Books
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Palliative care
Expert panel urges decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide Canadian Press, Nov. 15, 2011: A long-awaited experts’ report on how Canada and Canadian families handle the end of life calls on the federal government to decriminalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. And if Ottawa won’t co-operate, the panel says provinces should go it alone, by making clear they won’t prosecute health-care professionals involved in assisted dying. Full story. When death fosters meaning
CPOP Talk, Spring 2011 * Dr. Shane Sinclair, Alberta Health Services, has studied how death and
dying impact the personal lives and practices of palliative and
hospice-case professionals. Dr. Sinclair collected interview and
observation data from 30 leaders and clinicians and concluded that,
"Although Western society has been described as a 'death-denying'
culture, the participants felt that their frequent exposure to death and
dying was largely positive, fostering meaning in the present and
curiosity about the continuity of life."
Source: Sinclair, Shane (2011), Impact of death and dying on the personal lives and practices of palliative and hospice care professionals. CMAJ, Feb 8, 2011; 183 (2), 180-187. Abstract: www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/183/2/180. European guidelines
The development of evidence- based European guidelines on the management of depression in palliative cancer care. European Journal of Cancer
Volume 47, Issue 5, March 2011, Pages 702-712 “This is the first comprehensive, evidence-based guideline on managing depression in palliative care. It has the potential to improve patient outcomes by enabling clinicians to access and implement evidence-based knowledge quickly and easily.” – excerpt Establishing priorities
CPOP Talk, November 2010 - Researchers across Canada recently conducted a survey of 363 patients
with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer and 193 family caregivers to
help establish priorities for end-of-life care. Patients identified
several areas that needed improvement, among them assessment and
treatment of emotional problems. Family members identified similar
problems and also wanted to be able to discuss with the doctor the final
location of care and the use of end-of-life technology. The authors
concluded that better psychological and spiritual support would improve
end-of-life care, as would better care planning and better relationships
with doctors, particularly in regards to communication and making
decisions. (Click here for the abstract.)
Ranking countries on end-of-life care
CPOP Talk, Summer 2010 - The
Economist Intelligence Unit has assessed 40 countries’ end-of-life care, cost
and quality, which includes measures of public awareness of end-of-life care,
training availability, access to painkillers, and doctor-patient transparency.
The rankings, published July 14, 2010, show the UK
in the top spot, followed by Australia,
New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium. Canada ranks ninth, in a
tie with the US. Key findings: changing perceptions of death will improve
palliative care; public debates about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide
raise awareness and may lead to more funding for end-of-life care, but have no
appreciable effect on the terminally ill; doctors and nurses are not
sufficiently trained in administering opioids.
Source: www.lifebeforedeath.com/pdf/QOD_Global_Press_Release.pdf |
Recent research
A psychological profile of middle-age cancer patients' terminal experience in hospice home care BMJ Support Palliat Care 2011;1:102 Self-perceived burden to family in terminally ill cancer patients at palliative care unit in Japan: perspectives of patients BMJ Support Palliat Care 2011;1:102-103 |
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