The Influence of Family Communication Patterns in Advance Care Planning: A Young Adult's Perspective.

Advance care planning (ACP) is underutilized. To facilitate ACP and prepare adult children to be surrogates, we must understand how families communicate. This understanding can help prepare surrogates and reduce negative outcomes associated with medical decision-making for a loved one.

A Systematic Review of Interprofessional Palliative Care Education Programs.

Context: Interprofessional education (IPE) involving palliative and end-of-life content benefits learners by addressing interprofessional and palliative care (PC) competency needs.

Objectives: A synthesis of educational approaches promoting interprofessional PC in academic and clinical settings would address research gaps and promote effective teaching.

Methods: A systematic review of interprofessional PC educational studies was conducted to summarize current approaches in PC IPE and to appraise teaching and research methods.

A longitudinal comparison of health-related quality of life in rural and urban recipients of left ventricular assist devices.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are a common treatment for advanced heart failure (HF) to improve ventricular function, symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Many LVAD recipients travel long distances from rural areas for LVAD implantation and follow-up care. Individuals with HF in rural settings who have not undergone LVAD implantation have reported poor HRQOL.

Family caregiver-reported outcomes regarding decision-making for left ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: Family caregivers (FCGs) often participate in the decision for their loved one to receive a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Little is known about the contribution of FCGs to this complex decision.

Objectives: To investigate family caregiver-reported outcomes related to decision-making for LVAD implantation and their experiences post-implantation.

Intergenerational Caregivers of Parents With End-Stage Heart Failure.

The purpose of this study was to longitudinally explore the experiences of young adult, adult, and older adult intergenerational caregivers caring for a parent with end-stage heart failure (HF). This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected during a longitudinal study that sought to determine the palliative care needs of individuals with end-stage HF and their family caregivers. Longitudinal interviews from 23 young adult, adult, and older adult children who were caring for a parent with end-stage HF were selected for thematic analysis.

Patients' decision making process and expectations of a left ventricular assist device pre and post implantation.

Objectives: To examine patients' pre-implantation decision-making and pre and post-implantation expectations of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

Background: LVADs have been shown to improve both quantity and quality of life of patients living with Stage D heart failure (HF). However, they also pose significant risks.

Patient and Caregiver Incongruence in Advanced Heart Failure.

The important role of caregivers in heart failure (HF) management is well documented, but few studies have explored HF patient-caregiver dyads when dyadic incongruence is evident. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of incongruence between HF patient-caregiver dyads, areas of incongruence, and the impact on individuals in the dyadic relationship. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal qualitative study examining the palliative care needs of HF dyads.

The work of spousal caregiving of older adults with end-stage heart failure.

Heart failure requires complex home management, which is typically performed by a spouse. Yet little is known about the actual "work" of caregiving in individuals with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to describe the types of work manifested in long-term spousal caregiving for older adults across the progression of heart failure.

Caring for a spouse with end-stage heart failure through implantation of a left ventricular assist device as destination therapy.

Objectives: This qualitative study describes the experiences of spousal caregivers of a patient with end-stage heart failure (HF) from pre-LVAD to post-LVAD-DT implantation.

Background: LVAD-DTs are implanted as permanent devices for end-stage HF patients with the goal of improving the length and quality of life. LVADs create new demands for both patients and caregivers.