Palliative Care News and Research

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Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

New HIVMA guidelines recommend screening everyone with HIV for chronic pain

Because ongoing pain is a significant problem that affects 39 to 85 percent of people living with HIV, everyone with the infection should be assessed for chronic pain, recommend guidelines released by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

14 Sep 2017

VUMC and Bayer agree on strategic research alliance to develop new therapies for kidney diseases

Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Bayer have agreed on a five-year strategic research alliance to evaluate new drug candidates for the treatment of kidney diseases, with the goal of accelerating the translation of innovative approaches from the laboratory to pre-clinical development.

12 Sep 2017

Study identifies late effects that may interfere with work status of young adult cancer survivors

Factors that limit the work ability of young adult cancer survivors are reported today at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid.

11 Sep 2017

Shedding new light on hospice care: No need to wait for the ‘brink of death’

A few weeks ago, Kathy Brandt's 86-year-old mother was hospitalized in Florida after a fall. After rushing to her side, Brandt asked for a consult with a palliative care nurse.

7 Sep 2017

Special program enables nurses to better prepare for providing palliative care

Critical care nurses at five University of California medical centers are better prepared to lead primary palliative care at the bedside after participating in a special training and mentoring program.

5 Sep 2017

Review: Palliative care makes progress only in small subset of countries in Africa

Palliative care has increased in Africa over the past 12 years but only in a small subset of countries, according to a review published today in Lancet Oncology.

1 Sep 2017

New study finds lack of adherence to lifesaving treatment among breast cancer patients on opioids

A new study has found a troubling lack of adherence to a potentially lifesaving treatment regimen among breast cancer patients who take opioids to manage their pain.

1 Sep 2017

Comprehensive program takes patient care to next level by improving lives of women with ovarian cancer

The Southeast's first comprehensive cancer treatment program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham takes patient care to the next level by improving the lives of women affected by or at risk for ovarian cancer.

31 Aug 2017

Study: Tired family caregivers linked to greater ER visits, higher health care costs for disabled elders

Emergency room staff call it a "pop drop" - when a disabled older person comes in for medical attention, but it seems like the person who takes care of them at home is also seeking a break from the demands of caregiving.

24 Aug 2017

Dying at home in an opioid crisis: Hospices grapple with stolen meds

Nothing seemed to help the patient — and hospice staff didn't know why. They sent home more painkillers for weeks. But the elderly woman, who had severe dementia and incurable breast cancer, kept calling out in pain.

22 Aug 2017

Despite advance directive, dementia patient denied last wish, says spouse

Bill Harris is blunt: For more than a year, he has been trying to help his wife die. The 75-year-old retired tech worker says it's his duty to Nora Harris, his spouse of nearly four decades, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2009.

21 Aug 2017

End-of-life advice: More than 500,000 chat on Medicare’s dime

The 90-year-old woman in the San Diego-area nursing home was quite clear, said Dr. Karl Steinberg. She didn't want aggressive measures to prolong her life. If her heart stopped, she didn't want CPR.

14 Aug 2017

Study shows poor survival of advanced cancer patients with delirium in emergency departments

According to a new study published in The Oncologist, patients with advanced cancer who are diagnosed with delirium when turning up in emergency departments are more likely to be admitted to hospital and more likely to die earlier than patients without delirium.

2 Aug 2017

Researchers discover potential chemical 'silver bullet' to reduce risk of colon cancer

In preclinical experiments, researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center have uncovered a new way in which colon cancer develops, as well as a potential "silver bullet" for preventing and treating it.

26 Jul 2017

Older adults receive more caregiver support at the end of life

Dying adults in the United States have 2.5 people assisting them, on average, according to a new study. Yet those caring for adults at the end-of-life, especially spouses, are likely to report that they have no one assisting them and no time for themselves.

11 Jul 2017

Nurse-led intervention helps carers with medication management for people with terminal cancer

A study funded by Marie Curie and Dimbleby Cancer Care published today shows the potential benefits of a new nurse-led intervention in supporting carers to manage pain medication in people with terminal cancer.

7 Jul 2017

Opioid prescribing practices update from CDC

According to the latest Vital Signs reports issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of prescriptions containing an opioid was at its highest in 2010 and since then has decreased every year until 2015. The numbers are still high says the report and the variations are also noticeable between counties.

6 Jul 2017

Opioid use disorder rises with little being done to curb the menace says new study

A new study has found that more and more Americans are being diagnosed with opioid addiction and the numbers that receive treatment are still very few. This finding is consistent with earlier findings from Blue Cross Blue Shield when analyzing member data.

29 Jun 2017

New study uncovers low rates of palliative care referral in patients with end-stage liver disease

A new study has uncovered low rates of referral for palliative care in US patients with end-stage liver disease, although rates have been slowly increasing over time.