Men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and end of life planning

Five Questions to Help Prompt End-of-Life Planning in Neuromuscular Disease

Patients with neuromuscular disease are living longer lives but continue to have significant and often unpredictable morbidity and mortality. End-of-life planning for these patients is thus an essential part of their medical care. This planning should include the following topics: health care surrogates, swallowing and nutrition, daytime respiratory support, and all aspects of when end of life is near. Adult-onset and early-onset diseases may require different approaches to these topics. All patients with neuromuscular disease will benefit from these discussions to best reach patient-centered goals. We present health care providers these five questions and explanations as a guide.

"You Take This Day by Day, Come What May": A Qualitative Study of the Psychosocial Impacts of Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

INTRODUCTION

Studies have reported health-related quality-of-life impacts of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD); however, further research is needed to understand how those with DMD experience their condition and how psychosocial impacts evolve over time in response to disease progression. This qualitative study explores the social and emotional implications of key transitions, challenges and adaptations throughout the disease course from the perspective of patients and family caregivers.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with men and boys with DMD, and/or their caregivers, in the USA. Thematic analysis was used to examine patterns in data collected across the interviews.

RESULTS

Nineteen participants were included. Three major themes were identified: (1) barriers to participation are multifaceted; (2) an emotional journey shaped by 'inevitable progression;' (3) family provides critical tangible and emotional support. This study illustrates that psychosocial impacts of DMD are shaped by knowledge of the condition's natural history alongside other factors including the extent of social barriers, personal growth and adaptation, and family support.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide insight into the strength and resilience with which individuals and their families respond to daily challenges and major clinical milestones and highlight the relative importance of loss of upper limb function as a transition in DMD affecting health-related quality-of-life.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1: palliative care guidelines

Palliative care for adults with neuromuscular conditions is an emerging field. Previous guidelines regarding myotonic dystrophy and palliative care have only mentioned end-of-life care and little else. The following guidelines have been written using national experts as a description of best practice as part of the Dystrophia Myotonica National Care Guidelines Consortium.

Anti-RANKL Therapy Prevents Glucocorticoid-Induced Bone Loss and Promotes Muscle Function in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Bisphosphonates prevent bone loss in glucocorticoid (GC)-treated boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and are recommended as standard of care. Targeting receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) may have advantages in DMD by ameliorating dystrophic skeletal muscle function in addition to their bone anti-resorptive properties. However, the potential effects of anti-RANKL treatment upon discontinuation in GC-induced animal models of DMD are unknown and need further investigation prior to exploration in the clinical research setting. In the first study, the effects of anti-RANKL and deflazacort (DFZ) on dystrophic skeletal muscle function and bone microstructure were assessed in mdx mice treated with DFZ or anti-RANKL, or both for 8 weeks. Anti-RANKL and DFZ improved grip force performance of mdx mice but an additive effect was not noted. However, anti-RANKL but not DFZ improved ex vivo contractile properties of dystrophic muscles. This functional improvement was associated with a reduction in muscle damage and fibrosis, and inflammatory cell number. Anti-RANKL treatment, with or without DFZ, also improved trabecular bone structure of mdx mice. In a second study, intravenous zoledronate (Zol) administration (1 or 2 doses) following 2 months of discontinuation of anti-RANKL treatment was mostly required to record an improvement in bone microarchitecture and biomechanical properties in DFZ-treated mdx mice. In conclusion, the ability of anti-RANKL therapy to restore muscle function has profound implications for DMD patients as it offers the possibility of improving skeletal muscle function without the steroid-related skeletal side effects.

Pediatric Advance Care Planning: A Scoping Review

To assess current practice and provide a basis for a provincial template, clinicians at a Canadian pediatric hospice reviewed the literature surrounding pediatric advance care planning (pACP) documentation, process, and implementation for children/youth. The scoping review protocol was developed in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews, and was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar, as well as sources of unpublished studies and grey literature, were reviewed. Sixty-four articles met the criteria. Fifteen pACP documentation forms/tools were also identified. Overall, the included articles highlighted that pACP should be a structured, collaborative and iterative process between the family and a trusted or relevant healthcare provider, encompassing medical and non-medical issues. Few articles provided insights into specific elements recommended for advance directive forms. Identified strategies for implementation included a structured, step-by-step pACP interventional tool along with ongoing training, mentorship, and defined organizational structures for the clinician. No single specific ACP tool was acknowledged as the gold standard. Use of a pACP tool, along with ongoing provider education and communication skill development, standardized/accessible documentation, and system-wide quality improvement support, were noted as integral components of pACP.

