BMC Palliative Care最新文献

{"title":"Palliative care pathways in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): a sequence analysis of health claims data.","authors":"Richard Schmidt, Ekaterina Slotina, Franziska Meissner, Moritz Metelmann, Benjamin Ilse, Verena Vogt, Antje Freytag","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01843-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01843-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease requiring palliative care. Despite the availability of palliative care services, utilization patterns among people with ALS (pALS) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to analyze palliative care utilization (i.e., primary palliative care (PPC), specialized palliative homecare (SPHC), inpatient palliative care, hospice services) in the last year of life among pALS, to identify distinct care pathways using sequence analysis, and examine their association with end-of-life care quality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cross-sectional study using German health claims data (2016 - 2019). Sequence analysis with Temporal Needleman-Wunsch alignment and clustering identified pathway clusters based on type, order, and timing of palliative care services. The study included 1,295 pALS who died between 2016 and 2019 and were insured with a large German health insurance provider. Inclusion required an ALS diagnosis without concurrent cancer.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1,295 pALS, 695 (53.7%) received palliative care. Sequence analysis identified nine distinct care pathway clusters. Quality indicators varied highly across clusters. Pathways involving SPHC, either alone, with PPC, and/or with hospice care, showed fewer emergency visits, hospital stays, and in-hospital deaths, suggesting higher end-of-life care quality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Palliative care utilization varies substantially in type, order, and timing. Findings suggest that end-of-life care quality depends not only on the provision of palliative care but also on when and on how different services are combined. Future research should examine the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in palliative care pathways and explore preferences and clinical characteristics of pALS to better understand factors influencing end-of-life care quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"200"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12261553/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'People ring because they're frightened': findings from a realist evaluation on the impact of timely responsive care at home at the end of life.","authors":"Kathryn McEwan, Joanne Atkinson, Amanda Clarke, Angela Bate, Caroline Jeffery, Sonia Dalkin","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01826-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01826-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rapid response services (RRS) support patients who wish to die at home, providing flexible, timely, and specialist care. These services are regionally variable yet are valued by patients and caregivers in often uncertain end-of-life situations. Research on their effectiveness and implementation to date is limited. This study explores how RRS are experienced in practice and identifies key contexts and mechanisms underpinning their impact.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to understand how different service models of RRS function, who they work for, how and why. By exploring patient, caregiver, and staff perspectives, we sought to refine programme theories and provide evidence-based recommendations for service improvement and policy development.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A realist evaluation approach was used to examine how, why, and in what contexts RRS provide end-of-life care. Through iterative theory development and refinement, we identified key generative mechanisms and the contexts in which they trigger outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Qualitative data were collected via realist theory driven semi-structured focus groups and interviews with 36 participants across two sites, each operating a distinct RRS model. Data were analysed using a retroductive context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) framework and informed by Transitions Theory.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six programme theories were developed, highlighting the central role of continuity of care in enabling positive end-of-life experiences. A sense of 'being known' by RRS staff facilitated smooth transitions, reduced distress, and fostered trust. Timely, responsive care, particularly at night, was valued, whereas gatekeeping, fragmented service models, and inequities in access (especially for non-cancer patients) created barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients and caregivers valued holistic, relationship-centred care that provided emotional security alongside practical support. However, service inconsistencies, late transitions into palliative care, and systemic inequities limit accessibility. Findings highlight the need for early engagement, integrated service models, and 24/7 specialist care, ensuring greater continuity and equity in home-based end-of-life care.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"199"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12261533/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing palliative care needs in adult patients with hematological malignancies and their caregivers: implications for referral practice.","authors":"Radhika R Pai, Arun Ghoshal, Karthik Udupa, Ananth Pai, Sharada Mailankody, Anuja Damani, Krithika S Rao, Shwetha Prabhu, Malathi G Nayak, Naveen Salins","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01811-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01811-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with hematological malignancies frequently experience complex physical, psychological, and spiritual concerns due to disease progression and intensive therapies. Despite these needs, palliative care services are often underutilized. This study aimed to assess the palliative care needs of adult patients with hematological malignancies and their caregivers in a tertiary care setting in India.