Jennifer W Mack

..We sought to evaluate the extent to which EOL discussion characteristics, such as timing, involved providers, and location, are associated with the aggressiveness of care received near death...

..To evaluate the extent to which parents of children with cancer are involved in decision making in the ways they prefer during the first year of treatment...

..This study aimed to evaluate whether differences in patient-physician communication contribute to disparities in EOL care between black patients and white patients...

..Physicians have an ethical obligation to honor patients' values for care, including at the end of life (EOL). We sought to evaluate factors that help patients to receive care consistent with their preferences...

..To evaluate issues experienced by parents of children with cancer and factors related to parents' ability to find peace of mind...

..In this study, the authors sought to develop and validate a measure of therapeutic alliance between patients with advanced cancer and their physicians and to evaluate the effects of therapeutic alliance on EOL experiences and care...

..We assessed parents' experiences with treatment for their children with cancer and no realistic chance of cure...

..The role of emotional acceptance of a terminal illness in end-of-life (EOL) care is not known. The authors developed a measure of peaceful acceptance at the EOL, and evaluated the role of peaceful acceptance in EOL decision-making and care...

..Physicians sometimes selectively convey prognostic information to support patients' hopes. However, the relationship between prognostic disclosure and hope is not known...

..To assess how parent reports about the inpatient care of their children vary according to the health status of children with and without chronic conditions...

..We assessed understanding of likelihood of cure and functional outcome among parents of children with cancer and sought to identify factors that place parents at risk for overly optimistic beliefs about prognosis...

..We aimed to determine parent preferences for prognostic information about their children with cancer and the results of receiving such information...

..Talking about death can be difficult. Without evidence that end-of-life discussions improve patient outcomes, physicians must balance their desire to honor patient autonomy against a concern of inflicting psychological harm...

..In contrast, physicians' care ratings depend on biomedical rather than relational aspects of care...

..National guidelines recommend that physicians discuss end-of-life (EOL) care planning with patients with cancer whose life expectancy is less than 1 year...

..Chemotherapy for metastatic lung or colorectal cancer can prolong life by weeks or months and may provide palliation, but it is not curative...

..The authors examined whether patients' desire for life-extending therapy was associated with their EOL care...

..SUMMARY: Early integration of palliative care can allow children and families to make decisions about care that fit with their values, and should become a standard of care for all children with life-threatening illnesses...

..The EOL Rapid Response Model of Care outlines a process of care and provides recommendations and templated physician orders for rapid titration of opioids...

..Without clear data about the risks and benefits of participating in such studies, however, review board members must use personal judgment to assess emotional harm...

..To determine the presentation, pathologic features, treatment outcome, and prognosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland in children...

..Aggressive management of these symptoms is essential to improving the quality of life for these children...