To develop a predictive model identifying perioperative conditions associated with postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs).Design: A prospective survey of patients whose preoperative history and physical examination, spirometric, PaO 2 and PaCO 2 analysis, and operative results were recorded. These patients underwent postoperative cardiopulmonary examinations until they were discharged from the hospital; their medical records were also reviewed until they were discharged from the hospital.

Patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers have a myriad of distressing symptoms and treatment side effects which significantly alter communication and lower quality of life. Telehealth technology has demonstrated promise in improving patient-provider communication by delivering supportive educational content and guidance to patients in their homes. A telehealth intervention using a simple telemessaging device was developed to provide daily education, guidance, and encouragement for patients undergoing initial treatment of head and neck cancer. The goal of this article is to report the feasibility and acceptance of the intervention using both quantitative and qualitative measures. No eligible patients declined participation based on technology issues. Participants completed the intervention over 86% of the expected days of use. Direct nursing contact was seldom needed during the study period. Satisfaction with the technology and the intervention was very high. In this study a telehealth intervention was shown to be feasible, well accepted, and regularly used by patients experiencing extreme symptom burden and declining quality of life as a result of aggressive treatment for head and neck cancer.

This study demonstrates support for development of formal curriculum on end-of-life issues, and emphasizes the importance of clinical exposure to terminally ill patients to prepare medical students to provide quality end-of-life care.

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The needs of an aging population and advancements in the treatment of both chronic and life-threatening diseases have resulted in increased demand for quality palliative care. The doctors of the future will need to be well prepared to provide expert symptom management and address the holistic needs (physical, psychosocial, and spiritual) of patients dealing with serious illness and the end of life. Such preparation begins with general medical education. It has been recommended that teaching and clinical experiences in palliative care be integrated throughout the medical school curriculum, yet such education has not become the norm in medical schools across the world. This article explores the current status of undergraduate medical education in palliative care as published in the English literature and makes recommendations for educational improvements which will prepare doctors to address the needs of seriously ill and dying patients.