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive survey was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023, involving 200 patients and their caregivers in oncology wards. The Needs Assessment Tool for Progressive Disease-Cancer (NAT: PD-C) was used to evaluate physical, psychological, and social needs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Jamovi 2.0.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 200 patients, 55.5% reported no unresolved physical symptoms, while 9.5% had significant concerns, including fatigue, pain, and breathlessness. Psychological distress was noted in 16% of patients, with 15.62% requiring referral to specialized services. Caregivers reported significant concerns regarding physical strain (2%) and psychological distress (14%). Only 9.55% of patients were referred to specialist palliative care services, highlighting a gap in timely palliative care access.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite a high burden of symptoms, specialist palliative care services are underutilized for patients with hematological malignancies. Early integration of palliative care can improve symptom management, reduce psychological distress, and enhance patients' and caregivers' quality of life. Training healthcare providers in palliative care principles and establishing standardized referral pathways are essential to address these unmet needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"201"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12261735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A short form tool for clinical assessment of caregivers' reaction.","authors":"Ellen Karine Grov, Bodil Wilde-Larsson, Bente Ødegård Kjøs, Reidun Hov","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01844-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01844-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Caregivers take on several tasks to support the patients during their disease trajectory. The price caregivers pay might have impact on their health, schedule, necessity of support from others, economic situation, and quality of life. Therefore, health care personnel need assessment tools to capture the caregivers' reaction and situation. Clinical practice is characterized as a busy setting and long assessment tools might be time-consuming to complete.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study aims to present a short form from an original (long) version of The Caregiver Reaction Assessment (24 items) and to show how these tools correlate in a repeated measures design with three assessment points. Demographics and clinical variables are analysed by means of descriptive statistics. To assess possible sex differences for the long version of The Caregiver Reaction Assessment, the short version of it, and a single item assessing global quality of life, we performed independent sample t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sufficient correlation was shown between the long version (24 items), the short version (6 items), and the single item measuring global quality of life. We present how assessment of the caregivers' reaction and situation can be managed by means of a stepwise approach with one single item on quality of life as the first step, a short form tool on caregiver reaction as the next, and finally a long version of a reputable tool, The Caregiver Reaction Assessment, as the third step.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this study we have shown how different tools correlate. We suggest these tools to be used in a three-step approach to assess caregivers' reaction and situation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12255985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving the oncology care pathway through the experience of patients and their caregiver.","authors":"Stéphanie Gentile, Bilel Zidi, Andrée Robaglia-Schlupp, Romain Spetidi, Hanna Bouida, Elodie Cretel","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01839-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01839-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to explore the lived experiences of individuals undergoing cancer treatment and their family caregivers to identify gaps and potential improvements in the oncology care pathway. It seeks to address the challenges faced during diagnosis, treatment, remission, and the transition to palliative care, emphasizing the need for patient-centered care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative exploratory study was conducted through focus groups with cancer patients (PCs) and family caregivers (FCs). Participants were recruited using a snowball method via oncology networks and patient associations. Six focus groups were held, with participants sharing their experiences across the care continuum. Data were collected using an open-ended interview guide, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring themes and insights.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 34 participants (25 PCs and 9 FCs) highlighted key challenges, including a lack of care coordination, insufficient communication, and limited access to supportive oncology services. Many PCs felt overwhelmed by administrative burdens, delays in testing, and inadequate follow-up care. FCs often reported feeling excluded from critical consultations and unsupported in caregiving responsibilities. Positive experiences were associated with coordinated care and access to supportive services, though these were inconsistently provided.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study underscores significant gaps in oncology care, particularly in care coordination, emotional support, and communication. Incorporating the voices of PCs and FCs into healthcare policies can foster a more empathetic, coordinated, and patient-centered oncology care system.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"196"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12254963/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors that support home deaths for patients receiving at-home palliative and end-of-life care: a sequential mixed-methods explanatory study.","authors":"Kelley Kilpatrick, Émilie Allard, Mira Jabbour, Eric Tchouaket","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01840-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01840-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Significant knowledge gaps persist in understanding how to support patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) who wish to die at home. This study aimed to identify factors associated with remaining at home and home death for patients receiving PEoLC.