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SAN Diego -
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA shows that end of life discussions between terminally ill cancer patients and a nurse improved the patient's mood and quality of life.
"There isn't a surprise in this week's study," said Dr. Charles Von Gunten, Provost for The Institute for Palliative Medicine of San Diego Hospice. "Talking about reality always makes people feel better, as opposed to leaving them with their fears."
In the study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, trained nurse practitioners counseled terminal patients on end of life issues. The nurses did the counseling, primarily by phone with patients and family caregivers using a model approach. Patients who got the counseling scored higher on quality of life and mood measures than patients who did not.
"What is interesting, in a routine way," said Von Gunten. "Nurse practitioners talking just over the phone about the things that were really bothering patients, made them feel better."
Von Gunten said talking to the nurse on a regular basis had dramatic results. It is talk of counseling on end of life issues that has riled both democrats and republicans. In the health care bill, Medicare money would be used to pay for such counseling. The process, which some have referred to as "death panels", has been going on for years but most people did not realize it.
"Our goal is to be sure that everyone gets care that respects them as an individual, that relieves their suffering, that improves their quality of life," Von Gunten said.
Debbie Monaghan, a registered nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital, has been working as a palliative care specialist for the past five years.
"It is kind of a holistic approach," said Monaghan. "Helping patients making difficult decisions, what are the treatment options that are available to them."
She describes the end of life as the elephant in the room. People find it difficult to talk about. Palliative care helps make the talk easier.
"Everybody feels better after this because they know what the person wants what the patient wants and the patient is assured that they are going to get what they want in the long run," she said. "If it is just make me comfortable and let me be at home to die at home with my family then that is what they are going to get."
"This study, the overwhelming thrust of the research that has been done and in our clinical experience," said Von Gunten. "Is that talking about it helps."
"There isn't a surprise in this week's study," said Dr. Charles Von Gunten, Provost for The Institute for Palliative Medicine of San Diego Hospice. "Talking about reality always makes people feel better, as opposed to leaving them with their fears."
In the study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, trained nurse practitioners counseled terminal patients on end of life issues. The nurses did the counseling, primarily by phone with patients and family caregivers using a model approach. Patients who got the counseling scored higher on quality of life and mood measures than patients who did not.
"What is interesting, in a routine way," said Von Gunten. "Nurse practitioners talking just over the phone about the things that were really bothering patients, made them feel better."
Von Gunten said talking to the nurse on a regular basis had dramatic results. It is talk of counseling on end of life issues that has riled both democrats and republicans. In the health care bill, Medicare money would be used to pay for such counseling. The process, which some have referred to as "death panels", has been going on for years but most people did not realize it.
"Our goal is to be sure that everyone gets care that respects them as an individual, that relieves their suffering, that improves their quality of life," Von Gunten said.
Debbie Monaghan, a registered nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital, has been working as a palliative care specialist for the past five years.
"It is kind of a holistic approach," said Monaghan. "Helping patients making difficult decisions, what are the treatment options that are available to them."
She describes the end of life as the elephant in the room. People find it difficult to talk about. Palliative care helps make the talk easier.
"Everybody feels better after this because they know what the person wants what the patient wants and the patient is assured that they are going to get what they want in the long run," she said. "If it is just make me comfortable and let me be at home to die at home with my family then that is what they are going to get."
"This study, the overwhelming thrust of the research that has been done and in our clinical experience," said Von Gunten. "Is that talking about it helps."
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