How to Advance Palliative Care Research in South America? Findings From a Delphi Study.

Context: Progress in palliative care (PC) necessarily involves scientific development. However, research conducted in South America (SA) needs to be improved.

Objectives: To develop a set of recommendations to advance PC research in SA.

Comprehension and Decision-Making Capacity Questionnaire About Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning: A Delphi Study.

To develop a questionnaire that assesses the level of comprehension and decision-making capacity of patients with breast cancer about palliative care and advance care planning. Questionnaire items were based on the scientific literature. a three-round survey with experts (n  =  14), evaluated the relevance, clarity, and redundancies of the items.

The palliative care triage system in advanced cancer emergency care: development and initial validation.

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate a new emergency triage tool for use on patients with cancer undergoing palliative care (PC).

Methods: In phase I, the new tool was developed after literature review and expert committee meetings. A prospective longitudinal study in phase II assessed the interobserver reliability of the tool.

Missed Opportunities of Integration of Palliative Care: Frequency, Causes, and Profile of Missed Visits in an Oncologic Palliative Care Outpatient Unit.

Context: Many patients with cancer are referred to palliative care (PC) outpatient clinics but do not attend consultations, which increases the difficultly of integrating PC in a timely manner.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency, causes, and profile of missing first-time consultations in a PC outpatient clinic.

Methods: Data from patients with advanced cancer who were scheduled for first-time visits to the PC outpatient clinic from September 2018 to August 2019 were analyzed.

The feasibility and benefit of a brief psychosocial intervention in addition to early palliative care in patients with advanced cancer to reduce depressive symptoms: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and potential benefit of a brief psychosocial intervention based on cognitive-behavioral therapy performed in addition to early palliative care (PC) in the reduction of depressive symptoms among patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: An open-label randomized phase II clinical trial with two intervention arms and one control group. Patients with advanced cancer starting palliative chemotherapy and who met the selection criteria were included.

A phase II study in advanced cancer patients to evaluate the early transition to palliative care (the PREPArE trial): protocol study for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the benefit of early integration of palliative care (PC) in oncology. However, patients continue to receive late referrals to PC even in comprehensive cancer centers. Patients and health professionals may perceive PC as 'a place to die,' and this stigma is a barrier to timely referrals and to patient acceptance of treatment.

Clinical signs of impending death in cancer patients.

Background: The physical signs of impending death have not been well characterized in cancer patients. A better understanding of these signs may improve the ability of clinicians to diagnose impending death. We examined the frequency and onset of 10 bedside physical signs and their diagnostic performance for impending death.

Longitudinal temporal and probabilistic prediction of survival in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer.

Context: Survival prognostication is important during the end of life. The accuracy of clinician prediction of survival (CPS) over time has not been well characterized.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to examine changes in prognostication accuracy during the last 14 days of life in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer admitted to two acute palliative care units and to compare the accuracy between the temporal and probabilistic approaches.