Comment: Palliative care research in Africa – time to clarify the agenda and build up capacity
Lukas Radbruch
pp 160-161
Palliative care is not a research-friendly environment. A common attitude is that time spent on research is time not spent on patient care.
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Palliative care research in Africa: an overview
Richard A Powell, Richard Harding, Eve Namisango, Elly Katabira, Liz Gwyther, Lukas Radbruch, Scott A Murray, Maged El-Ansary, Ike Oluwapo Ajayi and Faith Mwangi-Powell
pp 162-167
Africa, the world’s second largest continent, covers 30.2 million km2 (11.7 million sq mi) or 20% of the global land area. Its estimated 1,072 million inhabitants, amounting to 15.2% of the world’s total population, are distributed across five regions and 54 fully recognised states.
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Assisted dying – the current debate in the Netherlands
Carlo Leget
pp 168-171
In the Netherlands, although assisted dying has been discussed for more than 40 years and physician-assisted dying was legalised in 2002, the subject is still a matter of public debate.
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Book review: WHO Guidelines on Persisting Pain in Children
Dilini Rajapakse
pp 171-171
The WHO Guidelines on Persisting Pain in Children offer a comprehensive package incorporating user-friendly resources for healthcare professionals, medication regulatory authorities, healthcare commissioning bodies and policy-makers, as well as tools to facilitate pain education, assessment and management.
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Case study masterclass 69: Managing the conflicting wishes of a woman on ventilatory support and her family
Stephanie Killick
pp 172-173
Janet is an essentially well 52-year-old woman. She is married to Terry and they have three adult children. Five years ago, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
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Case study masterclass 68 answers: Managing the swallowing difficulties of a elderly man with dementia
Natalie Griffin
pp 174-174
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The End of Life Care Quality Assessment (ELCQuA) tool: a free online resource for health- and social care professionals
Elaine Owen, Julia Chisnell and Katie Lindsey
pp 175-177
Quality is an important focus for every organisation involved in end-of-life care. Whether commissioning or providing services, organisations need to be able to measure progress in delivering care, demonstrate this in a systematic way and share best practice.
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Palliative care consultation is associated with changes in patients’ goals of care
Paul Bascom
pp 178-181
Discussing goals of care with patients and families is a cornerstone of the palliative care consultation. In the USA, early in the development of palliative care as an area of clinical expertise, leaders in the field established the broad domains of the palliative care consultation.
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Mapping service provision – a snapshot of palliative care in Catalonia
Jose Espinosa, Sara Ela, Elba Beas, Cristina Lasmarias, Marisa Martinez-Muñoz and Xavier Gómez-Batiste
pp 182-187
Most developed countries are striving to incorporate palliative care into their healthcare services. However, the diversity of models of care and services means that there are multiple definitions of palliative care structures and processes. Unifying the criteria and indicators used for service evaluation is crucial.
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Book review: Drugs in Palliative Care, 2nd edn
Clare Rayment
pp 187-187
This pocket reference book, now in its second edition, is a valuable guide to using palliative care drugs in clinical practice.
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How community pharmacists could improve their role as providers of medicines information
Marion Bennie, Emma Dunlop Corcoran, Janet Trundle, Carolyn Mackay and Gazala Akram
pp 188-191
The role of the specialist pharmacist is increasingly recognised within the palliative care team.1 In Glasgow, in partnership with the local NHS board, Macmillan Cancer Support has funded four part-time Macmillan pharmacist facilitator posts.
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Use of a bereavement risk assessment checklist in an Icelandic hospital
Svandis Iris Halfdanardottir, Gudlaug Helga Asgeirsdottir, Ingibjörg Hreidarsdottir, Asdis Ingvarsdottir, Elisabet Petursdottir and Kristin Johanna Thorbergsdottir
pp 192-195
There are many factors influencing people’s response to the loss of a loved one, including previous experience of death and bereavement, social circumstances, age, relationship to the deceased and personality. Each death – and each bereaved person – is unique and the need for support therefore varies.
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Quality assessment in palliative care – an overview
Manuel Luís Vila Capelas, Maria Nabal Vicuna and Fernando Coelho Rosa
pp 196-198
Achieving the goals of palliative care and their high standards involves the use of several tools in a systematic process, which includes outcomes assessment and quality improvement.1Quality end-of-life care maximises the chances of achieving the best possible patient outcomes.
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Considering the role of social work in palliative care: reflections from the literature
Jacqueline H Watts
pp 199-201
Social work is integral to the professional practice of the multidisciplinary palliative care team, both in hospice and hospital settings. Alongside nursing, medicine and a range of other clinical and complementary therapies, social work provides practical and psychosocial support to those coming to the end of their lives.
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European insight: Palliative and hospice care on the right track in Ukraine
Vasyl Knyazevych, Anatoliy Tsarenko and Olexandra Bratsyun
pp 202-205
One of the most acute demographic problems in Ukraine is an extremely high mortality. Between 2006 and 2012, the annual mortality rate was more than 15 deaths per 1,000 population; that is, over 700,000 people per year. The analysis of medical records shows that about 5% of Ukrainians die in hospitals, where they receive specialised medical care and pain relief, whereas approximately 85% die at home.
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