Palliative care topics
This section contains the following palliative care information:
Communication skills in palliative care
Clinical practice guidelines for communicating prognosis and end-of-life issues with adults in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness, and their caregivers (2007)
Prognostic and end-of-life communication is a vital skill for health care professionals caring for patients with progressive life-limiting illnesses, and their families. Expert opinion varies, and high-quality evidence on how best to discuss these issues with such patients and their caregivers is limited. These guidelines were developed to address these issues. The guidelines were developed through the following methods:
- systematic literature review of the best available evidence on discussion of prognosis and end-of-life issues.
- review of previous relevant guidelines and expert opinions in the literature.
- refining of draft guidelines by an expert advisory panel.
Clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care of adults with cancer (2003)
The Clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care of adults with cancer have been developed by the National Breast Cancer Centre and the National Cancer Control Initiative in response to this need. A multidisciplinary Steering Group with representatives from various cancer areas was established to oversee the development of the Guidelines. The group used the original psychosocial guidelines for women with breast cancer as a template for the expansion of information, and further development of recommendations regarding clinical care of all adult patients with cancer.
Communication skills training initiative
Here you will view the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) Communication Skills Training Initiative. There are some great resources on this page.
Breaking bad news: Evidence from the literature and recommended steps
This literature review forms part of a communication skills training module presented in a professionally facilitated and interactive workshop.
Communication Skills: Useful links
The Pam McLean Cancer Communication Centre
Australian organisation providing communication skills training workshops for cancer health professionals
Cognitive Institute
Private provider of communication skills training to healthcare professionals in Australia
Cancer Learning
Website funded by Cancer Australia for cancer health professionals providing links to resources and educational activities related to psychosocial care in cancer
Psycho-oncology Cooperative Research Group (PoCoG)
This group aims to improve the outcomes of patients experiencing a diagnosis of cancer, their families and carers through evaluation and implementation of psychosocial and supportive interventions
Australian Psychosocial Oncology Society (AusPOS)
AusPOS aims to promote the psychosocial care of patients with cancer, their families and carers; to enhance the capacity of health professionals to deliver optimal psychosocial care; and to promote the timely translation of research into clinical practice.
End of life care: Standards & policy documents
Palliative Care Australia. (2010). Health System Reform and Care at the End of life: A Guidance Document. Canberra, Palliative Care Australia
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Department of Health UK. (2010). End of Life Care Strategy: Second Annual Report.
This report details the progress made in improving standards of end-of-life care in England over the past year. It covers:
- meeting challenges of end-of-life care
- death, dying and society
- the end-of-life care pathway
- care in different settings
- support for carers and families
- the end-of-life care workforce
- measurement & research in end-of-life care
- Making change happen
End-of-life care pathways
There are several end of life pathways currently in use internationally. The Liverpool Care of the Dying Patient Pathway (LCP) is one example.
The LCP is an integrated care pathway that is used at the bedside to drive up sustained quality of the dying in the last hours and days of life. It is a means to transfer the best quality for care of the dying from the hospice movement into other clinical areas, so that wherever the person is dying there can be an equitable model of care. The LCP has been implemented into hospitals, care homes, in the individuals own home / community and into the hospice.
Guidance on end of life care
The UK General Medical Council has launched a new Guidance on end of life care document to come into practice from 1 July 2010. This replaces the 2002 document. The Guidance includes some useful decision making tools.
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