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.

ESMO Congress provides forum for presentation of new research on treatment of cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for more than one in ten deaths. By 2030, the global burden is expected to exceed 12 million.

9 Aug 2010

More ERs examine how to incorporate palliative care, change 'culture of care'

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog reports on increased discussions about palliative care following a recent New Yorker piece by M.D.-journalist Atul Gawande and a new piece in Slate that examines end-of-life care and the emergency room.

7 Aug 2010

Progenics announces EMA CHMP positive opinion for RELISTOR in pre-filled syringes

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency, has issued a positive opinion for RELISTOR (methylnaltrexone bromide) subcutaneous injection in pre-filled syringes.

7 Aug 2010

NICE publishes new guideline to help improve care, treatment for patients with CUP

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published a new guideline which should help to improve care for thousands of patients with advanced cancer that has spread from an unknown primary location.

28 Jul 2010

Role of spirituality, spiritual care in palliative care

Relationships hold the key to giving terminally ill patients the spiritual care they need. However, researchers have pinpointed a mismatch between patients' expectations and understanding when it comes to spirituality, and what medical and family caregivers offer. New recommendations to improve this situation appear today, in the journal Palliative Medicine, published by SAGE.

23 Jul 2010

Securing universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support

The biennial meeting of the global AIDS community concluded today with clear evidence of tangible progress in HIV research and programme scale up, yet facing an urgent need for increased resources, the protection of human rights, and broader use of scientifically sound prevention strategies. Delegates and organizers depart Vienna - where the conference opened 18 July under the theme of Rights Here, Right Now -- with a renewed commitment to push for securing universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support.

23 Jul 2010

IPC signs agreement with UCSF to develop leadership training program for physician managers

IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc., a leading national hospitalist physician group practice company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the University of California, San Francisco Division of Hospital Medicine and its Center for the Health Professions to develop a leadership training program for dozens of IPC's key physician managers.

23 Jul 2010

VCU Medical Center ranked in 2010-2011 Best Hospitals

The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center on Thursday was ranked in the 2010-2011 Best Hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report, making it one of 152 medical centers nationwide selected out of nearly 2,000 eligible institutions.

16 Jul 2010

No valid, adequate criteria for certifying an illness as terminal: Study

Physicians that have to decide whether an illness is terminal think that "there are not valid and adequate criteria for certifying that an illness is terminal". This is the conclusion drawn from a pioneer study conducted at the University of Granada, and recently published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (IJCHP).

14 Jul 2010

Emotions play important role when certifying patients' terminal stage: Research

A research conducted at the University of Granada revealed that emotions play an important role when health professionals have to certify that a patient is in terminal stage. To the purpose of this research, a qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of 42 participants. Participants were thoroughly interviewed, with the aim of analyzing the approach and language employed by health professionals treating terminally-ill patients.

13 Jul 2010

Strategies to prevent HACs, reduce cost of care, improve patient experience discussed at QUEST National Meeting

As healthcare providers prepare for the implications of reform, the more than 200 hospitals participating in the QUEST: High Performing Hospitals collaborative are already achieving the goals of improving patient care and reducing costs.

13 Jul 2010

OICR, CCO announce $6 million in funding for Health Services Research Program projects

Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), and Dr. Terrence Sullivan, President and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), announce $6 million in funding for projects in the Health Services Research Program (HSRP). The HSRP, conducted jointly between the OICR and CCO, will improve the delivery of cancer care throughout the province.

12 Jul 2010

Study looks at the effects of Schwartz Center Rounds program on caregivers

Caregivers who participated in a program where attendees discuss medical cases that were complex for psychosocial and emotional reasons were more likely to be attentive to the psychosocial and emotional aspects of patient care. The program also enhanced their beliefs about the importance of empathy.

8 Jul 2010

More awareness about advance care planning, and hospice and palliative care

Recent media coverage on the challenges patients and families face with overtreatment of a life-limiting illness brings the issues of hospice and palliative care and advance care planning to public attention.

30 Jun 2010

Hospice care falls as more Americans spend final days in hospitals; Milwaukee hospital reports success with treatment guidelines

The Associated Press: "Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies. More than 80 percent of people who die in the United States have a long, progressive illness such as cancer, heart failure or Alzheimer's disease."

29 Jun 2010

VA secretary breaks ground for new 1.5 million-square-foot medical center in New Orleans

Fulfilling President Obama's commitment to rebuild New Orleans, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki joined state and local officials for a ground-breaking ceremony for a new 1.5 million-square-foot medical center for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

28 Jun 2010

Cancer Research UK launches new cutting-edge research centre at Imperial

A new cutting-edge cancer centre dedicated to robotic surgery, cancer imaging and drug discovery is launched today, putting London at the forefront of cancer research.

24 Jun 2010

Gary Coleman's death highlights importance of end-of-life decisions

Actor Gary Coleman's death is highlighting the importance of who makes your end-of-life decisions and is drawing attention to the fact that having a "living will" does not always guarantee that your wishes will be carried out, CNN reports.

18 Jun 2010

VA Federal Supply Schedule Service approves CTT as vendor for Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment

Competitive Technologies, Inc. announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs' Federal Supply Schedule Service has accepted CTT's application to be an approved vendor for its Calmare® Pain Therapy Treatment. This decision will enable CTT to sell Calmare Pain Therapy to physicians throughout the Federal government, with the expectation of significant sales in that market sector, which includes the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Prisons, and State Veteran Homes.

15 Jun 2010

Inadequate treatment strategies make cancer patients suffer unnecessarily: Survey

Further results from the European Survey of Breakthrough Cancer Pain were presented for the first time today at the 6th Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care in Glasgow.

11 Jun 2010

Palliative Care News and Research

Further Reading

ESMO Congress provides forum for presentation of new research on treatment of cancer

More ERs examine how to incorporate palliative care, change 'culture of care'

Progenics announces EMA CHMP positive opinion for RELISTOR in pre-filled syringes

NICE publishes new guideline to help improve care, treatment for patients with CUP

Role of spirituality, spiritual care in palliative care

Securing universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support

IPC signs agreement with UCSF to develop leadership training program for physician managers

VCU Medical Center ranked in 2010-2011 Best Hospitals

No valid, adequate criteria for certifying an illness as terminal: Study

Emotions play important role when certifying patients' terminal stage: Research

Strategies to prevent HACs, reduce cost of care, improve patient experience discussed at QUEST National Meeting

OICR, CCO announce $6 million in funding for Health Services Research Program projects

Study looks at the effects of Schwartz Center Rounds program on caregivers

More awareness about advance care planning, and hospice and palliative care

Hospice care falls as more Americans spend final days in hospitals; Milwaukee hospital reports success with treatment guidelines

VA secretary breaks ground for new 1.5 million-square-foot medical center in New Orleans

Cancer Research UK launches new cutting-edge research centre at Imperial

Gary Coleman's death highlights importance of end-of-life decisions

VA Federal Supply Schedule Service approves CTT as vendor for Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment

Inadequate treatment strategies make cancer patients suffer unnecessarily: Survey

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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