Integrative review of dignity in end-of-life care

Palliative Medicine, July 2014, vol./is. 28/7(931-940)

Guo Q., Jacelon C.S

The aim of this review was to synthesize the meaning of dying with dignity and to identify common aspects of dignity in end-of-life care. 

Full text available in Palliative Medicine

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

Self-injury in youths who lost a parent to cancer: nationwide study of the impact of family-related and health-care-related factors

Psycho-Oncology, September 2014, vol./is. 23/9(989-97)

Bylund Grenklo T, Kreicbergs U, Valdimarsdottir UA, Nyberg T, Steineck G, Furst CJ

Self-injury, a manifestation of severe psychological distress, is increased in cancer-bereaved youths. The results of this study involving 622 youths (aged 18-26) who had lost a parent between the ages of 13 and 16 suggest that poor family cohesion before and after the loss of a parent to cancer is associated with an increased risk of self-injury in teenage children.

The volume of hydration in terminally ill cancer patients with hydration-related symptoms: a prospective study

Journal of Palliative Medicine, September 2014, vol./is. 17/9(1037-41)

Nakajima N, Takahashi Y, Ishitani K

This study aimed to clarify the effects of reducing the volume of artificial hydration, based on the Japanese guideline, in terminally ill cancer patients with hydration-related symptoms on the alleviation of various symptoms and QOL.  The results suggest that hydration-related symptoms were significantly improved after performing guideline-based AHT.

Insomnia among patients with advanced disease during admission in a Palliative Care Unit: a prospective observational study on its frequency and association with psychological, physical and environmental factors

BMC Palliative Care, 2014, vol./is. 13/(40)

Renom-Guiteras A, Planas J, Farriols C, Mojal S, Miralles R, Silvent MA, Ruiz-Ripoll AI

The authors conclude that insomnia was highly frequent and seemed to be influenced by several physical, psychological and environmental factors. They suggest that within the multimodal management of insomnia, the assessment of nocturnal rumination may be of particular interest, irrespective of emotional distress. 

Full text available in BMC Palliative Care

Exploring hope and healing in patients living with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Oncology Nursing Forum, 01 September 2014, vol./is. 41/5(497-508)

Eustache, Chloe, Jibb, Emily, Grossman, Mary

The authors used an interpretive qualitative study design involving 12 patients. Four main themes were identified: (a) the morass of shattered hope, (b) tentative steps toward a new hope paradigm, (c) reframing hope within the context of a life-threatening illness, and (d) strengthening the link between hope and wellness. They highlight the importance of understanding the fluctuating nature of hope in patients with advanced lung cancer to foster it, therefore promoting healing.

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

How to conduct research in an independent hospice: practical tips and advice

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2014, Vol/iss 21/5 (236-9)

Paul Perkins, Rebecca Day, Julie Hapeshi, Lorraine Dixon and Rudo Nyakuhwa

Hospices, as centres of excellence, have a duty to drive and initiate research if they are to provide high-quality palliative care but they do face a number of challenges. In this paper, the authors use their experience at Sue Ryder to provide some insight into how independent hospices can become active in conducting research.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

How can you prove that you are delivering good care? Monitoring the quality of palliative care using quality indicators

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2014, Vol/iss 21/5 (228-31)

Joachim Cohen and Kathleen Leemans

Measuring the quality of palliative care in a systematic and valid manner, so that the results can be used to improve care where necessary, remains a challenge. In this article, the authors argue that quality indicators specifically designed for palliative care can address this challenge and illustrate this using an indicator set recently developed in Belgium.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

A survey about patients transferred from a specialist palliative care unit to an acute hospital setting

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2014, Vol/iss 21/5 (219-21)

Trisha Castanheira and Bethany Wright

Increasingly in both malignant and non-malignant disease, palliative care is being offered alongside active therapy so the interface between acute and specialist palliative care services is likely to be less clear-cut.  In this article the authors ask if hospice patients benefit from transfers to the acute hospital and consider how to achieve a balance between curative and palliative care?  They present and discuss the results of a survey conducted at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice looking at patient transfers to the acute hospital.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care
Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

Is religion harmful or beneficial at the end of life?

European Journal of Palliative Care,  2014, Vol/iss  21/4 (188-92)

Nimisha Panchmatia

Nimisha Panchmatia has reviewed the literature in an attempt to understand the role and impact – whether positive or negative – of religion and spirituality for patients nearing the end of life.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care

Available in print in Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hoapital

Developing a complex intervention to improve advance care planning for care home residents

European Journal of Palliative Care,  2014, Vol/iss  21/4 (173-6)

Tamsin McGlinchey, Stephen Mason, Philip Saltmarsh, Maureen Gambles, Gerard Corcoran, Rebecca Bancroft and John E Ellershaw

This paper describes phase1 of a project set up in the North-West of England to develop, implement and evaluate a complex intervention aimed at improving the planning of future care for care home residents with and without mental capacity.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care

Available in print in the Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

Wake up, sleep is important! Managing sleep disturbance in patients with advanced cancer

European Journal of Palliative Care,  2014, Vol/iss  21/4 (162-5)

Gunnhild Jakobsen, Anne Kari Knudsen and Pål Klepstad

Sleep disturbance is a relatively common, but often neglected, problem in advanced cancer and should be considered as a separate issue which needs specific assessment and treatment. The authors explain how to screen for sleep disturbance in cancer patients and outline the available management options.

Full text available in European Journal of Palliative Care

Available in print in the Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

What a wish to die can mean: reasons, meanings and functions of wishes to die, reported from 30 qualitative case studies of terminally ill cancer patients in palliative care

BMC Palliative Care, 2014, vol./is. 13/(38)
Ohnsorge K; Gudat H; Rehmann-Sutter C

The objective of this study is to explore the different possible motivations and explanations of patients who express or experience a WTD.The distinction between reasons, meanings and functions allows for a more detailed understanding of the motivation for the WTD statements of cancer patients in palliative care situations. Better understanding is crucial to support patients and their relatives in end-of-life care and decision making. 

Full text available from BMC Palliative Care at ProQuest