Background: There have been many challenges with clinical interventions and policy decisions to enhance the quality of life and care for patients facing life-threatening illnesses, thus highlighting the need for ethical considerations and guidelines for palliative care of terminally ill patients.

Aim: To document the development of guidelines for addressing ethical concerns in the palliative care of terminally ill patients in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Methods: The guidelines were developed in 4 phases: a scoping review of existing palliative care guidelines on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and 2 Persian databases; focus group discussions to improve the drafts guidelines; online opinion poll of 32 experts, including ethicists, religious scholars, psychologists, palliative care specialists, and sociologists; and a national workshop to produce the final guidelines for government approval.

Results: We published the "National palliative care ethical guidelines and regulations for terminally ill patients" in Islamic Republic of Iran after endorsement and approval by the High Council of Medical Ethics. The guidelines provides recommendations on 5 main aspects of palliative care: structure, composition and qualification of interdisciplinary teams; the roles and responsibilities of ethics advisors; general ethical principles governing palliative care practice; specific guidelines for psychological, spiritual and religious support; and protocols for ethical decision-making in end-of-life care.

Conclusion: Considering the challenges associated with palliative care, it is necessary to provide ethical guidelines specific to the needs of terminally ill patients. These guidelines will serve as a steppingstone towards integrating palliative care into the national healthcare services in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.26719/2024.30.6.454DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

palliative care
40
terminally ill
20
islamic republic
16
care terminally
12
ill patients
12
republic iran
12
care
11
guidelines
11
palliative
10
ethics guidelines
8

Similar Publications

Pericapsular nerve group cryoneurolysis as an option for palliative nonoperative management of hip fracture in a patient with end-stage medical comorbidities.

Can J Anaesth

January 2025

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Alberta Health Services and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, South Health Campus, 4448 Front St. SE, Calgary, AB, T3M 1M4, Canada.

Purpose: We report the use of a pericapsular nerve group (PENG) cryoneurolysis for longer-term analgesia in a patient with a hip fracture and severe medical comorbidities as an alternative to hip fracture surgery.

Clinical Features: A frail but lucid and fully autonomous 97-yr-old female from an assisted living facility sustained a subcapital fracture of her right proximal femur following a ground level fall. She had significant comorbidities including end-stage respiratory disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Prognostic factors for overall survival in castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer treated with docetaxel (MeProCSS): results from a German real-world cohort.

Int Urol Nephrol

January 2025

Department of Urology and Urosurgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medical Centre Mannheim (UMM), University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Purpose: To identify prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and develop a prognostic score in patients receiving docetaxel in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on mCRPC patients treated with docetaxel at a German tertiary center between March 2010 and November 2023. Prognostic clinical and laboratory factors were analyzed using uni- and multivariable logistic regression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Impact of Immunotherapy on the Care Patterns and Outcomes of Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol

January 2025

Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Roger Williams Medical Center. 825 Chalkstone Ave, Providence, RI 02908, USA. Boston University School of Medicine. 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Modern immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors revolutionized cancer treatment and outcomes. This study aims to demonstrate how immunotherapy has impacted the national landscape of systemic treatment and palliative care in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Retrospective cohort selecting patients from the U.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: CAR T-cell therapy (CAR-T) is leading to durable responses in patients with cancer but there is concern that cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity may impact survivors' cognitive function. We assessed long-term cognitive function in CAR-T recipients and examine factors associated with change in cognition over time.

Methods: We assessed perceived cognition (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Cognition) and neurocognitive performance (standardized neuropsychological battery) in adult patients prior to receiving CAR-T and at 6 month follow-up.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Effective communication is crucial in pediatric palliative care and is essential to facilitate shared decision making between families and the health care team. This study explored the communication preferences of caregivers and health care specialists in Central-Eastern Europe, a region with unique cultural and health care dynamics. Through qualitative interviews, key communication style preferences and barriers were identified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!