• 한국호스피스완화의료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.12a
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• pp.187-187
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• 2001

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.215-220
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• 2017

Spiritual care is at the center of hospice and palliative care. Patients facing serious and life-threatening illness have important needs in regard to faith, hope, and existential concerns. The purpose of this article is to review the key aspects of this care, including the definitions of spirituality, spiritual assessment, and spiritual care interventions. A review of the current literature was conducted to identify content related to spiritual care in hospice and palliative care. A growing body of evidence supports the importance of spiritual care as a key domain of quality palliative care. The literature supports the importance of spiritual assessment as a key aspect of comprehensive patient and family assessment. Spirituality encompasses religious concerns as well as other existential issues. Future research and clinical practice should test models of best support to provide spiritual care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2005

Purpose: Regardless of treatment, brain metastases are associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of cancer patients with brain mestastases they after admission into a hospice unit and knowing they have received appropriate hospice and palliative care. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records in 40 cancer patients with brain metastases they after admission into a hospice unit from March in 2003 to March in 2005. Results: There were 20 males (50%) and 20 females (50%), and the median age of the patients was 64 years. The most common cause of brain metastases was lung cancer (22 patients, 55%), followed by stomach cancer (5, 13%) and breast cancer (3, 8%). Sixteen patients (40%) have never been teated and 20 patient have received the chemotherapy for the primary cancer. The most common symptom of cancer patients with brain metastases is headache (12 patients, 30%), followed by mental change (10, 25%), focal weakness (9, 23%) and convulsion (4, 10%). The most prevalent cause for admission was mental change (13 patients, 33%), followed by pain (9 patients, 23%). The reasons for hospice and palliative care were through recommendation of physician (1 patient, 3%), patient and family self (14, 35%) and the others (25, 62%). Twenty five of the others has been referred to hospice and palliative care during conservative management after referral and enrolled at hospice unit. The median hospitalization was 19 days and median survival in hospice and palliative care was 41 days. The median survival was 87 days from the day when the cancer patients have been diagnosed as brain metastases to death. Conclusion: The duration of hospice and palliative care was not enough to care the cancer patients with brain metastases. We suggest physicians, patients and family need the education and promotion for effective hospice and palliative care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2015

Education is essential for specialists in charge terminal care of cancer patients. In the second 10-year plan to conquer cancer under the Cancer Control Act, the Korean government announced a plan to train more hospice and palliative care (HPC) specialists based on quantitative HPC expansion. Specifically, the government aims to develop e-learning programs to foster social workers in HPC, following those offered to doctors and nurses. In HPC, social workers have served a vital role in helping patients overcome psychological and social issues. As professionals, they have carried out their responsibilities and played their part in the field to help HPC to take root and be institutionalized in Korea. To date, it has been difficult to obtain practical knowledge and skills for social workers due to the lack of systematic training program. Development of an e-learning program for social workers, as proposed in this study, should strengthen social workers in charge of terminally-ill cancer patients in terms of their identity, expertise, and practical skills in clinical setting and improve their access to education. We also hope the program to be further developed by the government by introducing an education system that offers refresher courses to guarantee social workers' continued expertise through.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2016

Delirium is a common symptom in patients with terminal cancer. The prevalence increases in the dying phase. Delirium causes negative effects on quality of life for both patients and their families, and is associated with higher mortality. However, some studies reported that it tends to remain unrecognized in palliative care setting. That may be related with difficulties to distinguish the symptom from others with overlapping characteristics such as depression and dementia, and a lack of knowledge regarding assessment and diagnostic tools. We suggest that accurate recognition with validated tools and early diagnosis of the symptom should be highly prioritized in delirium management in palliative care setting. After diagnosing delirium, it is important to identify and address reversible precipitants such as medication, dehydration, and infection. Non-pharmacological interventions including comfortable environment for the patient and family education are also essential in the management strategy. If such interventions prove ineffective or insufficient to control hyperactive symptoms, pharmacologic interventions with antipsychotics and benzodiazepine can be considered. Until now, low levels of haloperidol remains the standard treatment despite a lack of evidence. Atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone reportedly have similar efficacy with a stronger sedating property and less adverse effect compared to haloperidol. Currently, delirium medications that can be used in palliative care setting require more clinical trials, and thus, clinical guidelines are not sufficiently available. We suggest that it is warranted to develop clinical guidelines based on well-designed clinical studies for palliative care patients.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-40
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• 2016