End of Life in Boys and Young Men With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - The Perspective of Dying Men and Their Families: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence

Understanding the perceptions and experiences related to the end of life (EoL) of boys and men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy from their own and/or family perspective is limited based on the available qualitative empirical studies. This systematic review was done with a thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence according to the PRISMA Statement Guidelines and the SPIDER search tool. The review included empirical, qualitative, and relevant full-text studies published in 2000-2023 in the EBSCO Discovery Service, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest databases. From o total of eight included qualitative studies, four main key themes were identified: "Being a parent/caregiver" - psychosocial aspects, needs, and experiences; "Communication about EoL with healthcare and other professionals" - positive experiences and personal shortcomings; "Discussions about…" - the issue of EoL, dying and death; and "End of life" - end-of-life care, planning and the need for palliative care.

A comprehensive qualitative framework for health-related quality of life in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

PURPOSE

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare x-linked neuromuscular condition predominantly affecting boys and men. There is a paucity of research qualitatively detailing the lived experience of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with DMD. The aim of this study was to identify a comprehensive framework for better understanding HRQoL in DMD.

METHODS

Eighteen boys and men (aged 7 to ≥ 40 years) with DMD were recruited from charity Duchenne UK, a DMD support group, and 5 UK National Health Service Trusts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a topic guide informed by a review into HRQoL in DMD. Generic, preference-based, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) were used as prompts. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven themes were coded, within seven categories. Six categories were conceptualised as components of HRQoL (autonomy, daily activities, feelings and emotions, identity, physical aspects, social relationships) and one considered an input (healthcare, support, and environment). Three additional themes were used to code feedback on the generic PROs (CHU-9D, EQ-5D, HUI). Social relationships received most coverage in the data and was noted as an omission from the PROs.

CONCLUSION

A 30-item framework for HRQoL in DMD has been developed, which was used as input into a new condition-specific HRQoL PRO and preference-based measure: the DMD-QoL. The data has value in its own right in highlighting the lived experience of HRQoL for people with DMD and as a barometer for assessing the content of HRQoL PROs for use in DMD.

Long-term mechanical ventilation and transitions in care: A narrative review

OBJECTIVES

Individuals dependent on long-term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) for their day-to-day living are a heterogenous population who go through several transitions over their lifetime. This paper describes three transitions: 1) institution/hospital to community/home, 2) pediatric to adult care, and 3) active treatment to end-of-life for ventilator-assisted individuals (VAIs).

METHODS

A narrative review based on literature and the author's collective practical and research experience. Four online databases were searched for relevant articles. A manual search for additional articles was completed and the results are summarized.

RESULTS

Transitions from hospital to home, pediatric to adult care, and to end-of-life for VAIs are complex and challenging processes. Although there are several LTMV clinical practice guidelines highlighting key components for successful transition, there still exists gaps and inconsistencies in care. Most of the literature and experiences reported to date have been in developed countries or geographic areas with funded healthcare systems.

CONCLUSIONS

For successful transitions, the VAIs and their support network must be front-and-center. There should be a coordinated, systematic, and holistic plan (including a multi-disciplinary team), life-time follow-up, with bespoke consideration of jurisdiction and individual circumstances.

Enhancing human aspects of care with young people with muscular dystrophy: An evaluation of a participatory qualitative study with clinicians

Purpose

This paper evaluates a study which aimed to enhance clinical care of young people with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy (MD) and their families in two Canadian neuromuscular clinics. We report on how/why the study changed clinical practices in relation to the ‘human’ (e.g., emotional, social, existential, cultural) dimensions of living with MD.