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A sequential mixed-methods explanatory study (QUANT + QUAL) was conducted. Administrative data from a not-for-profit at-home palliative care organization in Québec Canada from 2015 to 2024 (n = 5931) and 73 semi-structured interviews with patients receiving PEoLC, caregivers, service providers and decision-makers were collected. Logistic and Cox regression models were completed for the quantitative data analysis. Content analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. Data integration occurred following the quantitative analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of patients requiring PEoLC was 77.97 (SD: 13.70) years. The sample included 50.3% men and 49.7% women. One quarter (25.8%) of patients receiving PEoLC lived alone. Most patients (93.5%) had cancer. Home death occurred in almost 30% of cases. Over 95% of deaths occurred within 365 days following admission to the at-home palliative care organization. Access to respite care (adjusted odds ratio: 2.699, p < 0.001), female sex, living alone, having been hospitalized, receiving psychological care, and volunteer and transportation support were associated with remaining at home and home deaths for patients receiving PEoLC. The interviews highlighted the importance of respecting the patients' wishes related to end of life and home death. All participants described several challenges to access timely and reliable services following the pandemic. Timely access to home care, nursing and hygiene and a palliative care approach facilitated remaining at home and home death for patients receiving PEoLC.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Respite care more than doubles the odds of remaining at home and home death. Timely access to services that include home care, nursing care and hygiene and a palliative care approach is essential to support patients receiving PEoLC who wish to die at home. Stabilizing staffing of home care teams, standardizing PEoLC services offered across community health centers in the province, and optimal use of nurse practitioners would improve services offered to patients receiving PEoLC and their caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"197"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12255988/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Christian perspectives on palliative sedation: a literature study.","authors":"Jonathan Lambaerts, Bert Broeckaert","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01817-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01817-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Christianity has always been concerned about the fate of the sick and the dying. Charity is one of the seven Christian virtues and is seen as an act of love for one's neighbour. At the same time, Christianity is a strong defender of the dignity of human life, especially the most vulnerable. In the context of advanced disease and end of life, all major Christian traditions (Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant) advocate appropriate care to protect the dignity of those suffering from illness or facing the prospect of death. This translates into a strong opposition to any treatment that actively seeks to end a person's life, such as euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. Less clear is where these Christian traditions stand on palliative sedation; a treatment that aims to alleviate the suffering caused by refractory symptoms by lowering the level of consciousness. However, it is important to know and understand a religious tradition's position on a particular treatment. Religious beliefs influence the decision-making process of both patients and healthcare professionals.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A comprehensive and systematic literature study was undertaken to determine the position of the four major Christian traditions (Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Although sources are scarce, there are explicit positions on palliative sedation in each of the four Christian traditions has regarding palliative sedation. These positions can be found in official Church documents, in academic debate or in the broader bioethical debate within each community.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, there is a positive but cautious attitude towards palliative sedation in the four major Christian traditions. All recognise that palliative sedation can help alleviate patient suffering. They remain cautious in their support, however, as they consider the line between palliative sedation and life-ending treatments (e.g. euthanasia) to be too blurred. Moreover, the Christian traditions are aware that lowering the level of consciousness is not without its problems. Palliative sedation should therefore not be used without good reason.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"195"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12243377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144601960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A palliative care rapid access clinic reduces emergency department visits: a retrospective single centre analysis.","authors":"Wendy Kinton, Timothy Roberts, Maureen Mitchell, Nicolas Smoll, Marco Giuseppin","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01833-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01833-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with palliative care needs often rely on emergency departments for management of acute symptoms due to limited access to timely and appropriate outpatient care, however they can be poorly equipped to meet patients' complex needs. Rapid access clinics exist for addressing health issues such as chest pain but are not routinely established for palliative care. In 2020, the Sunshine Coast Health Palliative Care Service introduced a rapid access clinic to address patients' unmet acute care needs. This research aimed to understand the impact on clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective observational analysis of patient health records was undertaken for 283 admissions for 172 patients who attended the clinic between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022, and included demographic and diagnostic information, reason for admission and date of death. Statistical analysis of differences using the chi squared test was conducted for age (< 70 years vs. ≥ 70 years), gender and mortality at 30 days after discharge from the clinic. Fisher's exact test was used to assess associations between the type of admission and the likelihood of preventing an emergency department visit. Confidence interval was set at 95%.