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Background Pain assessment and monitoring is a prerequisite for its adequate treatment in patients with cancer. We performed a feasibility study on the use of short message service ( SMS) and interactive voice response ( IVR) to improve pain management in patients with cancer, including terminally ill patients. Methods During 4 weeks, palliative patients received a daily IVR asking to provide their pain score on a numeric rating scale ( NRS) with their mobile phone. If pain was moderate or high, the nurse contacted the patient the same day and, if required, adapted the treatment. Results Thirteen of the 17 invited patients agreed to participate (79%), four died during the study period. IVR/ SMS provides a reliable assessment of the pain intensity, and if required, treatment can be rapidly adapted. All patients were satisfied with the intervention. There were no difficulties for the, mainly older, patients in handling this communication way on pain intensity. The mean pain score decreased from 4.78 to 3.33 ( P = 0.07). The pain scale of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire ( EORTC QLQ-C30) decreased significantly from 56 to 35 ( P = 0.047). Discussion Monitoring and managing pain with IVR/ SMS in patients with cancer at home appeared acceptable and feasible, even in terminally ill patients. The reluctance for actively contacting the professional in case of increased pain intensity is circumvented in this setting. Further research, preferably in a controlled study, is needed to establish the use of this intervention in a larger patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Patients with cancer often face physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and emotional symptoms. Our aim was to study symptoms and issues of hospitalized patients with cancer in Indonesia, a country with strong family ties, and how family members, nurses, and physicians deal with them. Methods In 2011, 150 hospitalized cancer patients in 3 general hospitals in Indonesia were invited to fill in a questionnaire, which was based on the validated Problems and Needs of Palliative Care (short version) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results Of 119 patients (79%) who completed the questionnaire, 85% stated that their symptoms and issues were addressed. According to these patients, financial (56%), autonomy (36%), and psychosocial (34%) issues were most often addressed by the family alone. Physical symptoms (52%) and spiritual issues (33%) were addressed mainly by a combination of family, nurses, and physicians. Conclusions Hospitalized patients with cancer in Indonesia felt that most of their symptoms and issues had been addressed, and the family was highly involved. The strong family ties in Indonesian culture may have contributed to this family role. More research is needed to clarify how this influences patient outcome, quality of care, and quality of life of both the patients and their families, along with the degree of partnership between families and professionals. This information might help answer the question what advantages and disadvantages the family role in caring for a hospitalized patient with cancer generates for the patient, the family, and professional caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Patients with advanced cancer experience problems and unmet needs. However, we assume that patients with advanced cancer will have more problems and unmet needs in a country with a lower economic status than in an economically stronger country. We studied whether patients with advanced cancer in Indonesia have more problems and unmet needs than a similar group of patients in the Netherlands. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey. We compared the data for 180 Indonesian and 94 Dutch patients relating to 24 items of the Problems and Needs in Palliative Care-short version questionnaire. We performed descriptive and χ2 analysis with Bonferroni correction. Results The prevalence of most physical problems, including pain, was similar in the 2 groups. In Indonesia, financial problems were the most common: 70 to 80% vs. 30 to 42% in the Netherlands. In Indonesia, 25 to 50% of the patients reported psychological and autonomy problems versus 55 to 86% in the Netherlands. The Indonesian group had many more unmet needs for each problem (> 54%) than the Dutch group (< 35%). Conclusion Apparently, economic and cultural differences hardly influence physical problems. Nonetheless, fewer Indonesian patients reported psychological and autonomy problems than Dutch patients. This difference contradicts our hypothesis. However, we found more unmet needs for professional attention in Indonesia than in the Netherlands, which is compatible with our hypothesis. These simple comparative data provide interesting insights into problems and unmet needs and give rise to our new hypothesis about cultural influences. This hypothesis should be studied in more depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Systematic pain registration and assessment with a visual analog scale ( VAS) or numeric rating scale ( NRS) at each visit are key recommendations in one of the most recent guidelines on cancer pain management. It is unclear whether this recommendation is applied. Objectives The aim was to explore registration of pain in medical records of patients visiting the medical oncology outpatient clinic. Methods In a multicenter study in six Dutch hospitals, data were extracted from medical records of 380 outpatients with cancer. Data of the first three visits at the outpatient clinic were studied. Descriptive statistics were conducted. Results In 23% of all 987 visits at the outpatient clinic, pain or absence of pain was registered, and in an additional 15%, a nonspecific symptom description was given. Regarding all other visits, (62%) pain or absence of pain was not documented at all. Pain measurement using a VAS or NRS was documented in only one visit. Pain was more often registered in medical records of patients with metastasis, as well as in those of patients with urogenital tumors. Conclusion Pain in medical oncology outpatients is not systematically registered in their medical records. With one exception, pain was not registered with a VAS or NRS. Yet, registration and assessment of pain to monitor pain are essential to evaluate and adapt pain treatment over time. Pain registration has not improved since 2001 and therefore implementing the recommendations regarding systematic monitoring of pain is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]