Cognitive biases and moral characteristics of healthcare workers and their treatment approach for persons with advanced dementia in acute care settings.

Introduction: Palliative care (PC) delivery for persons with advanced dementia (AD) remains low, particularly in acute-care settings. Studies have shown that cognitive biases and moral characteristics can influence patient care through their effect on the thinking patterns of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to determine whether cognitive biases, including representativeness, availability, and anchoring, are associated with treatment approaches, ranging from palliative to aggressive care in acute medical situations, for persons with AD.

Do Perceptions about Palliative Care Affect Emergency Decisions of Health Personnel for Patients with Advanced Dementia?

Decision analysis regarding emergency medical treatment in patients with advanced dementia has seldom been investigated. We aimed to examine the preferred medical treatment in emergency situations for patients with advanced dementia and its association with perceptions of palliative care. We conducted a survey of 159 physicians and 156 nurses from medical and surgical wards in two tertiary hospitals.

Practice of end-of-life care for patients with advanced dementia by hospital physicians and nurses: Comparison between medical and surgical wards.

Background: Patients with advanced dementia are commonly hospitalized in acute care wards, yet there is limited data regarding the end-of-life (EOL) care delivered to this population. The aim of the study was to examine EOL care delivered to patients with advanced dementia hospitalized on acute wards as reported by physicians and nurses.

Methods: Participants were physicians and nurses from medical and surgical wards of two tertiary hospitals in Israel.

Practitioner Bias as an Explanation for Low Rates of Palliative Care Among Patients with Advanced Dementia.

Patients with advanced dementia are less likely than those with other terminal illnesses to receive palliative care. Due to the nature and course of dementia, there may be a failure to recognize the terminal stage of the disease. A possible and under-investigated explanation for this healthcare disparity is the healthcare practitioner who plays a primary role in end-of-life decision-making.

Barriers to palliative care for advanced dementia: a scoping review.

People with dementia often fail to receive palliative care, despite increased recognition of their need and eligibility for such care. The aims of this study were to assess the barriers associated with a lack of implementation of palliative care for people with dementia and to explore whether there is a gap in knowledge necessitating further study. We reviewed the English literature published from 2000 to 2016, related to barriers to palliative care for people with dementia.

Behavioral problems of seniors in an emergency department.

Background: Behavioral disorders are frequent in seniors with cognitive impairments. The ailment responsible for presentation to the Emergency Department (ED), in combination with preexisting conditions, can bring about a temporary cognitive disturbance or worsen an existing cognitive disturbance, thus increasing the frequency of behavioral disorders.

Study Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate whether there is any connection between pain, cognitive impairment, time in the ED, presence or absence of a supportive escort, and behavioral disorders exhibited by a senior.