SHORT CUTS

Articles of interest in other scholarly journals Once-daily opioids for chronic dyspnea: a dose increment and pharmacovigilance study Currow DC, McDonald C, Oaten S, Kenny B, Allcroft P, Frith P, Briffa M, Johnson MJ, Abernethy AP. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2010;11.021 In a Phase II dose increment study and a long-term Phase IV […]

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New plans will improve end of life care for kidney patients

Three UK healthcare partnerships have teamed up to help improve outcomes for advanced stage kidney patients through the early identification and provision of appropriate choice, care planning and palliative care. Together the three partners (Greater Manchester Kidney Care Network; King’s Health Partners; North Bristol Health Economy) selected by NHS Kidney Care, will develop and implement […]

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BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care receives a noble introduction in Edinburgh

Delegates of the COMPASS conference, including many key figures in the supportive and palliative care community, joined the BMJ Group and Editor-in-Chief Bill Noble in Edinburgh on 14 April to celebrate the official launch of the new journal. As guests were mingling at the champagne reception, the music of the pipes drifted closer. Then in […]

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English developments in end of life care policy

End of life commissioning debate A breakfast event hosted by The King’s Fund, London covered early findings from the Fund’s ongoing research into the effective commissioning of end of life care services in England. Presentations by Rachael Addicott, King’s Fund Senior Fellow; Tom Hughes-Hallett, Chief Executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care, and Chair of the […]

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Boost for palliative care nurses in Africa

The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA) have announced a scholarship fund to support nurses’ education and training in palliative care services. The African Palliative Care Nursing Scholarship Fund will provide funding of up to $4,000 (US dollars) to cover training and costs (within Africa) over a […]

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SHORT CUTS

Articles of interest in other scholarly journals Celiac plexus block for pancreatic cancer pain in adults Arcidiacono PG, Calori G, Carrara S, McNicol ED, Testoni PA.Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011;3. CD007519. In this Cochrane review, the authors conclude that although statistical evidence is minimal for the superiority of Celiac plexus block pain relief over analgesic therapy, […]

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‘Quality’ more important than ‘quantity’ at end of life

In a Europe-wide survey released this week, the majority of respondents said that quality of life would be more important than length of time left to live if faced with a serious illness beyond treatment. The European Commission-funded project compared individuals’ priorities for end of life care across seven different countries including England, Germany, The […]

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