Papers by John Mastrojohn
International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2009
Each December 1st, World AIDS Day provides individuals and organizations with an opportunity to r... more Each December 1st, World AIDS Day provides individuals and organizations with an opportunity to recognize the impact of HIV/AIDS, and increase awareness across the globe. The theme for World AIDS Day 2009 was ‘Universal Access and Human Rights.’ Though advances have been made in the past with regard to prevention and treatment, there remain significant variations in access. As described in the 2009 World AIDS Day statement (Global Health Council, 2009), issues such as discrimination, stigma, and human rights violations against those living with HIV/AIDS continue to be significant barriers in effectively addressing the epidemic.
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2010
Context. Unlike primary care physicians in the U.S., it is only recently that Hungarian primary c... more Context. Unlike primary care physicians in the U.S., it is only recently that Hungarian primary care physicians have had the educational resources for providing end-of-life care and the availability of hospice services as part of the Hungarian health care system. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess, compare, and contrast beliefs and practices of end-of-life care held by primary care physicians practicing in selected regions of the United States and Hungary. Methods. A 22-item questionnaire, written in English, translated to Hungarian, and pilot tested in both countries, was mailed to 339 Hungarian and 330 U.S. physicians, with response rates of 54% and 48%, respectively. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted to compare the samples. Results. Over half of U.S. physicians indicated they were quite knowledgeable about hospice care and rated currently available services for the terminally ill as exceptionally good, compared to less than 10% of Hungarian physicians. The physicians' differing beliefs that discussing a terminal prognosis fosters a sense of hopelessness is consistent with disclosure beliefs and practices. The majority of U.S. physicians believe it is the patients' right to know and always tell them when the diagnosis is terminal. Hungarian physicians (44%) believe that the patient's
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2010
The Zimbabwe Rural Palliative Care Initiative is a program to increase access and expand palliati... more The Zimbabwe Rural Palliative Care Initiative is a program to increase access and expand palliative care in rural Zimbabwe. The goal was to add palliative care to existing home-based care teams comprising indigenous rural volunteers. Palliative care expertise is being developed through training and ongoing mentorship provided by Island Hospice Service, headquartered in the capital city of Harare. Specific outcomes relative to palliative care are reported, using the African Palliative Care Association African Palliative Outcome Scale, the Karnofsky Performance Scale, and a Supervision and Mentorship Checklist. Positive impact is documented, and there is significant opportunity for similar outcomes on a national scale.
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2010
Context. Important aspects of the palliative care needs of patients from lowand middle-income cou... more Context. Important aspects of the palliative care needs of patients from lowand middle-income countries (LMIC) are largely unexplored. About 44 million of the 56 million annual deaths worldwide occur in developing countries, and it is estimated that more than 33 million of those concerned would benefit from palliative care. In this context, the understanding of specific social and cultural needs is fundamental to the development of appropriate health policy and clinical practice concerning palliative and end-of-life care. Objectives. This study aims to answer the question: what are the contributions, in terms of generation of knowledge, of LMIC to the published palliative care literature? Methods. A bibliometric analysis was conducted in MedlineÒ and EMBASEÒ (to June 2008). Articles were included when either the first author (institutional affiliation or contact address) or the data collection was derived from LMIC, as defined by criteria of the World Bank. Excluded were articles done in migrant and non-palliative care populations. Results. The literature search resulted in 845 references. In total, 245 articles coming from LMIC were identified, being published by 34 LMIC (27.3% of LMIC). The first publications appeared in 1982. The study shows a rather modest contribution of publications from LMIC. However, the volume of publications within LMIC is distributed unequally: upper-middle-income countries published almost half of the articles (46.9%), whereas only 11% of the publications came from low-income countries. In contrast, 104 LMIC (72.7% of LMIC) do not have any registered publications. Surprisingly, 25% of the articles with data from LMIC have been done and published by highincome countries. Reasons for the underrepresentation, as well a possible correction of this imbalance, are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by John Mastrojohn