PoPCRN:
Population-Based Palliative Care Reseach Network
E-Update
The Population-based Palliative Care Research Network is committed to enhancing the care of persons at the end of life and their families through the conduct and dissemination of high-quality research in palliative care settings. PoPCRN was formed in 1998 at the University of Colorado Denver as a means for conducting on-going studies of care at the end of life. Specifically, our aim is to facilitate structured and rigorous exploration of issues of importance to patients, families, caregivers, and providers in palliative care and hospice settings.
The success of PoPCRN depends on its members' committment to research participation, without which PoPCRN would not exist. In an effort to maintain a relationship with all of you, and to communicate study opportunities, research findings, and other updates, we will now be sending bi-monthly 'electronic' updates. This is our way of getting information out to you, keeping you abreast of all PoPCRN-related activities and information. These updates will also give you the opportunity to communicate back to us, as we seek your feedback on study results. We encourage your feedback and look forward to your comments and concerns. Specifically, we want to know what PoPCRN, and the reseach that we do, means to you and your organization.
For information on all of our studies, completed and ongoing, please visit our website at www.uchsc.edu/popcrn.
Communication is essential to the success of PoPCRN. It is
important that we have your most up to date contact information.
Be on the lookout for the contact information form being sent
to you electronically. Or, follow the link to access the form, and
send it back to us at the contact infromation provided.
Thanks!!
The PoPCRN Team
Check out the newly-designed PoPCRN website today at www.uchsc.edu/popcrn
Fatigue is the most prevalent and distressing symptom in patients with terminal illness. Despite this, fatigue has only recently become a topic for study and remains poorly understood. Little is known about the mechanisms or causes of end-of-life fatigue, and few interventions have been developed or tested in terminally ill patients. Efforts to improve the quality of life in dying patients may depend on the development of effective interventions for fatigue.
This study provides preliminary insight into some of many factors that contribute to patient fatigue in hospice. Specifically, we describe the frequency and severity of selected "fatigue-related" laboratory (e.g., hemoglobin, albumin) and clinical (e.g. physical symptoms and depression) abnormalities in hospice. We examine the association between these sources and patient-reported fatigue severity and fatigue "disruption". In addition to much-needed descriptive data, this study provides an estimate of the relative value of obtaining screening laboratory data when assessing fatigue in patients with terminal illness. These pilot data inform ongoing efforts to develop more focused fatigue assessment tools and targeted fatigue interventions for patients at the end of life.
Click here to see study results/ slide show
Please provide feedback below:
The Population-based Palliative Care Research Network (PoPCRN) is collaborating with Kristin Kilbourn, PhD, AMC Cancer Research Center, on a pilot study recently funded by the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grants/University of Colorado Cancer Center Seed Grant program. The overall goal of this project is to conduct a feasibility study of a new and innovative counseling intervention to improve psychosocial functioning and quality of life among caregivers of cancer patients enrolled in home-based hospice care. The project will utilize counselor-initiated telephone calls addressing standardized topics targeted to caregivers at strategic points during the course of hospice care.
Caregivers of home-based hospice patients experience multiple stressors, including managing the physical and emotional needs of their loved one, dealing with uncertainty about the disease process, and communicating with health care workers and family members. Caregivers often face an interruption of life tasks and goals, financial difficulties, work-related disruptions and negative social consequences. "Support TECH" aims to address these issues.
"Support TECH" will provide essential process evaluation data for a future randomized trial. For the first phase of the study, we will interview hospice staff and volunteers as well as caregivers of patients who received hospice care about the caregiving experience. This formative stage will allow us the opportunity to refine and improve the caregiver support protocol prior to the intervention phase.
If your hospice organization is interested in participating, please contact:
Jenny Vancura
SupportTECH Project Manager
p 303-372-9290
f 303-372-9082
Jennifer.Vancura@uchsc.edu
Efficacy Of Massage Therapy For Decreasing Physical And Emotional Symptom Distress And Improving Quality Of Life In Advanced Cancer
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the efficacy of massage therapy (MT) compared to “non-moving touch” (NMT) for decreasing pain, improving quality of life, and lessening physical and emotional symptom distress among persons with advanced cancer.
METHODS: Multi-site randomized clinical trial comparing MT to NMT among English-speaking adults with advanced cancer who had at least moderate pain (>= 4 on 0 – 10 scale) in the week prior to study enrollment. Participants received up to six 30 minute treatments over a two-week period by trained massage therapists (MT arm) or study personnel with no body or energy work training (NMT arm), following specific study treatment protocols. Outcomes were collected at baseline, at weeks 1, 2 and one week after the final treatment, and immediately prior to and following each treatment. Weekly outcome measures included pain (Brief Pain Inventory – BPI, 0 - 10 scale), quality of life (McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire – MQOL, 0 – 10 scale), and non-pain symptom distress (Condensed Memorial Assessment Scale – MSAS, 0 – 4 scale). The Memorial Pain Assessment Card (MPAC – pain and mood scales, 0 – 10 scale), was measured immediately prior to and following each treatment. Intention to treat analyses compared the two treatment arms, using a repeated measures model that accommodates incomplete data.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS: 382 patients were randomized (190 MT, 192 NMT). In preliminary analyses, it appears that MT provided greater short-term improvement in pain and mood than did simple touch, findings that were not sustained over time.
We are pleased to announce a gift in the amount of $250,000, donated by the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation. $150,000 is designated for recruitment of a junior faculty palliative care researcher, and $100,000 will be distributed via a competitive small grants application process to UCD faculty. Watch for announcement of these awards in April.