A new report by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) may challenge the notion that the legalisation of euthanasia negatively affects the growth of palliative care services. The study, which was originally requested by the Commission on Assisted Dying, compared palliative care indicators in countries with legalised euthanasia (Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Luxembourg) […]
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SHORT CUTS
Articles of interest in other scholarly journals Click on the article headings to view abstracts Antagonistic effects of ondansetron and tramadol? A randomised placebo and active drug controlled study. Rauers NI, Stüber F, Lee EH, Musshoff F, Fimmers R, Barann M, Stamer UM. This postoperative randomised, double-blinded study assessed if ondansetron and tramadol had opposing […]
Department of Health in England launches end of life survey
A new survey commissioned by the Department of Health aims to gauge the quality of end of life care in England. The project, which is being administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will involve sending a postal survey to 49,000 individuals who registered the death of a loved one between November 2010 and […]
British GPs urged to “find their 1%”
A new campaign by the Dying Matters Coalition is encouraging GPs to identify the 1% of their patients who are entering their last year of life. The Find Your 1% project aims to promote discussion of end-of-life care in order to increase the number of people dying at home. A report released last year by […]
Increase in admissions to palliative care in Australian hospitals
A new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that over the last decade the number of hospital admissions for palliative care services has increased by over 50%. This news was well received by Palliative Care Australia (PCA), an organisation which promotes the provision of quality end of life care. Dr […]
Access to palliative care in the US is improving but further work is needed.
The US-based Center to Advance Palliative Care has issued a national ‘Report Card’ which upgrades the overall level of palliative care accessibility in the country to a B grade, up from C in 2008. But whilst the number of hospitals with specialist palliative care units has increased significantly in recent years (more than doubling since […]
WPCA Report Highlights Serious Shortcomings in International Palliative Care Provision
A new report by the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance shows that 32% of countries still have no known palliative care activity whatsoever. The study, entitled “Mapping levels of palliative care development: A global update 2011”, compiled detailed information about the level of hospice and palliative care provision in every country worldwide. The results also showed […]
A recent talk exploring current issues in palliative care research and practice.
Dr Miriam Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Hull York Medical School, explains why she believes that patients with non-malignant conditions are often excluded from access to effective palliative care. She also outlines current understanding of the best way to palliate breathlessness and to successfully plan for end of life care amongst patients with […]
Cloak and Needles
I can see: a frozen nose and few veins in the same place. The bird without a beak outside of the window flutters and goes away. I wish that outside of the window things will happen without a bird, not now… His existential pain is growing like tree amidst baroque music. This is new for […]
New resource aims to advance measurement in palliative care
Patients are set to benefit from the new Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS), a tool developed to assist clinicians, researchers and other healthcare workers in measuring physical symptoms; psychological, emotional and spiritual needs; and provision of information and support at the end of life. Developed by Professor Irene J Higginson, POS is a free resource […]