Palliative Care
Should Euthanasia Be Considered Iatrogenic?
9 Sep, 2017 | 22:45h | UTCShould Euthanasia Be Considered Iatrogenic? – AMA Journal of Ethics (free)
Study: Effect of Palliative Care on Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care Among Patients With Advanced Cancer
4 Sep, 2017 | 15:45h | UTCEffect of Palliative Care on Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care Among Patients With Advanced Cancer – Journal of Oncology Practice (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Palliative Care May Substantially Decrease Health-Care Utilization in Patients With Advanced Cancer – ASCO Post (free) AND End-of-Life Palliative Care Lowered Utilization for Patients With Cancer – AJMC (free) AND Palliative Care Cut Healthcare Use in Advanced Cancer – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
Doctors want to give their cancer patients every chance. But are they pushing off hard talks too long?
4 Sep, 2017 | 15:29h | UTC
Review: Oncological patients in the intensive care unit
22 Aug, 2017 | 00:53h | UTCSource: Critical Care Review Newsletter
NCCN Guideline: Palliative Care
21 Aug, 2017 | 01:32h | UTCNCCN Guidelines Insights: Palliative Care, Version 2.2017 – JNCCN (free)
Related guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
An order not to hospitalize
16 Aug, 2017 | 15:17h | UTCAn order not to hospitalize – ACP Hospitalist (free)
Original article: Are Hospital/ED Transfers Less Likely Among Nursing Home Residents With Do-Not-Hospitalize Orders? – Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Review: Palliative and end-of-life care in nephrology
11 Aug, 2017 | 17:08h | UTCNarrative review: Palliative and end-of-life care in nephrology: moving from observations to interventions – Current Opinion in Nephrology & Hypertension, via Medscape (free registration required)
Should Doctors Decide When It’s Futile to Keep Charlie Gard Alive?
1 Aug, 2017 | 18:12h | UTCShould Doctors Decide When It’s Futile to Keep Charlie Gard Alive? – Medscape (free registration required)
Improving quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: Targeting metastatic bone pain
1 Aug, 2017 | 17:09h | UTCReview: Improving quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: Targeting metastatic bone pain – European Journal of Cancer (free)
Recent advances in understanding and managing cancer pain
28 Jul, 2017 | 15:34h | UTCReview: Recent advances in understanding and managing cancer pain – F1000 Research (free)
RCT: Palliative Care in Heart Failure
11 Jul, 2017 | 17:07h | UTCPalliative Care in Heart Failure: The PAL-HF Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Palliative Care Intervention Improves Quality of Life in Advanced Heart Failure Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Palliative Care Improves Heart Failure Quality-of-Life – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Effect of specialist palliative care services on quality of life
4 Jul, 2017 | 21:23h | UTCThe meta-analysis showed a small effect on quality of life with specialist palliative care. The effect was most pronounced for patients with cancer and for those who received specialized care early.
A Research Agenda for Communication Between Health Care Professionals and Patients Living With Serious Illness
4 Jul, 2017 | 21:12h | UTC
Which patients with advanced respiratory disease die in hospital?
21 Jun, 2017 | 21:07h | UTCAn end of life strategy probably improved choice of where to die for people with severe respiratory disease – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Which patients with advanced respiratory disease die in hospital? A 14-year population-based study of trends and associated factors – BMC Medicine (free)
Who Should Assess the Needs of and Care for a Dementia Patient’s Caregiver?
20 Jun, 2017 | 12:20h | UTCWho Should Assess the Needs of and Care for a Dementia Patient’s Caregiver? – AMA Journal of Ethics (free)
“Physicians have an obligation to check in on dementia patients’ caregivers, and provide support if necessary” (RT @JournalofEthics see Tweet)
Using the New ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline for Palliative Care Concurrent With Oncology Care Using the TEAM Approach
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:30h | UTC
Pain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:24h | UTCPain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives – 2017 ASCO Educational Book (free)
‘How long have I got?’: Why many cancer patients don’t have answers
12 Jun, 2017 | 19:55h | UTC‘How long have I got?’: Why many cancer patients don’t have answers – USA Today (free)
Related: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update(free)
See more on Standardized Criteria for Palliative Care Consultation in our April 24 issue, see #8
“ASCO now recommends that everyone with advanced cancer receive palliative care within eight weeks of diagnosis.” (RT @cancerassassin1 see Tweet)
Questions raised over physician-assisted suicide
5 Jun, 2017 | 14:48h | UTC
The ‘good’ death that could have been much better
4 Jun, 2017 | 19:12h | UTCThe ‘good’ death that could have been much better – STAT News (free)
A better way to care for the dying
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:39h | UTCA better way to care for the dying – The Economist (a few articles per month are free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
“How the medical profession is starting to move beyond fighting death to easing it”.
Standardized Criteria for Palliative Care Consultation
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:25h | UTCProspective, before-after cohort study: Standardized Criteria for Palliative Care Consultation on a Solid Tumor Oncology Service Reduces Downstream Health Care Use – Journal of Oncology Practice (free)
Editorial: Making the Right Thing Easier to Do: Standardized Integration of Oncology and Palliative Care – Journal of Oncology Practice (free)
Related Guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
Commentaries on the study: Standardized Palliative Care Consults Cut Cancer Readmissions – Also, less chemotherapy after discharge – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Standardized Cancer Palliative Care Consults Linked to Stronger Home-Based Support – AJMC (free)
Patients with at least one of the following 4 criteria: 1) advanced solid tumor; 2) prior hospitalization within 30 days; 3) hospitalization > 7 days; or 4) active symptoms – received automatic palliative care consultation. The rates of 30-day readmissions dropped from 35% to 18% and chemotherapy after discharge dropped from 44% to 18%.
Use of Medications of Questionable Benefit at the End of Life
20 Apr, 2017 | 14:34h | UTCUse of Medications of Questionable Benefit at the End of Life in Nursing Home Residents with Advanced Dementia – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also: Use of Medications of Questionable Benefit at the End of Life in Nursing Home Residents with Advanced Dementia – CBCNews (free) AND Many With Advanced Dementia Receiving Drugs of Uncertain Benefit – Medscape (free registration required)
“Too much use of meds of questionable benefit at the end of life: Just Stop.” (RT @DeeMangin see Tweet)
The Patients Were Saved. That’s Why the Families Are Suing
13 Apr, 2017 | 16:01h | UTCThe Patients Were Saved. That’s Why the Families Are Suing – The New York Times (free)
“Historically, the practice has been “if in doubt, err on the side of aggressive, life-sustaining treatment,””. That might be changing.