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Attendance at the rapid access clinic was judged to likely result in avoidance of an emergency department visit for 11.7% of admissions. A potentially avoided emergency department visit was associated with mortality within 30 days (22.9%), X² (1)= 9.82, p =.002, and urgent admission to the rapid access clinic (31.5%), p <.001, OR = 22.6 (95% CI: 7.63, 66.87). There were more planned (67.5%) than urgent admissions. Mortality within 30 days of presentation to the clinic was 24.6%, and significantly associated with male gender (31.3%), X² (1) = 6.02, p =.014 and urgent admission (34.8%), X² (1) = 6.7, p =.008.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A newly established palliative care rapid access clinic addressed acute symptoms in a timely manner and may offer a valuable alternative to emergency department care, particularly for patients nearing the end of life. Further prospective research using control groups and validated patient outcome measures would provide more robust evidence about the clinic's effectiveness in optimising end-of-life care and reducing the burden on our emergency departments.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"193"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12239404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144592761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The first year of assisted dying in New Zealand through the lens of healthcare professionals not directly involved in the process.","authors":"Waqas Arshad, Aida Dehkhoda, Melissa Carey, David B Menkes, Nicholas Hoeh, Frederick Sundram, Rosemary Frey, Gary Cheung","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01838-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01838-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>New Zealand's End of Life Choice Act 2019 was enacted in 2021, allowing terminally ill people experiencing unbearable suffering to request assisted dying if they are expected to die within six months. Healthcare professionals not directly involved in assisted dying provision may have unique perspectives on implementation, yet this remains under-explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study was conducted between June and November 2022. We used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit potential participants through various sources, including the Ministry of Health's assisted dying training and communication email list. A multidisciplinary research team developed a semi-structured interview guide. The individual interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed to identify core themes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ten healthcare professionals with palliative and primary care backgrounds participated. Five main themes were generated: diverse views on assisted dying; views on the End of Life Choice Act; the interface between palliative care and assisted dying services; education on palliative care and assisted dying; and self-care coping and support. Participants expressed varied attitudes and ethical concerns, with most emphasising the need for reforms in eligibility criteria and improved public understanding. These healthcare professionals provided valuable insights into the broader impact of assisted dying on the healthcare system and the complexities of integrating it with palliative care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Integration between palliative care and assisted dying services is crucial for delivering patient-centred care and addressing stigma surrounding end-of-life choices in New Zealand. Adapting international policies around eligibility criteria and safeguards can help streamline the process.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12239406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144592763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-traumatic growth as experienced by family caregivers of cancer patients in Iran: a qualitative content analysis.","authors":"Naeem Abdi, Marzieh Momennasab, Shahrzad Yektatalab, Azita Jaberi","doi":"10.1186/s12904-025-01805-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12904-025-01805-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Growth is not a direct consequence of trauma, but rather a struggle against overwhelming and stifling conditions, from which post-traumatic growth is born. Since post-traumatic growth as a psychological construct, has emerged from research conducted across various cultural and social context, it seems necessary to study the perceptions and experiences of individuals in the culture and religion of each society. Thus, this qualitative content analysis study aimed to explore the experience of family caregivers of cancer patients with post-traumatic growth in Iran.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study performed an inductive content analysis on 15 family caregivers selected through the purposive sampling method with maximum variation between April and August 2024 in Iran. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured in‑depth interviews. The processes of data collection and data analysis took place simultaneously. Latent Granheim and Lundman's content analysis approach (2004) was used in this study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At the end of the data analysis, three categories (Surrender and Acceptance, Going Beyond Oneself, Finding Meaning and Purpose) and eight subcategories emerged. These findings represented the concept of post-traumatic growth.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Family caregivers of cancer patients, after accepting the disease, were striving for an appropriate compensatory response to this life-threatening disease. Therefore, this effort enabled them to look at all stages of life in the past until now with a different perspective. This perspective led to a new understanding of themselves, others, the disease, and ultimately, the meaning and purpose of worldly and after life, which is the same as post-traumatic growth and transcendence.</p>","PeriodicalId":48945,"journal":{"name":"BMC Palliative Care","volume":"24 1","pages":"192"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12239303/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144592762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}