The Effects of Advance Care Planning on Decision Conflict and Psychological Distress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

Purpose@#Advance care planning (ACP) is widely understood to improve end-of-life care.This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of ACP interventions on decision conflict and psychological distress. @*Methods@#A search of PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE, KISS, KoreaMed, and RISS was conducted in November 2020. The study included randomized controlled trials. Data were pooled using fixed- and randomeffects models. @*Results@#Fourteen studies were identified that cumulatively included 1,548 participants. ACP interventions were effective in alleviating decision conflict (d=-0.53; 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.23), depression (d=-1.22; 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.74) and anxiety (d=-0.76; 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.39). @*Conclusion@#ACP interventions have significant positive effects on reducing decision conflict and psychological distress. A high level of bias was shown related to allocation concealment and blinding. The results of this study are expected to be useful for end-of-life care providers to improve the effectiveness of ACP interventions.

The Effects of Advance Care Planning on Decision Conflict and Psychological Distress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

Purpose@#Advance care planning (ACP) is widely understood to improve end-of-life care.This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of ACP interventions on decision conflict and psychological distress. @*Methods@#A search of PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE, KISS, KoreaMed, and RISS was conducted in November 2020. The study included randomized controlled trials. Data were pooled using fixed- and randomeffects models. @*Results@#Fourteen studies were identified that cumulatively included 1,548 participants. ACP interventions were effective in alleviating decision conflict (d=-0.53; 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.23), depression (d=-1.22; 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.74) and anxiety (d=-0.76; 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.39). @*Conclusion@#ACP interventions have significant positive effects on reducing decision conflict and psychological distress. A high level of bias was shown related to allocation concealment and blinding. The results of this study are expected to be useful for end-of-life care providers to improve the effectiveness of ACP interventions.

Impact of a Palliative Care Education Program on Korean Hospice Volunteers: Motivation, Death Anxiety, and Communication with the Dying / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a two-week palliative care education program on Korean Hospice volunteers. METHODS: A total of 71 volunteers were assigned to two groups: Group A (intervention, n=34) and Group B (usual care, n=37). Group A received six sessions of palliative care education for two weeks. The level of volunteers' motivation, death anxiety, and communication with the dying were measured at baseline and after the program ended. RESULTS: The palliative care education program had positive influence on the volunteers' motivation (t=2.341, P=0.022), death anxiety (t=−2.166, P=0.034), and communication with the dying (t=−2.808, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that a palliative care education program may be an effective way to boost hospice volunteers' motivation, ease their death anxiety and improve their communication with the dying.

Effects of Psychosocial Interventions for School-aged Children's Internet Addiction, Self-control and Self-esteem: Meta-Analysis / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to perform an effect size analysis of psychosocial interventions for internet addiction and to identify the intervention moderators applied to school-aged children. METHODS: For the meta-analysis, studies were included that were published in English or Korean until January 2015, without limitation in terms of the year. They were retrieved from 11 electronic databases and by manual searches according to predefined inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 37 studies were selected, which included 11 treatment conditions and covered a total of 1,490 participants. The effect size estimates showed that psychosocial interventions had a large effect for reducing internet addiction (standardized mean difference [SMD], -1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.52 to -0.87) and improving self-control (SMD, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.47) and self-esteem (mean difference, 3.58; 95% CI, 2.03 to 5.12). The moderator analyses reveals that group treatments, a selective approach, a long duration, a community setting, or higher school grade had a larger effect. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review suggest that psychosocial intervention may be used to prevent Internet addiction in school-aged children, although further research should be conducted using a randomized controlled trial design or diverse age groups to provide evidence-based recommendations.

Development and Evaluation of an Education Program for Professional Palliative Care Nursing

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a "Palliative Care Professional" education program and evaluate its effects on the recognition of good death, palliative care, and the meaning of life for nurses. METHODS: It was developed based on the hospice care program for volunteers being used in the Hospice Palliative Care Research Center of S University in Seoul. It was also based on the studies which investigated the educational needs of nurses in palliative care. This program consisted of 5 sessions and 16 content items for 2 weeks. A non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design was utilized and participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=42) or the control group (n=44). RESULTS: The recognition of a good death (F=11.44, p=.001), palliative care (F=4.15, p=.045), and the meaning of life (F=5.12, p=.026) increased more significantly for participants in the experimental group than in the control group. Participants felt that they gained further knowledge in palliative patient management and refined their clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that this program could serve as a practical program for palliative care nursing in the nursing field and suggests that more attention should be directed to the diverse educational needs of nurses.

Effects of a Marital Relationship Enrichment Program on Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Satisfaction in Multicultural Couples / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of a marital relationship enrichment program on communication, conflict resolution and marital satisfaction in multicultural couples. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design was used. Participants were sampled from couples registered at 2 local centers and 2 multicultural family support centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Sixteen pairs each were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group received the marital relationship enrichment program for 120 minutes/session/week for 6 weeks. Data were analyzed using chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and t-test for subject homogeneity verification, and ANCOVA to examine the hypotheses. RESULTS: Communication and marital satisfaction increased significantly after the program in experimental group compared with control group. Among conflict solution styles, collaborating and compromising increased and avoiding decreased significantly after the program in the experimental group. Competing decreased significantly after the program for wives in the experimental group. Accommodating did not change significantly in either experimental or control groups. CONCLUSION: Results of the study confirm that marital relationship enrichment programs are effective in promoting multicultural couples' communication and marital satisfaction, and causing positive changes in conflict resolution.