Publications by authors named "Susan Stanek"
Background: Individuals with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer or a known hereditary cancer syndrome that is associated with pancreatic cancer are considered at high risk for developing pancreatic cancer. Living with a high risk for often fatal cancer is accompanied by high levels of uncertainty. Uncertainty is also independently associated with negative health outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prognostic uncertainty is common in advanced cancer and frequently addressed during palliative care consultation, yet we know little about its impact on quality of life (QOL).
Objective: We describe the prevalence and distribution of distress due to prognostic uncertainty among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer before palliative care consultation. We evaluate the association between this type of distress and overall QOL before and after palliative care consultation.
Aim: To report an analysis and clarification of the concept of goals of care.
Background: Goals of care have been used by healthcare providers since 1978, but no operationalized, consensual definition exists.
Design: Norris's method of concept clarification was used to create an operational definition, conceptual model and testable hypotheses of goals of care from the healthcare provider's perspective.
Context: As endorsed by the palliative care "Measuring What Matters" initiative, capturing patients' direct assessment of their care is essential for ongoing quality reporting and improvement. Fostering an environment where seriously ill patients feel heard and understood is of crucial importance to modern health care.
Objectives: To describe the development and performance of a self-report field measure for seriously ill patients to report how well they feel heard and understood in the hospital environment.
Article Synopsis
- The Palliative Care Communication Research Initiative (PCCRI) aims to improve understanding of communication that leads to better patient-centered outcomes in palliative care settings.
- The study involves observing and recording inpatient palliative care consultations, along with collecting self-reported data from patients, proxies, and clinicians.
- After one year, 114 patients or their proxies were enrolled, indicating that studying communication in palliative care is feasible and well-received by all participants involved.