New research published this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine indicates that palliative care could play an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes. The study, conducted by a team of researchers in California, analysed the symptom burden and survival times of over 13,000 diabetic adults aged 30-75. The results indicated […]
Category: News
Results of the UK’s first National Bereavement Survey released
Today saw the publication of the results from the UK’s first National Bereavement Survey. The questionnaire, which was administered in November 2011, aimed to establish what the standard of end-of-life care was, as seen through the eyes of people who had lost a loved-one. The responses of over 22,000 people were collated and the results […]
The transition from childhood to adult palliative care: A time for action
Young people with palliative care needs from across the UK are today lobbying the government to change the way that the transition from childhood to adult palliative care services is handled. Currently, support for children with life-limiting conditions comes to an abrupt end at the age of either 16 or 18. Services for adults – […]
The BMJ’s new stance on assisted dying
The BMJ recently expressed its support for the notion that the UK’s leading medical bodies, including the BMA and Royal Colleges, abandon their opposition to assisted dying in favour of a neutral stance. The move comes as a recent poll undertaken by Dignity in Dying revealed that of 1000 GPs surveyed, 62% supported a shift […]
New NICE guidelines aim to address patient concerns about the use of opioids in advanced disease.
The UK’s Institute for Clinical Excellence has released new guidelines which aim to standardize the use of opioids in advanced disease pain management. It is estimated that each year in the UK some 300,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and 900,000 have heart failure. As well as this, thousands live with long-term chronic conditions such […]
The Working of an Integrated Community Palliative Care Team
Guest writers Anna MacPherson and Louise Forman of St Catherine’s Hospice, Preston, discuss the experience of working within a community palliative care team in light of recent changes to the structure of community palliative care. Community based palliative care services are growing in importance. As surveys repeatedly tell us most people want to die […]
Dialysis patients receive aggressive treatment during last month of life
A research letter published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine has reported that patients with end stage renal disease tend to receive very aggressive treatment during their last month of life. The researchers from the University of Washington analysed data on almost 100,000 Medicare patients who were treated with dialysis, and found that during […]
“One can die, but cannot fall ill”– A Survey on how costs may affect choice of therapy in Singapore
An article by Song Chiek Quah of the National Cancer Centre in Singapore Introduction Continued advances in medical care in the recent years have given some hope to patients afflicted with diseases that, in the past, have poor prognoses. However it would seem that hope comes at a price, at least within the Singaporean context. This […]
Study finds US hospitals consistently under-perform when it comes to end-of-life cancer care
A study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth University has found that many late-stage cancer patients in the US are receiving unsatisfactory care, with healthcare facilities not fulfilling quality care guidelines. The team concluded that whilst cancer care has improved over recent years, over a quarter of outpatient oncology practices studied did not adhere to end-of-life quality […]
Rising numbers of children in England require palliative care
A new study by researchers at Leeds University has found that the number of children in England who have life-limiting conditions (LLCs) is not only much higher than previously thought but also increasing. Historically, the number of children requiring or receiving palliative care in England has been under-estimated due to the fact that there is […]