Comment: Generalist versus specialist palliative care – or is it both?
Adam Firth
pp 213-213
The recent 13th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) was the scene of a lively debate featuring, in the white corner, Dr Augusto Caraceni of Italy and, in the blue corner, Professor Scott Murray of Scotland. A good-natured affair, it saw these two palliative care heavyweights discussing whether the discipline should be seen predominantly as the domain of the generalist or of the specialist practitioner.
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Comment: Neuberger review – spotlight on care of the dying
Katherine E Sleeman, Fliss EM Murtagh and Barbara Gomes
pp 214-214
July saw a spotlight shine on end-of-life care in England. An independent review of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP), led by Baroness Julia Neuberger, identified areas of good practice, but also exposed serious flaws in the way this pathway has been used. The review made over 40 recommendations to improve end-of-life care, the most important of which being that the use of the LCP should be phased out.
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A tribute to Geoff Hanks, EJPC Founding Editor
Christopher Tidman
pp 215-215
I first met Geoff Hanks over 25 years ago when I was working in the pharmaceutical industry and trying to find out more about the field of palliative care. I remember feeling a little overawed at out first meeting, as it was clear that here was a man who didn’t suffer fools. So I spent the time trying hard not to look like one.
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How good is primary care at identifying patients who need palliative care? A mixed methods study
Lilin Zheng, Anne M Finucane, David Oxenham, Peter McLoughlin, Hazel McCutcheon and Scott A Murray
pp 216-222
Patients with any progressive disease may benefit from a palliative care approach in the last phase of their life. This includes patients with advanced heart, lung and kidney disease. National and international policy documents and guidelines now call for earlier identification of patients with all advanced life-threatening diseases and frail older persons.
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Time of death and presence of family at death in a UK hospice
Sam Martin, David Oliver and Jabber Hussain
pp 223-225
There are often concerns that people die at certain times of the day or night. An enduring theme is that death is more likely in the early hours; sometimes nursing staff are convinced that the majority of deaths occur on their shift, whether this is day or night. There is little evidence about time of death.
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Book review: Clinical Psycho-Oncology: An International Perspective
Maryam Rafique
pp 225-225
As the incidence of cancer has increased, so has, in parallel with improved detection and survival, the awareness of its psychosocial and emotional impact on patients and families. As health professionals, our initial encounter with those facing a cancer diagnosis can have a dramatic influence on their progress. This book tackles the common challenges in the clinical setting.
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Case study masterclass 70: A 70-year-old man experiencing a number of problems associated with Parkinson’s disease
Anna Hume
pp 226-227
George Lucas, aged 70, is a retired civil servant who lives with his wife Valerie. They enjoy looking after their garden, where they grow flowers, fruits and vegetables. George also repairs watches, which supplements his pension. Over the years, he has experienced increasing stiffness in his limbs, which he attributed to age.
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Case study masterclass 69 answers: Managing the conflicting wishes of a woman on ventilatory support and her family
Stephanie Killick
pp 228-228
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A cardiologist’s view on the palliation of congenital heart patients
Lorna Swan
pp 229-231
The story of congenital heart disease demonstrates one of the major successes of modern medicine. Over the last 50 years, the outcomes of babies born with congenital heart defects have been transformed, with over 90% who survive the neonatal period now reaching adulthood.
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Maintaining hope in emotionally distressed terminally ill patients
Steven Greer and Paul Crichton
pp 232-236
Folkman writes: ‘Few would question the critical importance of hope when facing serious and prolonged threats to psychological and physical well-being, whether our own or that of a loved one’. A systematic review has concluded that many different definitions of hope have been put forward and that there is a lack of uniformity between researchers. Rather than offer yet another definition of hope, patients in the current study were simply asked what they hoped for.
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An update on the treatment of neuropathic pain
Michael I Bennett and Karen Neoh
pp 238-241
Damage or pathological change in the peripheral or central nervous system can result in changes to normal pain transmission; clinically, this state is called neuropathic pain. These changes can be summarised as increased peripheral nociceptive activity, with excitation and reduced inhibition in the spinal cord and brain.
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Palliative care research in southern and central Africa
Liz Gwyther, Charmaine Blanchard, Eve Namisango, Faith Mwangi-Powell and Richard A Powell
pp 242-246
Southern and central Africa cover 2.69 million km2 (1.6 million sq mi) and 6.6 million km2 (4.1 million sq mi), respectively. Combined, their 59 million and 134 million inhabitants constitute 18% of the continent’s total population, distributed across 14 states.
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EAPC Early Researcher Award 2013 – reflections on winning
Meera Agar, Barbara Gomes and Jeroen Hasselaar
pp 248-250
The Early Researcher Award of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) recognises the work of novice scientists and clinicians who make an outstanding contribution to palliative care research. The 2013 Award was presented earlier this year at the 13th EAPC World Congress in Prague. The winners, Meera Agar, Barbara Gomes and Jeroen Hasselaar, summarise their trajectories and share their feelings on winning.
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Palliative Care in Long-term Care Settings for Older People: findings from an EAPC Taskforce
Elisabeth Reitinger, Katherine Froggatt, Kevin Brazil, Katharina Heimerl, Jo Hockley, Roland Kunz, Hazel Morbey, Deborah Parker and Bettina S Husebo
pp 251-253
Achanging demography across European and other developed countries is leading to an older and, in many cases, more dependent population. Consequently, the demand for long-term care is changing. This has, in turn, led to the consideration of new models of service delivery, funding and quality management in the long-term care sector.
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How to put new knowledge into practice – post-Congress tips for Prague delegates
Stein Kaasa
pp 254-255
The 13th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) in Prague is behind us. What we experienced and learned during the Congress – from experts, from submitted abstracts presented orally or as posters, and from the informal discussions with colleagues during the breaks – is now to be put into clinical practice.
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European insight: Achievements and challenges of palliative care in Norway
Georg Bollig, Jan Henrik Rosland and Bodil Husby
pp 256-259
Norway has two national palliative care associations: the multiprofessional Norwegian Palliative Association (NPF; Norsk Palliativ Forening) and the Norwegian Association for Palliative Medicine (NFPM, Norsk Forening for Palliativ Medisin), which only has physicians as members.
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