Core competencies for palliative care social work in Europe: an EAPC White Paper – part 2

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2015 January/February, Volume 22 Number 1 (38-44)
Sean Hughes, Pam Firth and David Oliviere

The competencies framework proposed is applicable to social workers in any role but specifically delineates the advanced competencies appropriate to the specialist work required in palliative and end of life contexts.

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

Patients’ own drugs and bedside lockers: can they be of benefit in hospices?

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2015 January/February, Volume 22 Number 1 (10-13)
Stephen Ward, Max Watson and Clare White

In UK hospitals, the NHS encourages the use of patients’ own drugs (PODs) administrated directly from bedside lockers. So far, there is little evidence supporting their use in a hospice setting. The authors have evaluated a PODs locker scheme implemented at a hospice in Northern Ireland.

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

Managing cholestatic pruritus in palliative care

European Journal of Palliative Care, 2014 November/December, Volume 21 Number 6 )266-9)

Claire Magee

How much do we know about pruritus and how is it best managed in palliative care? Claire Magee sums up current knowledge and evidence, outlining key treatment recommendations for healthcare practitioners.

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

The development and evaluation of an oncological palliative care deprescribing guideline: the 'OncPal deprescribing guideline'

Supportive Care in Cancer, January 2015, vol./is. 23/1(71-8)

Lindsay J, Dooley M, Martin J, Fay M, Kearney A, Khatun M, Barras M

Current data suggests that potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) are common in palliative cancer patients; however, there is a lack of criteria to assist clinicians in identifying PIMs in these patients.  A guideline to assist in the de-escalation of inappropriate medications was developed from current literature.

Developing a best practice model for partnership practice between specialist palliative care and intellectual disability services: a mixed methods study

Palliative Medicine, December 2014, vol./is. 28/10(1213-21)

McLaughlin D, Barr O, McIlfatrick S, McConkey R

The lack of access to good quality palliative care for people with intellectual disabilities is highlighted in the international literature.  Joint working and learning between intellectual disability and specialist palliative care were seen as key and fundamental. A framework for partnership practice between both services has been developed which could have international applicability and should be explored with other services in end-of-life care.

Fulltext available in Palliative Medicine

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

The power of advance care planning in promoting hospice and out-of-hospital death in a dialysis unit

Journal of Palliative Medicine, January 2015, vol./is. 18/1(62-6)

Schmidt RJ, Weaner BB, Long D

This study found that comprehensive and systematic advance care planning among patients with ESRD on dialysis promotes greater hospice utilization and may facilitate the chance that death will occur out of hospital.

Exercise for the management of cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer: a systematic review.

European Journal of Cancer Care, January 2015, vol./is. 24/1(4-14)

Paramanandam VS, Dunn V

The role of exercise in lung cancer is not clear.   This review found that exercise is beneficial and safe in lung cancer-related fatigue but the studies are small and, without any control group, lack clinically significant effect. Thus, exercises could be used in the management of cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer, in view of the available evidence in other cancer cohorts, with due caution.

Available in the Arthur Rank House Library, Brookfields Hospital

Identifying the barriers and enablers to palliative care nurses' recognition and assessment of delirium symptoms: a qualitative study

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Nov 2014, vol. 48, no. 5 (815-830)

Hosie, Annmarie, Lobb, Elizabeth, Agar, Meera, Davidson, Patricia M., Phillips, Jane

Supporting the development of palliative care nursing delirium recognition and assessment practice requires attending to a range of barriers and enablers at the patient and family, health professional, and system levels.

Fulltext available in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

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

Do place-of-death preferences for patients receiving specialist palliative care change over time?

International Journal of Palliative Nursing, Dec 2014, vol. 21, no. 12, p. 579-583

Evans, Rebecca, Finucane, Anne, Vanhegan, Lynsey, Arnold, Elizabeth, Oxenham, David

The extent to which preferences may change is unclear so this retrospective case note review examines changes in PPD.  It found that once a clear preference is expressed, few patients changed their minds. The authors conclude that clinicians should continue to review patients whose initial preferences are unclarified so that they can be supported to die in their place of choice.

