• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.139-142
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• 2010

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2002

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2012

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2004

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-3
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• 2001

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.188-192
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• 2012

Palliative medicine has shown demonstrated benefit for patients with serious illness, their families, and hospital systems. As such, the demand for palliative care services is growing at a fast pace, and health care facilities frequently struggle to develop and implement effective and sustainable methods of providing this care. As with any new system, challenges and barriers naturally exist to instituting palliative care. Undertaking careful assessment, planning, and resource allocation can provide the greatest likelihood of success when developing these novel yet much needed models of care. This summary paper offers a qualitative overview of the potential benefits and the rationale to implement robust palliative care systems. We briefly review the history of palliative medicine in the broadest sense and address several seminal works from the US palliative care literature. Core practices to establish and advance palliative medicine are suggested. Commentary is provided on some of the particular barriers to palliative system development that may need to be addressed in the context of Korean medical culture. Collectively, we hope this overview can contribute to a framework within which such research and development can occur, leading to increasingly effective and sustainable palliative medicine in Korea.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.145-148
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• 2023

Preserving dignity is a significant concern for individuals approaching the end of their lives, as they face an increasing number of conditions that can potentially compromise their dignity. This article discusses dignity therapy as one intervention method aimed at enhancing the psychological and spiritual well-being of patients with terminal illnesses. Dignity therapy is an empirically supported therapeutic intervention that interviews patients with nine questions about what is important to them and what they want to remember, culminating in the production of a document based on these conversations. This intervention serves as a valuable tool and framework, enabling clinical professionals to reflect on dignity. It also provides clinicians with a medium to connect with patients on a deeply human level.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the attitudes of nurses and physicians toward neonatal palliative care and identify the barriers to and facilitators of neonatal palliative care, with the goal of improving palliative care for infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the NICUs of seven general hospitals with 112 nurses and 52 physicians participating. Data were collected using the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale questionnaire. Results: Only 12.5% of nurses and 11.5% of physicians reported that they had sufficient education in neonatal palliative care. In contrast, 89.3% of the nurses and 84.6% of the physicians reported that they needed further education. The common facilitators for both nurses and physicians were: 1) agreement by all members of the department regarding the provision of palliative care and 2) informing parents about palliative care options. The common barriers for both nurses and physicians were: 1) policies or guidelines supporting palliative care were not available, 2) counseling was not available, 3) technological imperatives, and 4) parental demands for continuing life support. Insufficient resources, staff, and time were also identified as barriers for nurses, whereas these were not identified as barriers for physicians. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop hospital or national guidelines and educational programs on neonatal palliative care, and it is equally necessary to spread social awareness of the importance of neonatal palliative care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate pediatric nurses' perception and knowledge about pediatric hospice and palliative care. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 132 nurses who are stationed in pediatric wards and intensive care units. The participants were requested to fill out a questionnaire comprising 23 items for perception and 20 items for knowledge. Data were collected after obtaining written consent. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results: Participants perceived difficulties in pediatric hospice palliative care, especially communication with patients and their families. The differences of perception among participants were observed according to pediatric hospice and palliative care experience, but not general characteristics. Participants' knowledge was $8.83{\pm}2.64$. Nurses who work in a ward showed higher level of knowledge about pediatric hospice/palliative care. Conclusion: An education program should be developed and provided to pediatric nurses to improve their perception and knowledge about pediatric hospice/palliative care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.184-193
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• 2021

Purpose: This study attempted to develop clinical guidelines to help patients use hospice and palliative care (HPC) at an appropriate time after writing physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) by identifying the characteristics of HPC use of patients with terminal cancer. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted to understand the characteristics of HPC use of patients with terminal cancer through decision tree analysis. The participants were 394 terminal cancer patients who were hospitalized at a cancer-specialized hospital in Seoul, South Korea and wrote POLST from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021. Results: The predictive model for the characteristics of HPC use showed three main nodes (living together, pain control, and period to death after writing POLST). The decision tree analysis of HPC use by terminal cancer patients showed that the most likely group to use HPC use was terminal cancer patients who had a cohabitant, received pain control, and died 2 months or more after writing a POLST. The probability of HPC usage rate in this group was 87.5%. The next most likely group to use HPC had a cohabitant and received pain control; 64.8% of this group used HPC. Finally, 55.1% of participants who had a cohabitant used HPC, which was a significantly higher proportion than that of participants who did not have a cohabitant (1.7%). Conclusion: This study provides meaningful clinical evidence to help make decisions on HPC use more easily at an appropriate time.