Materials and methods

The intervention involved regular dialogical exchanges with clinicians across the two sites, during which direct observations of the clinics’ care practices were discussed and changes were planned. We drew from realist evaluation approaches to assess changes in clinical care associated with the intervention. Data sources included dialogical exchanges; clinic observations; interviews with clients, families and clinicians; and team analysis sessions.

Results

Our evaluation suggests the clinical teams shifted their thinking and practices towards greater consideration of human aspects of living with MD including: more routinely attending to emotional, social and experiential dimensions of living with MD; reconceptualisation of risk; and considerations of affective aspects of clinical care. Not all clinicians changed their thinking and practices in the same ways, or to the same extent, and there were differences between the sites. These differences were likely due to numerous factors, including varying levels of clinician comfort with examining and shifting their own practices, and differing formal and informal clinic routines at each site.

Conclusions

Overall, this intervention was able to shift clinic practices, and could feasibly be adapted across rehabilitation settings.

Assessment of the relationship between disease progression and goals of care by individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their caregivers

INTRODUCTION/AIMS

Most patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in the US are diagnosed at about age 5 years. Some adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with DMD are now living into their fourth decade, yet AYAs and caregivers are frequently unprepared to address changes in goals of care due to disease progression. The hypothesis-generating research question was how AYAs with DMD and their caregivers understand the relationship between physical changes and the need to change goals of care.

METHODS

Grounded theory design using data from N = 30 semi-structured interviews (n = 13 AYA; n = 17 caregivers) from two sites.

RESULTS

AYAs with DMD frequently defer considering and/or reconsidering goals of care based on (1) delays in diagnosis; (2) gradual, rather than episodic, disease progression; and (3) orientation to living in the present. Desire for autonomy motivates advance care planning and end-of-life treatment preferences for some.

DISCUSSION

Routine inquiry into AYA and caregiver goals for living may normalize goals of care conversations, maximizing patients' ability to process information, reflect on preferences, and articulate wishes. Discussing present-day goals and abilities may invite conversation about future preferences. Framing conversations in terms of AYA autonomy may increase motivation to engage in such discussions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Advance Care Planning in Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Scoping Review

Advance care planning (ACP) is increasingly acknowledged as a key step to enable patients to define their goals/preferences for future medical care, together with their carers and health professionals. We aimed to map the evidence on ACP in neurodegenerative disorders. We conducted a scoping review by searching PubMed (inception-December 28, 2020) in addition to trial, review, and dissertation registers. From 9367 records, we included 53 studies, mostly conducted in Europe (45%) and US-Canada (41%), within the last five years. Twenty-six percent of studies were qualitative, followed by observational (21%), reviews (19%), randomized controlled trials (RCTs, 19%), quasi-experimental (11%), and mixed-methods (4%). Two-thirds of studies addressed dementia, followed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (13%), and brain tumors (9%). The RCT interventions (all in dementia) consisted of educational programs, facilitated discussions, or videos for patients and/or carers. In conclusion, more research is needed to investigate barriers and facilitators of ACP uptake, as well as to develop/test interventions in almost all the neurodegenerative disorders. A common set of outcome measures targeting each discrete ACP behavior, and validated across the different diseases and cultures is also needed.

Advance Directives for Adolescents and Young Adults Living With Neuromuscular Disease: An Integrative Review of the Literature

The use of advance directives is an important component in helping individuals living with chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses establish goals of care and make decisions regarding care at the end of life. Advance care planning may help achieve enhanced health outcomes, yet it is not routinely offered to adolescents/young adults living with neuromuscular disease. An integrative review of the literature was conducted to examine the evidence related to the use of advance directives with adolescents/young adults living with neuromuscular disease and to identify reasons why they are not being used and how this can be improved. Three-hundred-seven studies were retrieved from PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE. Five studies met the final inclusion search criteria and were included in the analysis. Four themes emerged from the literature: conversations about advance directives with adolescents/young adults with neuromuscular disease are not being conducted, only a small number of patients have documented advance directives, patients want to have conversations about goals of care and want to have them sooner, and there is a lack of evidence in this area. These findings may influence neuromuscular clinicians' practice surrounding the use of advance directives and increase their knowledge regarding the need for discussions regarding goals of care.

