Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29956568›Full record

SynthesisPalliative medicine2018

Patient empowerment, what does it mean for adults in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness: A systematic review using critical interpretive synthesis.

Dominique Wakefield, Jo Bayly, Lucy Ellen Selman, Alice M Firth, Irene J Higginson, Fliss Em Murtagh

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Palliative medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  15. Anticancer therapy at end-of-life: A retrospective cohort study.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2024
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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

6 authors.

Dominique Wakefield1 Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9800-0436
Jo Bayly1 Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK.
Lucy Ellen Selman2 Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration (BRTC), School of Social and Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5747-2699
Alice M Firth1 Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK.
Irene J Higginson1 Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1426-4923
Fliss Em Murtagh3 Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatient empowerment, defined as 'a process through which people gain greater control over decisions and actions affecting their health' (World Health Organization) is a key theme within global health and social care strategies. The benefits of incorporating empowerment strategies in care are well documented, but little is known about their application or impact for patients with advanced, life-limiting illness(s).

aimTo identify and synthesise the international evidence on patient empowerment for adults with advanced, life-limiting illness(s).

designSystematic review (PROSPERO no. 46113) with critical interpretive synthesis methodology. DATA SOURCES: Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, PsycINFO and Cochrane) were searched from inception to March 2018. Grey literature and reference list/citation searches of included papers were undertaken. INCLUSION CRITERIA: empirical research involving patients with advanced life-limiting illness including descriptions of, or references to, patient empowerment within the study results.

resultsIn all, 13 papers met inclusion criteria. Two qualitative studies explored patient empowerment as a study objective. Six papers evaluated interventions, referencing patient empowerment as an incidental outcome. The following themes were identified from the interpretive synthesis: self-identity, personalised knowledge in theory and practice, negotiating personal and healthcare relationships, acknowledgement of terminal illness, and navigating continued losses.

conclusionThere are features of empowerment, for patients with advanced life-limiting illness distinct to those of other patient groups. Greater efforts should be made to progress the empowerment of patients nearing the end of their lives. We propose that the identified themes may provide a useful starting point to guide the assessment of existing or planned services and inform future research.

Indexed as

Decision MakingAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnthropology, CulturalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPalliative CarePatient ParticipationQualitative ResearchQuality of LifeTerminal Carehealth behaviourpalliative carePatient participationpower (psychology)reviewself-careterminal care

Identifiers

PMID29956568
PMCPMC6088522

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.