialty staff, palliative care volunteers, designated aged or dementia specialist staff from an area health service, general practitioners, RACF staff and family carers. The findings show communication issues identified by the participants were a significant factor impacting on their capacity to adopt a palliative care approach in caring for people with advanced dementia. The findings support the need for education, skill development and networking to occur among the key providers of care in RACFs to ensure the provision of 'best practice' palliative care to residents with advanced dementia and their families.