Achieving Life Milestones in Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy: A Retrospective Analysis

Objective

To understand the milestones achieved in the transition from childhood to adulthood for patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD/BMD).

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review on patients aged 15 years or older with a clinical diagnosis of DMD/BMD who received care from January 1, 2008, to January 1, 2018 at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Rochester Medical Center. Participants were identified using local Muscular Dystrophy Asssociation-funded clinic lists, neuromuscular research databases, and electronic medical record review. Data were abstracted using a uniform template on education, employment, community resources, relationships, and end-of-life discussions and is presented as mean, median, or frequency with associated 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 109 patients were identified: patients ranged in age from 15 to 56 years with a median of 24, and covered a 5-state region and Ontario, Canada. Seventy-eight percent of patients had DMD and were, on average, 8.5 years younger than patients with BMD. Over half (56.9%, 95% CI 47.6-66.2) were high school graduates or beyond. Sixteen percent did not have their highest level of education documented. Only 20.0% had an occupation (95% CI 12.7-27.7), most frequently in education and administrative support (34%). The majority were still living with parents (80.7%, 95% CI 73.3-88.1). A minority reported having end-of-life discussions (17.4%, 95% CI 10.3-24.6).

Conclusions

Psychosocial elements reflecting the transition to adulthood are inconsistently reported in clinical documentation. A prospective study will further elucidate this transition.

Development of a New Quality of Life Measure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Mixed Methods: The DMD-QoL

Objective

Based on concerns about existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for assessing quality of life (QoL) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), we describe the mixed methods development of a new QoL PROM for use in boys and men with DMD: the DMD-QoL.

Methods

The DMD-QoL was developed in 3 stages. First, draft items were generated from 18 semistructured qualitative interviews with boys and men with DMD, analyzed using framework analysis. Second, cognitive debriefing interviews with patients (n = 10), clinicians (n = 8), and patients' parents (n = 10) were undertaken, and a reduced item set was selected and refined. Third, psychometric data on the draft items from a cross-sectional online survey (n = 102) and stakeholder input from patients and patients' parents were used to produce the final questionnaire. Patient and public involvement and engagement was embedded throughout the process.

Results

From an initial draft of 47 items, a revised set of 27 items was produced at stage 2, and this set was further refined at stage 3 to generate the DMD-QoL, a 14-item QoL PROM. The DMD-QoL is designed for use from 7 years of age by proxy report and from 10 years of age by self-report or proxy report. The final measure showed good psychometric properties.

Conclusion

The DMD-QoL is a new 14-item QoL PROM for boys and men with DMD, with demonstrable content and face validity.

Adult North Star Network (ANSN): Consensus Guideline For The Standard Of Care Of Adults With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

There are growing numbers of adults with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy living well into their fourth decade. These patients have complex medical needs that to date have not been addressed in the International standards of care. We sought to create a consensus based standard of care through a series of multi-disciplinary workshops with specialists from a wide range of clinical areas: Neurology, Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Palliative Care Medicine, Rehabilitation, Renal, Anaesthetics and Clinical Psychology. Detailed reports of evidence reviewed and the consensus building process were produced following each workshop and condensed into this final document which was approved by all members of the Adult North Star Network including service users. The aim of this document is to provide a framework to improve clinical services and multi-disciplinary care for adults living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Tasks and interfaces in primary and specialized palliative care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy - A patients' perspective

In spite of the improvements in care and the emergence of disease-modifying treatments, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) remains a life-limiting disease of adolescence and (young) adulthood. Palliative care approaches and principles should be integrated from the point of diagnosis and implemented throughout the lifespan. A nationwide cross-sectional survey based on a mixed-method-design of qualitative and quantitative research approaches evaluated the structural implementation and perception of palliative care for DMD in Germany. Data analyses revealed that palliative care was predominantly provided at the primary care level by pediatricians, general practitioners and specialized multi-professional outpatient structures. The majority of patients did not utilize the scopes of specialized palliative structures. Simultaneously, insufficiently treated complex symptoms, emergent and elective hospitalizations and barriers in transitioning into adult care presented a considerable burden. A collaborative integrated model with a close cooperation of patients, families and care providers is proposed involving task areas and interfaces complementing primary and specialized palliative care (1) management of complex symptoms, (2) crisis support, (3) intermittent relief of the strain for caregivers, (4) coordination of care, (5) advance care planning and (6) end-of-life care. Specialized palliative care should be used as an "add-on" approach in time of need rather than as a prognosis or disease stage.

