Evaluation of Emotional Distress in Oncology Palliative Patients: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and Palliative Outcome Scale (POS)-A Portuguese Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Cancer patients in palliative care frequently experience psychological distress, encompassing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. This distress can significantly affect their capacity to accept the inevitability of death. Commonly, such distress manifests as sadness, depression, anxiety, and fear, which may culminate in an existential crisis.

Impact of Symptom Distress on the Quality of Life of Oncology Palliative Care Patients: A Portuguese Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Uncontrolled symptoms are widely recognized as one of the main challenges in oncology palliative care patients. The central aim of palliative care is to improve the patient's quality of life. In recent years, there has been a growing use of patient-reported outcome measures in palliative care, particularly to evaluate symptoms, quality of care, and well-being.

Ontology of doctor and patient relationship and bioethics: from Aristotle's teleology to Pellegrino's philosophy of medicine.

Some philosophical and metaethical theories have tried to provide a fundamental background for bioethics but miss the fundamental question about what medicine is, its nature and its end. We argue that the philosophy of medicine, through the development that Edmund Pellegrino and David Thomasma gave to this field of study, allied with Aristotle's practical and teleological ethics, can provide an ontological background for bioethics beyond the tradition of principles and deontology, with particular emphasis on the uniqueness of the doctor-patient encounter. Some difficulties and criticisms of this ontological model are also examined.

Palliative Homecare in Chronic Liver Disease: A Cohort Analysis of Factors and Outcomes Associated with Home Palliative Care in Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease.

The prevalence and mortality of chronic liver disease has risen significantly. In end-stage liver disease (ESLD), the survival of patients is approximately 2 years. Despite the poor prognosis and high symptom burden, integration of palliative care in ESLD is reduced, and the majority of patients continue to die in inpatient care.

Informed Consent in Clinical Training: Perspectives from Medical Students and Faculty in Portugal.

The student-patient relationship represents the cornerstone of medical education, shaping future doctors' knowledge, skills and attitudes. While most patients allow student involvement in their care, some may express discomfort. Thus, obtaining explicit consent is essential to respect patients' right of autonomy.

Adolescents' healthcare decisional capacity in the clinical context: a theoretical study and model.

Objective: To provide a theoretical study and model for the bioethical foundations of the factors that influence adolescents' healthcare decisional capacity.

Sources: Materials from diverse sources, including indexed articles in recognized databases and official government documents, were examined for a purposefully selected sample. The research consisted of two stages: selection of documents and reflective thematic analysis, followed by the preparation of a report.

Intensity of Symptoms and Perception of Quality of Life on Admission to Palliative Care: Reality of a Portuguese Team.

Background: Palliative care (PC) corresponds to an approach that enhances the quality of life for patients facing life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, as well as for their families. There are various models for providing palliative care. Early referral to PC of patients with advanced cancer has a significant positive impact on their quality of life.

Pregnant women autonomy when choosing their method of childbirth: Scoping review.

This paper has as its theme the autonomy of pregnant women in relation to choosing the method of birth for their child. The objective was to carry out a scoping review to study the literature and evidence of how autonomy is being offered to parturient women. Study design and location: In October 2023, a search was carried out using the terms "pregnant women" AND "delivery" AND "autonomy" in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo and LILACS.

Palliative care and end stage liver disease: A survey study comparing perspectives of hepatology and palliative care physicians and clinical scenarios that could require palliative care intervention.

Background And Aims: The prevalence and mortality of chronic liver disease has risen significantly. In end stage liver disease (ESLD) the survival of patients is approximately 2 years. Despite the poor prognosis and high symptom burden of these patients, integration of palliative care is reduced.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of an Attitude about Euthanasia Scale in Portuguese Older Adults with Mixed Anxiety-Depressive Disorder.

On 25 May 2023, the Portuguese parliament approved the decriminalisation of euthanasia for incurable illnesses. As the experiences of other countries show us, it will be a matter of time before mental disorders are addressed. Studying the phenomenon, particularly in vulnerable groups, in advance is essential for proper law drafting.

Spiritual intelligence: a scoping review on the gateway to mental health.

Spiritual Intelligence (SI) is an independent concept from spirituality, a unifying and integrative intelligence that can be trained and developed, allowing people to make use of spirituality to enhance daily interaction and problem solving in a sort of spirituality into action. To comprehensively map and analyze current knowledge on SI and understand its impact on mental health and human interactions, we conducted a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, searching for 'spiritual intelligence' across PubMedCentral, Scopus, WebOfScience, and PsycInfo. Quantitative studies using validated SI instruments and reproducible methodologies, published up to 1 January 2022, were included.

Enforcing the right to health in private health systems through Judicialization what can we learn from the scoping review of the cross-national perspective?

Background: Private sector acting in healthcare does not remove the public nature of a health system, nor mitigate the right to health as a human right.

Methods: This scoping review aims to answer the question: what factors influence the pattern of lawsuits seeking to enforce the right to health in private healthcare systems? The search was carried out in Pubmed, SciELO, DOAJ and Scopus.

