1 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
3 Allina Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
J Appl Gerontol. 2019 Jul;38(7):910-930. doi: 10.1177/0733464817732511. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
Quality of life (QOL) for patients with serious illness in late life is important for patients and policy makers and has implications for improved care delivery. This mixed-methods evaluation examined the effectiveness of a new whole-person approach to late life care-the LifeCourse-which provides patients with ongoing, across-setting assistance from lay health care workers, supported by a clinical team. We investigated whether participation in LifeCourse improves QOL for intervention patients, compared with usual care controls. QOL was assessed using baseline and 6 months Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative version tool ( n = 181 patients and 126 controls). LifeCourse had a significant positive effect on overall QOL for patients when compared with controls. Interview data revealed that participants adjusted expectations when assessing QOL and actively sought out ways to maintain QOL with meaningful activities and needed services. LifeCourse offers a promising model for improving QOL for late life patients.
生活质量(QOL)对于生命晚期的重病患者非常重要,无论是对患者还是决策者而言,它都对改善医疗服务具有重要意义。本混合方法评估研究了一种新的全人医疗模式(LifeCourse)对生命晚期照护的有效性,该模式为患者提供由非专业医疗工作者提供的持续的跨环境援助,并得到临床团队的支持。我们调查了与常规护理对照组相比,参与 LifeCourse 是否可以提高干预患者的生活质量。采用基线和 6 个月慢性疾病治疗功能评估-姑息治疗版工具(n = 181 名患者和 126 名对照组)来评估生活质量。与对照组相比,LifeCourse 对患者的总体生活质量产生了显著的积极影响。访谈数据显示,参与者在评估生活质量时调整了预期,并积极寻求通过有意义的活动和必要的服务来维持生活质量的方法。LifeCourse 为改善生命晚期患者的生活质量提供了一个有前途的模式。