Cancer cachexia: A scoping review on non-pharmacological interventions.

Objective: Cancer cachexia occurs in 30%-80% of patients, increasing morbidity and mortality and impacting the health-related quality of life also for caregivers. Pharmacological interventions have been studied but have shown inconsistent effects on patients' lives in terms of relative outcomes and poor adherence to pharmacological treatment. We provide an overview of the evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for cancer cachexia.

Experiential training course on spirituality for multidisciplinary palliative care teams in a hospital setting: a feasibility study.

Background: There is widespread agreement about the importance of spiritual training programs (STPs) for healthcare professionals caring for cancer patients, and that reflecting on one's spirituality is the first step. Health professionals (HPs) working in hospitals must develop this dimension to guarantee the quality of life as well as spiritual and emotional support. In this paper, we propose a possible training format for hospital professionals and assess its implementation.

Psycho-Educational and Rehabilitative Intervention to Manage Cancer Cachexia (PRICC) for Advanced Patients and Their Caregivers: Lessons Learned from a Single-Arm Feasibility Trial.

Background: Key elements in cancer cachexia (CC) management are personalized and multimodal interventions, but it is hard for some patients to follow programs based on several components. We examined the feasibility of a bimodal intervention, including a psycho-educational component and exercises, to support patients and their caregivers in managing CC; Methods: Prospective mixed-methods pilot study explored feasibility data, changes in patient-reported outcomes, and performance outcomes over time in a convenient sample of 30 consecutive CC patients and their caregivers.

Results: Twenty-four dyads consented to participate.

Patient and carer involvement in the formulation of research questions: findings from the Italian guideline on palliative care in adults with glioma.

Background: In 2017, the European Association for Neuro-Oncology (EANO) published the guideline for palliative care (PC) in adults with glioma. The Italian Society of Neurology (SIN), the Italian Association for Neuro-Oncology (AINO), and the Italian Society for Palliative Care (SICP) joined forces to update and adapt this guideline to the Italian context and aimed to involve patients and carers in the formulation of the clinical questions.

Methods: During semi-structured interviews with glioma patients and focus group meetings (FGMs) with family carers of deceased patients, participants rated the importance of a set of pre-specified intervention topics, shared their experience, and suggested additional topics.

Health professional involvement in the formulation of research questions: findings from the Italian guideline on palliative care in adults with glioma.

Background: In 2017, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) published the guideline for palliative care in adults with glioma. The Italian Society of Neurology (SIN), the Italian Society for Palliative Care (SICP), and the Italian Association for Neuro-Oncology (AINO) joined forces to update the guideline, and adapt it to the Italian context.

Aim: We involved patients, caregivers, and (herein presented) healthcare professionals (HPs) in the formulation of the guideline clinical questions.

Negotiating the Beginning of Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Health Services for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

A range of professional figures are needed to preserve the quality of life of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study aimed to explore the beginning of the care process as negotiated by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals. We designed the study according to the constructivist Grounded Theory method, collecting data through open-ended, semi-structured interviews, employing theoretical sampling and constant comparison, and performing conceptual coding as data analysis.

Self-Care as a Method to Cope With Suffering and Death: A Participatory Action-Research Aimed at Quality Improvement.

Introduction: Palliative care is an emotionally and spiritually high-demanding setting of care. The literature reports on the main issues in order to implement self-care, but there are no models for the organization of the training course. We described the structure of training on self-care and its effects for a Hospital Palliative Care Unit.

Providing dignity therapy to patients with advanced cancer: a feasibility study within the setting of a hospital palliative care unit.

Background: Dignity is a basic principle of palliative care and is intrinsic in the daily practice of professionals assisting individuals with incurable diseases. Dignity Therapy (DT) is a short-term intervention aimed at improving the sense of purpose, meaning and self-worth and at reducing the existential distress of patients facing advanced illness. Few studies have examined how DT works in countries of non-Anglo Saxon culture and in different real-life settings.

The Specialist Palliative Care Nurses' in an Italian Hospital: role, competences, and activities.

Background And Aim Of The Work: Many authors tried to clarify the palliative care nurses' role, overall in the home care setting, but little is known in different settings of care. We aim to present a Specialist profile of palliative care (PC) nurses in an Italian hospital-based Palliative Care Unit.

Methods: With an organizational case study approach, we conducted a literature review on PC nurse's role, and we presented the Specialist PC nurses' profile, describing competences and key related activities.

Psychoeducational and rehabilitative intervention to manage cancer cachexia (PRICC) for patients and their caregivers: protocol for a single-arm feasibility trial.

Introduction: Half of all patients with cancer experience cachexia, with the prevalence rising above 80% in the last weeks of life. Cancer cachexia (CC) is a complex relational experience that involves the patient-family dyad. There are no studies on the association between the psychoeducational component and the rehabilitative component of dyads for supporting more functional relationships in the management of CC.

Quality of cancer end-of-life care: discordance between bereaved relatives and professional proxies.

Background: Quality of care for patients dying in hospital remains suboptimal. A major problem is the identification of valid sources of information about the views and experiences of dying patients and their relatives.

Aim: This study aimed to estimate the agreement on quality of end-of-life care from the perspectives of bereaved relatives, physicians and nurses interviewed after the patients' death.

Palliative care training addressed to hospital healthcare professionals by palliative care specialists: a mixed-method evaluation.

Background: Despite the great advances in the concept of palliative care (PC) and its benefits, its application seems to be delayed, leaving unfulfilled the many needs of patients and family members. One way to overcome this difficulty could be to develop a new training programme by palliative care specialists to improve PC primary skills in healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the training's impact on trainees within a hospital setting using Kirkpatrick's and Moore's models.