Full text available in International Journal of Palliative Nursing

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

Working toward a good life as a cancer survivor: a longitudinal study on positive health outcomes of a rehabilitation program for young adult cancer survivors

Cancer Nursing, January 2015, vol./is. 38/1(3-15)

Hauken MA, Holsen I, Fismen E, Larsen TM

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a complex rehabilitation program improved the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical capacities of young adult cancer survivors.  The authors conclude the program especially tailored for YACS seems to build positive health outcomes such as HRQOL and physical capacity in a long-term perspective.

Dying at home: a qualitative study of family carers' views of support provided by GPs community staff

British Journal of General Practice, December 2014, vol./is. 64/629(e796-803)
Seamark D, Blake S, Brearley SG, Milligan C, Thomas C, Turner M, Wang X, Payne S 

Bereaved carers in this qualitative study were interviewed to ascertain what community support made death at home possible. Family carers suggested that minimising the number of carers involved in care, increasing or ensuring personal continuity, and maximising the informational and organisational aspects of care could lead to a more positive experience.

Preferences of patients with Parkinson's disease for communication about advanced care planning

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, February 2015, vol./is. 32/1(68-77)

Tuck KK, Brod L, Nutt J, Fromme EK

Despite shortening life, Parkinson's disease (PD) is often not considered "terminal" and uncertainty exists about when to discuss end-of-life planning. A survey was sent to patients with PD assessing attitudes toward the timing and initiation of discussions regarding their disease.  It was found that preferences regarding end-of-life discussions vary.  The authors suggest that patients should be asked about their preferences for this information and offer discussion periodically.

The benefits of rehabilitation for palliative care patients

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, February 2015, vol./is. 32/1(34-43)

Barawid E, Covarrubias N, Tribuzio B, Liao S

This review article focuses on rehabilitation interventions that can be beneficial in patients with late stage illnesses. Rehabilitation may be useful in improving the quality of life by palliating function, mobility, activities of daily living, pain relief, endurance, and the psyche of a patient while helping to maintain as much independence as possible, leading to a decrease in burden on caregivers and family. Rehabilitative services are underutilized in the palliative care setting, and more research is needed to address how patients may benefit as they approach the end of their lives. 

Rehabilitation

Progress in Palliative Care, 01 December 2014, vol./is. 22/6

This a special issue of the journal, focusing on rehabilitation in palliative care and includes the following articles:

• Researching the rehabilitation needs of patients with life-limiting disease: challenges and opportunities
• An evaluation of the St Christopher's Hospice rehabilitation gym circuits classes: patient uptake, outcomes, and feedback
• Goal setting in palliative care: a structured review
• An analysis of the implementation of palliative rehabilitation in five UK hospices using the Stakeholder Salience Model
• A service evaluation of a specialist community palliative care occupational therapy service
• A physical exercise programme for palliative care patients in a clinical setting: observations and preliminary findings

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

Are exercise programs effective for improving health-related quality of life among cancer survivors? a systematic review and meta-analysis

Oncology Nursing Forum, 01 November 2014, vol./is. 41/6(0-)

Mishra, Shiraz I., Scherer, Roberta W., Snyder, Claire, Geigle, Paula, Gotay, Carolyn

  

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions on overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its domains among cancer survivors who have completed primary treatment.  Evidence presented in this review supports the inclusion of exercise programs in clinical guidelines for the management of cancer survivors who have completed treatment.

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

Perspectives of postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on adjuvant endocrine therapy-related symptoms

Oncology Nursing Forum, 01 November 2014, vol./is. 41/6(660-668)

van Londen, G. J., Donovan, Heidi S., Beckjord, Ellen B., Cardy, Alexandra L., Bovbjerg, Dana H., Davidson, Nancy E., Morse, Jennifer Q., Switzer, Galen E., Verdonck-de Leeuw, Irma M., Dew, Mary Amanda

The objective of this qualitative focus group study was to investigate women's experiences related to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) and managing AET-related symptoms.  The findings suggest multiple opportunities to better prepare patients for AET and to improve assessment and management of AET-related symptoms and so promote AET adherence in breast cancer survivors.

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

Effects of acupuncture and acupressure on cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review

Oncology Nursing Forum, 01 November 2014, vol./is. 41/6(581-592)

Ling, Wai-man, Lui, Liza Y. Y., So, Winnie K. W., Chan, Kuen

The aim of the review is to critically examine the evidence for acupuncture and acupressure in the management of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in adult patients with cancer. The authors suggest that, although the results are inconclusive, acupuncture and acupressure tend to be effective in relieving CRF, with the former producing a greater improvement. 

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