Results: Out of 464 articles found, after inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles were included.

Attitudes of the Portuguese population towards advance directives: an online survey.

Background: Advance directives (ADs) were implemented in Portugal in 2012. Although more than a decade has passed since Law 25/2012 came into force, Portuguese people have very low levels of adherence. In this context, this study aimed to identify and analyse the attitudes of people aged 18 or older living in Portugal towards ADs and to determine the relationships between sociodemographic variables (gender/marital status/religion/level of education/residence/whether they were a health professional/whether they had already drawn up a living will) and people's attitudes towards ADs.

Portuguese Advance Directives-a twist against futility? A cross sectional study.

Background: Advance Directive documents allow citizens to choose the treatments they want for end-of-life care without considering therapeutic futility.

Objectives: To analyze patients' and caregivers' answers to Advance Directives and understand their expectations regarding their decisions.

Design And Setting: This study analyzed participants' answers to a previously published trial, conceived to test the document's efficacy as a communication tool.

Understanding, being, and doing of bioethics; a state-level cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitude, and practice among healthcare professionals.

Background: The field of bioethics examines the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise in the biological sciences, healthcare, and medical practices. There has been a rise in medical negligence cases, complaints against healthcare workers, and public dissatisfaction with healthcare professionals, according to reports from the Indian Medical Council and other healthcare associations. We intend to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of bioethics among the registered healthcare professionals (HCPs) of Maharashtra, India.

What are the triggers for palliative care referral in burn intensive care units? Results from a qualitative study based on healthcare professionals' views, clinical experiences and practices.

Background: Burns are a global public health problem, accounting for around 300,000 deaths annually. Burns have significant consequences for patients, families, healthcare teams and systems. Evidence suggests that the integration of palliative care in burn intensive care units improves patients' comfort, decision-making processes and family care.

Pharmacovigilance in Brazil: The Government Monitoring of Adverse Events Reported from COVID-19 Vaccine-A Narrative Review.

Background: Is pharmacovigilance at a moment of prominence for science, and in relation to governments' responsibilities towards their nations, as the new coronavirus pandemic has surprised everyone in a negative and lethal way?

Objective: Evaluate pharmacovigilance as a resource for controlling and understanding adverse events caused by vaccines in use.

Methods: This is a narrative review of the literature. Scientific articles available in databases, government bulletins and similar bodies were used.

Impact of palliative care at end-of-life Covid-19 patients - a small-scale pioneering experience.

Background: In March 2020, the outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus was declared a pandemic, resulting in numerous fatalities worldwide. To effectively combat the virus, it would be beneficial to involve professionals who specialize in symptom control for advanced illnesses, working closely with other specialties throughout the illness process. This approach can help manage a range of symptoms, from mild to severe and potentially life-threatening.

Interrelationships among skeletal age, growth status and motor performances in female athletes 10-15 years.

Background: Motor performances of youth are related to growth and maturity status, among other factors.

Aim: To estimate the contribution of skeletal maturity status to the motor performances of female athletes aged 10-15 years and the mediation effects of growth status on the relationships.

Subjects And Methods: Skeletal age (TW3 RUS SA), body size, proportions, estimated fat-free mass (FFM), motor performances, training history and participation motivation were assessed in 80 non-skeletally mature female participants in several sports.

Advance Directives in Portugal: A Qualitative Survey.

(1) Background: Advance directives (ADs) in Portugal have been legalized since 2012. What has been observed over time, from the few studies carried out, is that despite the positive attitudes in the population, there is a low level of adherence to ADs. To try to understand the reasons for these data, the current study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of the Portuguese population regarding AD.

Access to infertility care in Brazil: validation of a questionnaire for a bioethical discussion.

Background: The World Health Organization characterizes infertility as a disease since 2009; however, in many countries, reproductive health is not prioritized. Characterizing a target population and knowing the barriers to accessing reproductive care may allow for a broadening of the discussion on how to provide equal opportunities. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that seeks to identify socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of Brazilian infertile couples to open the discussion on the principle of fair access to health.

Models of spiritual intelligence interventions: A scoping review.

Objective: To summarize the effects of spiritual intelligence (SI) training in several contexts and to identify the most consensual patterns in SI intervention design.

Introduction: The "adaptive application" of spirituality in life is called SI, the ability to use spirituality in everyday problem-solving and it is proven to relate to better clinical and spiritual care (SC) competency in healthcare professionals. Interventions aiming to increase SI have been tested in different settings with benefits that can have a significant impact on the way healthcare professionals approach SC.

Assistance and Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccinations to Patients with Rare Diseases.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been fortified by the positive effects of immunization: data from official government organizations and communication channels show that infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have continued to fall since its implementation. In Brazil, the effective and free National Vaccination Program has failed to prioritize patients with rare diseases, who have extreme comorbidities, and who adhere to the calendar prepared by the government. The question is why these "rare people" were not considered priorities during the vaccination program.