Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24927070›Full record

ArticleJournal of palliative medicine2014

Impact of a hospice emergency kit for veterans and their caregivers: a prospective cohort study.

F Amos Bailey, Beverly R Williams, Patricia S Goode, Lesa L Woodby, U Shanette Granstaff, Katharina V Echt, David T Redden, Elizabeth Kvale, Kathryn L Burgio

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of palliative medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 91% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

F Amos Bailey1 Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research , Education, and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia .
Beverly R Williams
Patricia S Goode
Lesa L Woodby
U Shanette Granstaff
Katharina V Echt
David T Redden
Elizabeth Kvale
Kathryn L Burgio
University of Alabama at Birmingham · USGeriatric Research Education and Clinical Center · USEmory University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough hospice emergency kits (HEKs) are provided by many home hospice agencies, little is known about their use, side effects, and perceived impact.

objectiveTo evaluate HEK medication utilization, side effects, and impact as perceived by home hospice patients and their caregivers.

methodsWe conducted a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants included 43 veterans and their family/caregivers referred to community home hospices with a Veterans Affairs (VA)-provided HEK. Measurements included patient/family reports based on weekly telephone interviews, electronic medical record (EMR) review, and after-death caregiver interviews.

resultsThe HEK was used by 27 of 43 patients/caregivers (62.8%). In 11 cases, they reported using the kit on more than one occasion. The most commonly used medications were morphine concentrate (30.2% of patients), lorazepam (20.9%), and levofloxacin (16.3%). In 15 cases (34.9%), the family thought the HEK may have helped the patient stay at home. Nineteen of the 43 patients made at least one visit to the emergency department (ED) and 22 were hospitalized. Most admissions through the ED were due to uncontrolled pain and/or gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea or bowel obstruction. In after-death interviews, opinions of the HEK were uniformly positive. Respondents described the HEK's usefulness and felt supported and empowered by its presence in the home. Minor side effects were reported in four cases.

conclusionsFindings provide promising evidence that HEKs are a feasible and well-tolerated method for achieving timely relief of emergent symptoms in home hospice patients and possibly avoiding unwanted ED visits and hospitalizations.

Indexed as

CaregiversHome Care ServicesHospice CareVeteransAgedAged, 80 and overEmergency TreatmentFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesUnited States

Identifiers

PMID24927070
PMCPMC4118704
OpenAlexW1854095950

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.