Enacting objects and subjects in a children's rehabilitation clinic: Default and shifting ontological politics of muscular dystrophy care

In health care clinics, problems are constructed through interactions, a choreography of human and non-human actors together enacting matters of concern. Studying the ways in which a body, person, family, or environment is objectified for clinical purposes opens discussion about advantages and disadvantages of different objectification practices, and exploration of creative ways to handle the diversity and tensions that exist. In this analysis, we explored objectifications in a Canadian neuromuscular clinic with young people with muscular dystrophy. This involved a close examination of clinical objectification practices across a series of 27 observed appointments. We identified the routinised clinical assessments, and argue these embed a default orientation to how to intervene in people's lives. In this setting, the routine focused on meeting demands of daily activities while protecting the at-risk-body, and working toward an abstract sense of an independent future for the person/body with muscular dystrophy. But the default could be disrupted; through our analysis of the routine and disruptions, we highlight how contesting visions for the present and future were consequential in ways that might be more than what is anticipated within rehabilitation practice.

The adult multidisciplinary respiratory neuromuscular clinic

Many neuromuscular disorders (NMD) are complicated by respiratory failure. These patients are best managed in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic to provide timely access to the various disciplines they require. The key mainstay of treatment of respiratory failure in patients with NMD is noninvasive ventilation, supported by secretion clearance, speech and language therapy, optimisation of nutrition and the maintenance of mobility. Patients with specific conditions may also require cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, urology and psychological services. The respiratory NMD multidisciplinary team should also provide access to palliative care, and caregiver health and wellbeing should also be reviewed at clinical reviews. The future of care for the respiratory NMD patient will increasingly involve home services and telehealth and the clinic should be equipped and resourced to deliver these. Although not all health systems will be able to provide all elements of the multidisciplinary team discussed here, this review provides the “ideal” recipe for the adult multidisciplinary team and the evidence base underpinning this from which a clinic can be developed.

Care for neuromuscular-related respiratory failure is complex and is best delivered in a multidisciplinary context. The future will increasingly involve home services and telehealth, and their burden needs to be considered when establishing this service.https://bit.ly/33fNsMT

Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Recently, progress has been observed in the knowledge about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), which is a severe and commonly diagnosed genetic myopathy in childhood, historically resulting in early death. Currently, there are a lot of methods available to improve the clinical course of DMD and extend patients’ life expectancy to more than 30 years of age. The key issue for DMD patients is the period between 16–18 years of age, which is described as a transition from pediatric- to adult-oriented healthcare. Adolescents and adults with DMD have highly complex healthcare needs associated with long-term steroid usage, orthopedic, ventilation, cardiac, and gastrointestinal problems. The current paper provides a comprehensive overview of special healthcare needs related to the transfer of a patient with DMD from child-oriented to adult-oriented care. Additionally, the need to organize effective care for adults with DMD is presented.

Rehabilitation medicine in palliative care of chronic neurological conditions

Background

People living with long-term neurological conditions (LTNC) often require palliative care. Rehabilitation medicine specialists often coordinate the long-term care of these patients.

Objective

The aim of the present review was to undertake systematic literature searches to identify the evidence on palliative care for people with LTNC to guide rehabilitation medicine specialists caring for these patients in the UK.

Methods

We searched for evidence for (1) discussion of end of life, (2) planning for end-of-life care, (3) brief specialist palliative care interventions, (4) support for family and carers, (5) training of rehabilitation medicine specialists in palliative care, and (6) commissioning of services. The databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and Health Technology Assessment Database. Evidence was assimilated using a simplified version of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation method.