This study provides numerical data on the status of music therapy practices in 54 hospice and palliative care settings in Korea. Two different questionnaires for music therapists and coordinators were sent to 54 coordinators via email, and 47 (87%) hospitals and centers replied by email or post. The survey period was October 30 through December 5, 2014. Music therapists were asked to respond to 65 questionnaire items regarding working conditions, environment, session process, and personal competence. Coordinators were asked to complete 28 questionnaire items regarding the status of music therapy in their perspective setting. Twenty-two (46.8%) hospitals and centers were running music therapy programs with 28 music therapists, and 19 (67.9%) of these music therapists majored in music therapy. There was a significant difference between music therapists (M= 3.43, SD = 0.96) and coordinators (M= 2.73, SD = 0.77) regarding conditions and environment of music therapy sessions (p < .05). The circumstances and conditions for music therapy are inad quate for optimal implementation of music therapy practice. However, the perceived benefits of music therapy by coordinators suggest that music therapists do play an important role in hospice and palliative care. This research provides the first quantitative baseline data of music therapy status in hospice and palliative care settings in Korea.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.257-265
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of awareness of the concept of 'hospice palliative medical care' and decision of 'life-prolonging medical care' by the general public subjects. A survey was conducted on 346 participants and officials who participated in an event held in September 2016. As a result of the research, the subjects' responses results to the life-prolonging medical care decision showed that people with religion wanted natural death compared to people without religion, and had more active attitude toward decisions related to dignity death. Religion is an important factor that can influence perceptions of life and death, believing that afterlife is after death, so it is possible to take a more firm stance on the extension of meaningless life at the last minute. Therefore, in order to stabilize the hospice care and prescription medical decision law to the general public and to improve the quality of the death and the dignity of life, it is necessary to develop awareness through various educational programs in consideration of age, education level. In addition, education and promotion should be strengthened so that the general public can fully understand the knowledge of hospice palliative care and health care and government standardization and policies for hospice personnel and breeding programs will be urgent.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2010

Purpose: The survey was aimed to provide basic data to develop a certification system for hospice and palliative care professionals. Methods: National Cancer Center (NCC) and the Korean Society for Hospice & Palliative Care (KSHPC) conducted the survey for hospice and palliative care professionals who worked at 34 Palliative care units designated by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs (MW) and the members of the KSHPC. The survey was conducted via e-mail from June 17 to 23, 2009. Total 220 professionals were surveyed. Results: Most of the hospice and palliative care professionals reported a great need for certification system: Physician, 90% (n=51) nurse, 84% (n=134) social worker, 89% (n=35). In regard with the requirement for the certification, a majority of physicians (46%) preferreddiploma course, while social workers (46%) preferred training course for medical social workers. Concerning the certification body, physician (45%) preferred the KSHPC and the MW almost equally, while nurses (50%) and social workers (60%) preferred the MW highly. As for the body to develop and accredit advance training course for each professionals, most of the physicians (51%) preferred the KSHPC, whereas nurses and social workers preferred collaboration of the MW (or NCC) with the professional society, such as the KSHPC (23%), the Korean Hospice & Palliative nurses association for nurses (21%), or the Korean association of (medical) social workers (37%). Lastly, all respondents preferred the course format of once a week, full day, and some field study at weekend. Conclusion: Korean hospice and palliative care professionals identified the great need for the certification system, therefore, the adequate system development must be followed to reflect their voice.

• 한국호스피스완화의료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.98-98
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• 2003

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was done to analyze how a death preparation education program have the effects on awareness of hospice palliative care and withdrawing life sustaining treatment in older adults. Methods: This study employed a non-equivalent control group design among quasi-experimental designs. The experimental group was comprised with 35 adults and the control group with 40 adults. The death preparation program consisted of five two-hour sessions and was administered once a week for five straight weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, and ANCOVA using SPSS version 18.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 66.2 years. A significant difference between the experimental and control groups was observed in withdrawing life sustaining treatment (F=3.380, P=0.040). However, no significant difference was found in awareness of hospice palliative care (F=0.163, P=0.850). Conclusion: The study results indicate that death preparation training could positively affect people's awareness of withdrawing life sustaining treatment. More studies should be conducted to explore effects of death preparation education for all ages and help people better understand hospice palliative care.