Palliative care is a wide-ranging medical term. It not only covers actual medical care but also quality of life concepts.
What do mesothelioma patients need from their palliative care team and the hospital?
A study published in Palliative Medicine approached this subject and question. The researchers reviewed more than 500 articles about palliative care specifically for mesothelioma.
The results indicate patients face consistent “uncertainty” about various topics.
What Is Lacking From Palliative Care for Mesothelioma?
The research into the subject revealed five areas of uncertainty:
- Organization and coordination of services
- Communication and information
- Management of symptoms and care
- The impact of seeking compensation
- Needs of mesothelioma caregivers
Palliative care involves reducing symptom burden for patients. Pain-relief medications and surgeries are two often-used options. Others include low-dose chemotherapy and radiation.
However, this stage of fighting mesothelioma often involves more emotional discussions. Patients may express a need for additional services, such as counseling or spiritual sessions. Palliative treatment often is wrapped within hospice care.
Mesothelioma is a rare disease, and many palliative care teams aren’t knowledgeable of mesothelioma. They specifically might not be aware of the:
- Late-stage symptoms
- Compensation options
- Palliative treatments
Ways to Improve Palliative Care for Mesothelioma
The research indicates patients and their loved ones would respond well to more organization from the medical team. They need a coordinated approach and “named point of contact.” This likely reduces confusion and allows for open communication between the patient, family and medical team.
“The results of this review support the need to develop a greater understanding about the role non-specialist palliative care clinicians’ play in providing generalist palliative care for people with mesothelioma and their carer,” the report states.
Sources & Author
- Understanding the palliative care needs and experiences of people with mesothelioma and their family carers: An integrative systematic review. Palliative Medicine. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33829930/. Accessed: 04/15/2021.
Sources & Author
