QIPP End of Life Care Event Report: Great Practice showcase

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell:  Showcasing best practice, this event brought together End of Life Care commissioners, End of Life Care education leads, service managers and clinical practitioners to share learning about the tools available to deliver the QIPP challenge in this sector.  Key learning is summarised and there is an overview of the presentations and links to case studies and marketplace exhibitors.

Length of publication: 15 pages

Communication diary to aid care at the end of life

Source: Nursing Times, 2012, 108, (17), p.24-27

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This articles describes an action-research study which aimed to develop and test the “Relatives’/carers’ diary” tool from the Liverpool Care pathway.  The tool is aimed at reducing communication barriers between patient’s families or carers and healthcare staff in order to enable relatives to be able to participate usefully in end of life care and for healthcare staff to respond quickly to concerns or issues about all elements of care including pain management, quality of care.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Length of publication: 4 pages

Committed to carers: Supporting carers of people at the end of life

Source: Marie Curie Cancer Care

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Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: This comprehensive report includes chapters on:

• the support provided by Marie Curie
• the impact on carers of caring for someone who is dying
• access to information and advice – including financial support
• place of care and place of death – home, hospice or hospital and achieving preferred place of death
• bereavement – including practical things and bereavement support
• summary and recommendations.

Length of publication: 24 pages

End of life care training for paramedics in west Essex

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Case Study

In a nutshell: A hospice run training programme in Romford on end of life care  for paramedics has resulted in a reduction in avoidable hospitalizations. The training sessions cover subjects such as just in case boxes, medication, syringe drivers, GSF, LCP, PPC and general trouble-shooting.  One outcome has been an improvement in partnership working within the community teams.  Additionally, a booklet containing examples of best practice and examples of end of life care scenarios has been produced and is now carried by all paramedics in Romford.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

Bereaved family members’ assessments of the quality of end-of-life care: what is important?

Source:  Journal of Palliative Care, 01 December 2011, 27, (4), p.261-269

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Date of publication: December 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: Using qualitative interview data, this study identifies what is important to families of patients who have received end of life care.  The study indicates that care-givers need to distinguish between :

•           perceived substantive or tangible features of received care

•           interpretations of the causes and symbolic meanings of that care

•           personal and affective outcomes

The authors encourage

•           practitioners to develop understanding of how their behaviours are interpreted by families

•           organisations to support improvements in practice and decision making at all levels in order to facilitate better experiences for patients and families.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement: Cinahl

A global update on the development of palliative care services

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, October 2011, 17, (10), p.472-476

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This editorial commentary on worldwide progress in hospice and palliative care service provision focusses on progress made and ongoing issues which were highlighted in a recent study published by the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance.  Issues include the impact of national policies, increased clarification of palliative care terms and definitions, and initiatives raising public awareness, as well as funding and access to palliative care services.

Results show that there’s been a marked increase in the number of countries providing hospice and palliative care services.  The article explores some of the key factors behind the progress made and focuses on advocacy and policy developments.

Length of publication: 5 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library. 

Acknowledgement: BNI

An electronic resource to support staff providing end of life care

Source: Nursing Standard, November 2011, 26, (12), p.41-46

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Date of publication: November 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: The End of Life Care Strategy challenges care providers to develop effective care in all settings.  Each care setting faces different challenges. One acute NHS trust decided to focus on the specific challenges of identifying and diagnosing dying patients in order to provide appropriate palliative care. They developed an electronic resource tool to aid prognostication and provide a single point of reference to help practitioners to improve end of life care for patients in the hospital setting.  This article reports on the results of a six-month pilot.

Length of publication: 6 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

The benefits of interdisciplinary practice in a palliative care setting: A music therapy and physiotherapy pilot project

Source:  Progress in Palliative Care, 19, (6), p.304-308.

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Date of publication:  November 2011

Publication type:  article

In a nutshell:  This article discusses a combined music-therapy and physiotherapy project designed to improve symptoms experienced by terminally ill inpatients.  The project used the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and De Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI)  prior to the start of the project and again at the end.

With the exception of shortness of breath, results from the ESAS indicated all symptoms on the scale improved as a result of group participation and mobility, as measured by the DEMMI, either maintained or improved.

The overall conclusions are that this project was beneficial for patients with terminal illness and further research is required.

Length of publication:  5 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement:  EMBASE

Quick guide to identifying patients for supportive and palliative care

Source:  Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Camden & NHS Islington

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Resource

In a nutshell:  Produced in response to requests from GPs,  this quick guide to identifying patients for supportive and palliative care has been developed by Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Camden and NHS Islington.  4 refs.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Development of a communication prompt by East Lancashire Hospice

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type:  Case Study

In a nutshell:  In a collaborative project, East Lancashire Hospice and the community team from NHS Blackburn with Darwen used an NHS Innovations grant to create, pilot and evaluate a ‘Think about it’ communications prompt.  The prompt is designed to help professionals to enable and support patients to have advance care planning discussions.  The project has recieved positive feedback.

Preferences for end of life: views of hospice patients, family carers, and community nurse specialists

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2011, 17(5) p.251-5

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Date of publication: May 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article describes a qualitative study which was undertaken with the objective of identifying issues around discussing and recording preferences on place of death from the perspective of hospice patients, carers, and hospice community nurses. A sample was selected from three hospices in south east England consisting of six community nurse specialists, five patients, five carers, and five bereaved carers. The differing issues and views are described in detail along with suggestions for improving outcomes for patients and their families and carers.

Length of publication: 5 pages

Some important notes:  An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online. Follow this link to register for Athens.

Acknowledgement: BNI

Introducing clinical psychology support into community palliative care.

Source: European J Palliative Care, 2011, 18, (4),p. 195-7

Contact your local NHS library to obtain this article.

Date of publication: July 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  This article reviews the role of clinical psychologists in providing psychology support in community palliative care in Tower Hamlets, east London. How the psychology support service was developed and the role played by clinical psychologists in the multidisciplinary team that provides community palliative care is discussed.  

Length of publication: 3 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI, Cinahl.

What are patients’ priorities when facing the end of life? A critical review.

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2011,17 (6), p.294-300

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Date of publication: June 2011

Publication type: Review, Article

In a nutshell:  The objective of this critical review was to investigate what patients’ priorities are when facing the end of life. A methodical and explicit search was made of academic databases to identify key articles. These articles were then critically appraised and the data was extracted and anylsed using an appropriate methodology. Findings showed that patients wanted:

• to understand and accept their changing health status

• to retain some normality in life

• to be supported by friends and family

• to know they will be taken care of after the death

• good and trusting relationships with health professionals.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes:

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI

A framework for the best end of life care planning

Source: Nursing & Residential Care, 2011, 13(3) p.137-40

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Date of publication: March 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  The National End of Life Care Programme has published a guide to improving the care of dying people in care homes.  This article, aimed at care home managers, discusses how it can help them to optimize end of life care in their homes. It advocates a six-step pathway, provides illustrative case studies, information about quality markers, suggestions for staff training and finally, it provides sources of further information.

Length of publication: 4 pages

Some important notes: An NHS Athens password is required to access this article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI