Development of a tool to identify and assess psychosocial and spiritual needs in end-of-life patients: The ENP-E scale.

Objective: The goal of this study is to describe the development of a new tool, the Psychosocial and Spiritual Needs Evaluation scale Instrumento de Evaluación de Necesidades Psicosociales y Espirituales del Enfermo al Final de Vida (ENP-E), designed to assess the psychosocial needs of end-of-life (EOL) patients. And, secondarily, to describe the face validity and psychometric properties of this instrument in the Spanish-speaking context.

Method: The scale was developed through a seven-stage process: (1) literature review; (2) expert panel establishment; (3) discussion and agreement on the most relevant dimensions of psychosocial care; (4) description of key indicators and consensus-based questions to evaluate such dimensions; (5) assessment of the scale by external palliative care (PC) professionals; (6) evaluation by patients; and (7) analysis of scale's psychometrics properties.

Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions in Complex Palliative Care Patients: A Quasi-Experimental, Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Objective: To determine whether specific psychosocial interventions can ease discomfort in palliative care (PC) patients, particularly in those with high levels of pain or emotional distress.

Methods: Changes in the psychological parameters of 8333 patients were assessed in a quasi-experimental, prospective, multicenter, single group pretest/post-test study. Psychosocial care was delivered by 29 psychosocial care teams (PSTs; 137 professionals).

Enhancing psychosocial and spiritual palliative care: Four-year results of the program of comprehensive care for people with advanced illnesses and their families in Spain.

Objective: We aimed to describe the overall quantitative and qualitative results of a "La Caixa" Foundation and World Health Organization Collaborating Center Program entitled "Comprehensive Care for Patients with Advanced Illnesses and their Families" after four years of experience.

Method: Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to assess the program. Quasiexperimental, prospective, multicenter, single-group, and pretest/posttest methods were utilized to assess the quantitative data.

The WHO collaborating centre for public health palliative care programs: an innovative approach of palliative care development.

Background: The designation of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (Barcelona, Spain) as World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Public Health Palliative Care Programmes (WHOCC-ICO) in February 2008 turns the institution into the first ever center of international reference in regards to palliative care implementation from a public health perspective. The center aims to provide support to countries willing to develop palliative care programs, to identify models of success, to support WHO's policies, and to generate and spread evidence on palliative care.

Objective: This article describes the WHOCC-ICO's contribution in the implementation of public health palliative care programs and services.