Transitions between care settings after enrollment in a palliative care service in Italy: a retrospective analysis.

This study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data that aimed to map patients’ care transitions following admission to a specialist palliative care service in Italy called Antea Centre. Patients’ data was extracted from the Antea local database from 2007 to 2011. External transitions were defined as a change in the setting of care, with the patient no longer being cared for by Antea staff. Internal transitions were defined as a change in the setting of care, with the care still being provided by Antea staff. A total of 1123 patients out of 5313 admitted to the palliative service (21%) experienced transitions. Patients who experienced no transitions after their admissio…

Palliative care quality indicators in Italy. What do we evaluate?

Purpose In recent years, the number of palliative service providers has increased significantly. This expansion necessitates an evaluation in order to provide the basis for quality improvement of the care. Policymakers, managers of palliative care programs, and others committed to the improvement of end-of-life care need methods and criteria to measure and evaluate the care delivered. As quality measurement is expensive and difficult to undertake, it is fundamental that quality measures evaluate the right things. Quality evaluation in Italy is supported by health authorities who have developed some indicators of palliative care. The aims of this study were to give an overview of these indic…

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Evaluating the extent of patient-centred care in a selection of ESC guidelines

AIMS: Patient-centred care (PCC) is the cornerstone for healthcare professionals to promote high quality care for patients with cardiovascular conditions. It is defined as 'Providing care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions'. PCC can improve patient outcomes and allow patients and healthcare professionals to manage care collaboratively using best available evidence. However, there is no clear understanding how extensively guidelines incorporate PCC recommendations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incorporation of PCC into a selection of guidelines published by the E…

Transcultural Adaptation and Theoretical Models of Validation of the Spanish Version of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Version 6.2 (SCHFI v.6.2)

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing public health problem worldwide. Across the world, heart failure is associated with high mortality, high hospitalization rates, and poor quality of life. Self-care is defined as a naturalistic decision-making process involving the choice of behaviors that maintain physiologic stability, the response to symptoms when they occur, and the ability to follow the treatment regimen and control symptoms. One instrument used to measure self-care is the Self Care of Heart Failure Index. Aim: The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Self Care of Heart Failure Index v.6.2 (SCHFI v.6.2). Methodol…