Results

We identified 2961 records through database searching for neurological conditions and 1261 additional records through database searches for specific symptoms. We removed duplicate records and conference presentations. We screened 3234 titles and identified 330 potentially relevant abstracts. After reading the abstracts we selected 34 studies for inclusion in the evidence synthesis.

Conclusions

From the evidence reviewed we would like to recommend that we move forward by establishing a closer working relationship with specialists in palliative care and rehabilitation medicine and explore the implications for cross-specialty training.

Cheer* in Health Care Practice: What It Excludes and Why It Matters

Clinicians' positive demeanor and "strengths based" focus can include working to create a cheerful atmosphere in health care environments, cheering for improvements in assessment outcomes, and cheering up clients in situations of decline. Drawing from philosopher Karen Barad's theories of inclusions and exclusions, we investigated what comes to matter (and what is excluded from mattering) when there is cheerfulness, cheering, and so forth (cheer*) in the day-to-day practices of a neuromuscular clinic. We worked collaboratively with clinicians, young people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and their families to co-examine the clinic in three iterative exploratory method spaces: (a) group "dialogues" with clinicians; (b) consultative interviews with children, families, and clinicians; and (c) transdisciplinary research team analysis sessions. Cheer* made some things matter in the clinic ("normal" physical function, "positive" emotions, test scores, compliance); and excluded others (grief and loss, "non-normative" bodies and lives, alternative practices, embodied knowledge). We discuss implications across health care settings.

Meaningful occupations of young adults with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders

BACKGROUND.

Youth with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and other neuromuscular disorders are living well into adulthood and often need help engaging in meaningful occupations.

PURPOSE.

Our purpose was to explore enablers and barriers to engaging in meaningful occupations, from the perspectives of youth, parents, and practitioners.

METHOD.

This qualitative study involved 26 participants (11 parents, eight youth ages 19 to 28 [mean = 22.3 years], seven practitioners). Data were obtained from semistructured interviews and analyzed using an interpretive descriptive approach.

FINDINGS.

Youth with DMD and neuromuscular disorders engage in meaningful occupations in a variety of ways. Occupational enablers were supports and accommodations and self-care skills and coping strategies, while occupational barriers involved societal expectations of a normative adulthood, discrimination and inaccessible environments, lack of supports and resources, medical challenges, fatigue, lack of motivation, and social isolation and depression.

IMPLICATIONS.

Practitioners should work to uncover what youth consider important and connect them to appropriate resources so they can engage in meaningful occupations.

Long-Term Ventilation in Neuromuscular Patients: Review of Concerns, Beliefs, and Ethical Dilemmas

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is an effective treatment in patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMD) to improve symptoms, quality of life, and survival.

SUMMARY

NIV should be used early in the course of respiratory muscle involvement in NMD patients and its requirements may increase over time. Therefore, training on technical equipment at home and advice on problem solving are warranted. Remote monitoring of ventilator parameters using built-in ventilator software is recommended. Telemedicine may be helpful in reducing hospital admissions. Anticipatory planning and palliative care should be carried out to lessen the burden of care, to maintain or withdraw from NIV, and to guarantee the most respectful management in the last days of NMD patients' life. Key Message: Long-term NIV is effective but challenging in NMD patients. Efforts should be made by health care providers in arranging a planned transition to home and end-of-life discussions for ventilator-assisted individuals and their families.

Enhancing the human dimensions of children's neuromuscular care: piloting a methodology for fostering team reflexivity

