title: Palliative care outcome measures in COPD patients: a conceptual review.
abstract: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), palliative care is appropriate in very advanced stages based on recognition of its need when conventional therapy is no longer able to control symptoms, disease morbidity, or to improve/maintain an acceptable quality of life. Palliative care aims to improve quality of life, or, if applied specifically at the end-of-life, to ensure comfortable care. In COPD palliative care effectiveness of interventions should be quantified with outcome measures able to better capture the holistic nature of approaches and not only the specific features of disease. These should include: physical outcomes, psychological outcomes, social outcomes, spiritual outcomes. Such measures are discussed in this review along with arguments supporting their use.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Preventive Medicine Interdisciplinarity, Medicine-Palliative Care Nursing , University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Gr.T.Popa' Iasi , Iasi , Romania.
authors.forename: Sabina Antonela
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Antoniu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Preventive Medicine Interdisciplinarity, Medicine-Palliative Care Nursing , University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Gr.T.Popa' Iasi , Iasi , Romania.
authors.forename: Lucian Vasile
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Boiculese
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; palliative care; physical outcomes; psychological outcomes; social outcomes and spiritual outcomes