Patients\u27 and Caregivers\u27 Needs, Experiences, Preferences and Research Priorities in Spiritual Care: A Focus Group Study Across Nine Countries.

Background: Spiritual distress is prevalent in advanced disease, but often neglected, resulting in unnecessary suffering. Evidence to inform spiritual care practices in palliative care is limited. Aim: To explore spiritual care needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in an international sample of patients with life-limiting disease and family caregivers. Design: Focus group study. Setting/participants: Separate patient and caregiver focus groups were conducted at 11 sites in South Africa, Kenya, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland and Poland. Discussions were transcribed, translated into English and analysed thematically. Results: A total of 74 patients participated: median age 62 years; 53 had cancer; 48 were women. In total, 71 caregivers participated: median age 61 years; 56 were women. Two-thirds of participants were Christian. Five themes are described: patients’ and caregivers’ spiritual concerns, understanding of spirituality and its role in illness, views and experiences of spiritual care, preferences regarding spiritual care, and research priorities. Participants reported wide-ranging spiritual concerns spanning existential, psychological, religious and social domains. Spirituality supported coping, but could also result in framing illness as punishment. Participants emphasised the need for staff competence in spiritual care. Spiritual care was reportedly lacking, primarily due to staff members’ de-prioritisation and lack of time. Patients’ research priorities included understanding the qualities of human connectedness and fostering these skills in staff. Caregivers’ priorities included staff training, assessment, studying impact, and caregiver’s spiritual care needs. Conclusion: To meet patient and caregiver preferences, healthcare providers should be able to address their spiritual concerns. Findings should inform patient- and caregiver-centred spiritual care provision, education and research

Patients’ and caregivers’ needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care:A focus group study across nine countries

BackgroundSpiritual distress is prevalent in advanced disease, but often neglected, resulting in unnecessary suffering. Evidence to inform spiritual care practices in palliative care is limited.AimTo explore spiritual care needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in an international sample of patients with life-limiting disease and family caregivers.DesignFocus group study.Setting/participantsSeparate patient and caregiver focus groups were conducted at 11 sites in South Africa, Kenya, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland and Poland. Discussions were transcribed, translated into English and analysed thematically.ResultsA total of 74 patients participated: median age 62 years; 53 had cancer; 48 were women. In total, 71 caregivers participated: median age 61 years; 56 were women. Two-thirds of participants were Christian. Five themes are described: patients' and caregivers' spiritual concerns, understanding of spirituality and its role in illness, views and experiences of spiritual care, preferences regarding spiritual care, and research priorities. Participants reported wide-ranging spiritual concerns spanning existential, psychological, religious and social domains. Spirituality supported coping, but could also result in framing illness as punishment. Participants emphasised the need for staff competence in spiritual care. Spiritual care was reportedly lacking, primarily due to staff members' de-prioritisation and lack of time. Patients' research priorities included understanding the qualities of human connectedness and fostering these skills in staff. Caregivers' priorities included staff training, assessment, studying impact, and caregiver's spiritual care needs.ConclusionTo meet patient and caregiver preferences, healthcare providers should be able to address their spiritual concerns. Findings should inform patient- and caregiver-centred spiritual care provision, education and research

Wpływ wydłużenia o formę ambulatoryjna wczesnej stacjonarnej rehabilitacji pacjentów po leczonym interwencyjnie ostrym zespole wieńcowym na wydolność fizyczna oraz elementy stanu psychicznego i jakości życia

Objectives: The evaluation of the direct and remote effects of stationary rehabilitation following interventionally treated acute coronary syndrome and its extension by a three-month period of supervised training in ambulatory conditions within the scope of physical capacity psychic state and quality of life.Materials and methods: The research was conducted in a group of 44 patients (32 men and 12 women) aged 56.9±9, 62 years old for a period of 2-3 weeks following interventional treatment of acute coronary syndrome. All the patients had participated in stationary rehabilitation, 14 of whom expressed a willingness to participate in a futher three-month period of ambulatory rehabilitation. All patients prior to the commencement of rehabilitation had threadmill exertion tests. Fear was evaluated by means of the SOPER questionnaire. Basic mood and psychic tension as well as the feeling of health were assessed by means of the VAS scale of the Euro-Qol 5D questionnaire. The set of tests was repeated after the completion of the stationary phase, and after time periods of 3 months and a year.Results: Patients subjected to the extended 3-month ambulatory phase of rehabilitation displayed a greater increase in exercise tolerance when compared with the group that had merely undergone the 3-week stationary rehabilitation. Patients with extended rehabilitation gradually improved their evaluation of their state of health and after a year maintained it at the level it had been after the completion of the stationary rehabilitation. In patients who did not express a willingness to continue an organised form of exercise in ambulatory conditions the noticeable improvement in health following the end of rehabilitation was not long lasting. After a year, regardless of the programme of rehabilitation selected, an improvement in the psychic state was noted, which was expressed in an increased positive mood although the level of fear did not change to a significant degree.Conclusions: 1. Extended rehabilitation, combining stationary and ambulatory forms, after interventional treatment of ACS gives a better long-term effect in the area of improving exercise capacity and patient self-evaluation of state of health than is in the case after three-week stationary rehabilitation. 2. The extending of the period of rehabilitation has no influence on attaining the postrehabilitation changes on the level of mood and fear

Patients' and caregivers' needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care: A focus group study across nine countries.

BackgroundSpiritual distress is prevalent in advanced disease, but often neglected, resulting in unnecessary suffering. Evidence to inform spiritual care practices in palliative care is limited.AimTo explore spiritual care needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in an international sample of patients with life-limiting disease and family caregivers.DesignFocus group study.Setting/participantsSeparate patient and caregiver focus groups were conducted at 11 sites in South Africa, Kenya, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland and Poland. Discussions were transcribed, translated into English and analysed thematically.ResultsA total of 74 patients participated: median age 62 years; 53 had cancer; 48 were women. In total, 71 caregivers participated: median age 61 years; 56 were women. Two-thirds of participants were Christian. Five themes are described: patients' and caregivers' spiritual concerns, understanding of spirituality and its role in illness, views and experiences of spiritual care, preferences regarding spiritual care, and research priorities. Participants reported wide-ranging spiritual concerns spanning existential, psychological, religious and social domains. Spirituality supported coping, but could also result in framing illness as punishment. Participants emphasised the need for staff competence in spiritual care. Spiritual care was reportedly lacking, primarily due to staff members' de-prioritisation and lack of time. Patients' research priorities included understanding the qualities of human connectedness and fostering these skills in staff. Caregivers' priorities included staff training, assessment, studying impact, and caregiver's spiritual care needs.ConclusionTo meet patient and caregiver preferences, healthcare providers should be able to address their spiritual concerns. Findings should inform patient- and caregiver-centred spiritual care provision, education and research