For those with chronic, progressive conditions, high quality clinical care requires attention to the human dimensions of illness-emotional, social, and moral aspects-which co-exist with biophysical dimensions of disease. Reflexivity brings historical, institutional, and socio-cultural influences on clinical activities to the fore, enabling consideration of new possibilities. Continuing education methodologies that encourage reflexivity may improve clinical practice and trainee learning, but are rare. We piloted a dialogical methodology with a children's rehabilitation team to foster reflexivity (patient population: young people with Duchenne's or Becker's muscular dystrophy). The methodology involved three facilitated, interactive dialogues with the clinical team. Each dialogue involved clinicians learning to apply a social theory (Mol's The Logic of Care) to ethnographic fieldnotes of clinical appointments, to make routine practice less familiar and thus open to examination. Discourse analyses that preserve group dynamics were completed to evaluate the extent to which the dialogues spurred reflexive dialogue within the team. Overall, imagining impacts of clinical care on people's lives-emphasized in the social theory applied to fieldnotes-showed promise, shifting how clinicians interpreted routine practices and spurring many plans for change. However, this reflexive orientation was not sustained throughout, particularly when examining entrenched assumptions regarding 'best practices'. Clinicians defended institutional practices by co-constructing the metaphor of balancing logics in care delivery. When invoked, the balance metaphor deflected attention from emotional, social, and moral impacts of clinical care on patients and their families. Emergent findings highlight the value of analysing reflexivity-oriented dialogues using discourse analysis methods.

Palliative care in neuromuscular diseases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness. Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are characterized by progressive muscle weakness, leading to pronounced and incapacitating physical disabilities. Most NMDs are not amenable to curative treatment and would thus qualify for palliative care. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a relentlessly progressive disease, which leads to death about 2 years after onset due to respiratory muscle weakness. Increasingly, neurologists caring for these patients learn to apply the principles of palliative care. However, this does not yet apply to other well known and frequently occurring NMDs.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is sparse literature on palliative care in NMDs such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, muscular dystrophies, some congenital myopathies, Pompe's disease and myotonic dystrophy type 1. These NMDs are often associated with imminent respiratory insufficiency and/or heart failure leading to a reduced life expectancy. Reasons for underutilization may include misconceptions about palliative care amongst patients, family carers and healthcare professionals or lack of awareness of the usefulness of this approach in these severely affected patients and the possibilities of integration of palliative principles into care for children and adults with NMDs.

SUMMARY

There is an urgent need for increased attention to the development of palliative care in chronic progressive neuromuscular diseases associated with increasing functional incapacities and premature death. This will require education and training of the healthcare professionals, involvement of patient associations and funding to perform research.

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy in adolescents: current perspectives

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are life-limiting and progressive neuromuscular conditions with significant comorbidities, many of which manifest during adolescence. BMD is a milder presentation of the condition and much less prevalent than DMD, making it less represented in the literature, or more severely affected individuals with BMD may be subsumed into the DMD population using clinical cutoffs. Numerous consensus documents have been published on the clinical management of DMD, the most recent of which was released in 2010. The advent of these clinical management consensus papers, particularly respiratory care, has significantly increased the life span for these individuals, and the adolescent years are now a point of transition into adult lives, rather than a period of end of life. This review outlines the literature on DMD and BMD during adolescence, focusing on clinical presentation during adolescence, impact of living with a chronic illness on adolescents, and the effect that adolescents have on their chronic illness. In addition, we describe the role that palliative-care specialists could have in improving outcomes for these individuals. The increasing proportion of individuals with DMD and BMD living into adulthood underscores the need for more research into interventions and intracacies of adolescence that can improve the social aspects of their lives.

'It's a hard conversation to have'. Healthcare professionals' views concerning advance care discussions with young people affected by life-limiting neuromuscular diseases: an interview study

OBJECTIVE

Life-limiting neuromuscular disease, such as some of the muscular dystrophies, are often diagnosed in early childhood: when death comes, commonly in the second or third decade of life, patients rarely have advance care plans in place or documented end-of-life care preferences. There is very limited literature concerning the discussions about end-of-life plans healthcare professionals have with young people affected by life-limiting neuromuscular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the views and experiences of healthcare professionals concerning having discussions about advance care plans and end-of-life care with teenagers and young adult patients affected by life-limiting neuromuscular diseases.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews with a maximum variety sample of nine professionals involved in the care of young people with life-limiting neuromuscular diseases in one region of the UK.

RESULTS

While recognising the inevitable progression of the conditions, there was no consensus among interviewees concerning best approaches to discuss end-of-life care plans. Several environmental and personal barriers were identified that lead to avoidance of the emotionally challenging and difficult conversations.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based professionals with well-established relationships with patients and families may be best placed to take the lead and coordinate discussions, but individual case-by-case preferences need to be carefully considered.