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Pain and health‐related quality of life among cancer patients in final stage of life: a comparison between two palliative care teams
Author(s) -
Boström Barbro,
Hinic Hansi,
Lundberg Dag,
Fridlund Bengt
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of nursing management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1365-2834
pISSN - 0966-0429
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2834.2003.00360.x
Subject(s) - medicine , palliative care , quality of life (healthcare) , stage (stratigraphy) , cancer pain , cancer , physical therapy , nursing , paleontology , biology
A two‐centred descriptive study was performed in order to describe and compare pain and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among cancer patients, in their final stage of life. The patients were cared for by either a nurse‐led palliative care team I (PCT I) or a physician‐led palliative care team II (PCT II). Forty‐six consecutive, stratified patients (PCT I, n = 21 and PCT II, n = 25) participated. The medical outcomes study short form 36 (SF‐36) was used for evaluating HRQOL and the Pain‐O‐Meter for assessing pain. Patients' pain intensity, pain quality and HRQOL showed no significant difference between the two groups PCT I and PCT II. The patients from PCT I had significantly longer survival time ( P = 0.017) than those from PCT II. The different composition of the teams being led by nurses or physicians is worth further research; both from the patient's and staff's viewpoint, there may also be cost‐benefits worth examining.