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.

Roundup: Mass. health costs may start accelerating again; Review questions Minn. HMO payment rates; Calif. lawmakers approve health care bills

After several years of moderating costs, there are signs the rate of increase in Massachusetts health care prices -- and insurance premiums -- may soon start accelerating again, exceeding a heralded cost cap set by the state last year.

5 Mar 2013

Reduced income lessens chances of at-home death

Terminally ill patients with a low median annual household income are less likely to die at home than their wealthier counterparts, according to US study results published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

26 Feb 2013

New handheld ultrasound device available from Signostics

Physicians now have access to an even faster and more accurate handheld ultrasound device, with Signostics today unveiling its new “Signos RT” model.

26 Feb 2013

Childhood cancer on the rise across the developing world

Across the developing world, childhood cancer is on the rise, and mortality is high. Once thought of as a rich world disease, cancer is a growing health threat across low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs). A major new Lancet Oncology Series by some of the world’s most eminent cancer experts outlines the biggest challenges to treating childhood cancer in developing nations and proposes strategies to improve care for children and young people.

20 Feb 2013

Collaborative home-based palliative care for heart failure successful in UK

A collaborative home-based palliative care service for patients with advanced congestive heart failure could increase their chances of dying in their place of choice, show UK study results.

14 Feb 2013

Start palliative care early for optimum results

Palliative care provided early in the ambulatory care setting varies with the trajectory of patients’ disease and is complementary to medical management, show study results.

6 Feb 2013

Applications now being accepted for ACMA’s Social Work Case Management Fellowship program

Applications are now being accepted for the American Case Management Association's (ACMA) 2013 Social Work Case Management Fellowship program.

5 Feb 2013

Over half of countries struggling to prevent and manage cancer

More than half of all countries worldwide are struggling to prevent cancer and provide treatment and chronic care to cancer patients, warns a recent World Health Organization (WHO) survey for World Cancer Day. This means, currently many of these countries do not have a functional cancer control plan that includes prevention, early detection, treatment and care. There is an urgent need to help countries to reduce cancer deaths and provide appropriate long-term treatment and care to avoid human suffering and protect countries’ social and economic development.

1 Feb 2013

Palliative care for stroke affected by age, gender, stroke type

Whether patients with stroke are referred to palliative care services depends on their age, their gender, and what type of stroke they have had, Australian study results indicate.

31 Jan 2013

AACN expands its hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) expands its hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program to a fourth region with the addition of eight Austin-area hospitals.

25 Jan 2013

Longer looks: Difficult end-of-life care discussions; Mississippi's last abortion clinic; rural docs

Precious final days for many Massachusetts residents are still not spent the way they would have chosen.

25 Jan 2013

Palliative planning reduces out-of-hours hospital admissions

Being able to access an electronic palliative care summary for patients with cancer can help doctors make decisions during out-of-hours care and reduce the chances of unplanned hospital admissions, show UK study results.

17 Jan 2013

First Edition: January 16, 2013

Today's headlines include reports examining how mental health issues play a role in efforts to curb gun violence and expand gun control efforts.

16 Jan 2013

Ethnicity influences family involvement in end-of-life decisions

Research in Singapore reveals that, as cancer patients age, their families play a larger role in their healthcare decision-making, with patients themselves becoming less involved as their condition deteriorates.

16 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: 'Class war' over Medicare funding; GOP needs courage to cut entitlements in debt fight

Failure to curb our deficits and reform unsustainable entitlement spending means passing greater debt burdens on to future generations. Democrats and Republicans have the opportunity to reverse this trend and claim credit. ... Sadly, the deal struck this week in Congress maintains the trend of $1 trillion deficits for at least another year while continuing to ensure that federal health care spending a generation from now will be untenable.

7 Jan 2013

Service integration promotes viable outpatient palliative care

Healthcare reforms that promote integration of care across treatment settings facilitate feasible and cost-effective outpatient palliative care, suggest findings from a sustainable community-based model of care.

3 Jan 2013

Poor awareness, misunderstanding hinder palliative care for heart failure

A lack of awareness among heart failure patients prevents them accessing palliative care services during the late stages of their disease, indicate US study findings.

2 Jan 2013

Study reveals modest association between presence of tumor boards and types of cancer care

There is little association of multidisciplinary tumor boards with measures of use, quality, or survival, and measuring only the presence of tumor boards may not be adequate in determining their effects on cancer care, according to a study published December 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

29 Dec 2012

Make palliative care available to Parkinson's patients

A modified version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System Scale is quick and effective at assessing patients with late-stage Parkinson's disease, and reveals that they have similar levels of symptoms as their peers with metastatic cancer, show study results from Canada.

28 Dec 2012

Roundup: Calif. Report sets 10-year health goals; Conn. hospitals plead to stop cuts; Colo. lawmaker wants state universal health care on ballot

With the state facing rising medical costs and increasing rates of chronic disease, California health leaders issued a report Wednesday setting specific health targets to meet by 2022. The state's goals include reducing smoking rates, increasing vaccinations among children and improving depression screening and treatment. The report also describes ways to improve end-of-life care, by expanding palliative care at hospitals and hospice programs at home.

20 Dec 2012