New investment in coordinated care

Source: Marie Curie Cancer Care

Follow this link for the webpage

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: Marie Curie Cancer Care is managing a new innovative Palliative Care Coordination Centre for NHS South of Tyne and Wear which aims to deliver the right end of life care to people across the area, enabling them to be cared for and die in the place of their choice.

Acknowledgement: Help the Hospices

Allied Health Professionals (AHP) QIPP Toolkits

Source: NHS Networks

Follow this link for the website

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: The Strategic Health Authority AHP Leads for England have worked with NHS London who compiled the AHP QIPP Toolkits These are designed to help commissioners design services that are of high quality whilst reducing cost.

Acknowledgement: NHS National End of Life Care Programme

Developing and testing a strategy to enhance a palliative approach and care continuity for people who have dementia: study overview and protocol

Source: BMC Palliative Care

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This project trialed a strategy intended to support a consistent, high quality, palliative approach for people with dementia drawing close to death. The strategy was to implement two communities of practice, drawn primarily from service provider organizations across care sectors, supporting them to address practice change. Communities comprised practitioners and other health professionals with a passionate commitment to dementia palliative care and the capacity to drive practice enhancement within partnering organisations.

Length of publication: 16 pages

Open to all?: Meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people nearing the end of life

Source: National Council for Palliative Care

Follow this link for news on this publication

Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: ‘Open to all? Meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people nearing the end of life’, provides a unique insight into perceptions of end of life care for the 22,000 LGB&T people who die each year. Many LGB&T people do not feel that end of life care services are open to them and are concerned that they will face discrimination and a lack of understanding from health and social care providers when they are dying. The report highlights that older LGB&T people may face particular problems, especially if they have not felt able to be open about their identity previously.

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

‘That’s part of everybody’s job’: the perspectives of health care staff in England and New Zealand on the meaning and remit of palliative care

Source: Palliative Medicine v.26(3) p.232-241

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article aims to explore understandings of, and perceived roles in relation to, palliative care provision amongst generalist and specialist health care providers in England and New Zealand.

Length of publication: 10 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

Cultural considerations in planning palliative and end of life care

Source: Palliative Medicine v.26(3) p195-6

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article examines the  cultural dimensions of palliative care and considers that in the future, cultural factors are going to play just as strong a part in shaping end-of-life care around the world as will policies, professional ideologies and service configurations. Putting culture at the centre of palliative care will be a key determinant of efficacy and sustainability.

Length of publication: 2 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

Critical success factors that enable individuals to die in their preferred place of death

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the full report

Date of publication: February 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Based on contributions from end of life care commissioners and providers of services within seven Primary Care Trusts, the report is intended as a starting point to help those commissioning and planning services to see what has worked well in other areas.

The factors that are considered critical are (not ranked):

• Strong commissioning and clinical leadership
• Use of nationally recognised drivers that attract payment – LES and CQUINs
• Flexible budgets and care packages
• Use of nationally recognised tools or their local equivalent – ACP, GSF, LCP, PPC, ADAs and CHC Fast Track Pathway
• Shared electronic information systems
• Clearly defined access to 24 hour cover
• Development of care homes
• Use of facilitator roles and co-ordination of care across boundaries
• Training to support staff delivering end of life care.

Length of publication: 88p.

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

A global update on the development of palliative care services

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

Follow this link for fulltext

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

Follow this link for fulltext

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.

Evaluating Program Integration and the Rise in Collaboration: Case study of a palliative care network

Source: Journal of Palliative Care, Winter 2011, 27, (4), p.270 -279

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: Winter 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article focuses on an attempt to build capacity to deliver palliative care in an integrated way across a range of communities in Ontario, Canada.  The objective was to achieve an effective integrated system that was cost-effective and responsive to patient’s needs.  14 communities were involved and overall the approach appears to be beneficial.  Change has been gradual and structural issues continue to be a challenge.

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. 

An exploration of palliative care provision in Scottish care homes

British Journal of Nursing vol. 21(1) p 8 – 15

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of Publication:  January 2012

Publication Type: Article

In a nutshell: This paper explores the suggestion that there is an imbalance between the ideal and the actual palliative care provision for some older people living and dying in care homes in Scotland. Successive studies demonstrate that care home residents are increasingly frail and disabled. Many experience challenging physical and psychosocial symptoms which could benefit from a palliative approach to alleviate suffering and promote comfort. However, palliative needs for people with non-malignant conditions, such as dementia, can be complex, and not easily identified or managed.

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

Update for EoLC modelling tools: Functional Analysis

Source: National End of Life Care Intelligence Network

Follow this link for the updated materials on EoLC modelling tools.

Date of publication: January 2012

Publication Type: Website

In a nutshell: Functional analysis is:

• a methodology for competence-based workforce design and associated education
• based on the direct relationship between functions (what needs to be done), the context in which it is done (e.g. high risk, or very predictable) and the skill level required to provide a quality service.

The output from the functional analysis undertaken for National End of Life Care Programme is made up of a series of workbooks which describe:

• the workforce skills required to ensure individuals receive quality care in their last year of life, using nationally recognised and standardised statements of function or competence
• the level of skill required at each stage of the end of life care pathway

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

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.

Follow this link for abstract.  

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

A narrative literature review of the evidence regarding the economic impact of avoidable hospitalizations amongst palliative care patients in the UK

Source:  Progress in Palliative Care, 19, (6), p291-298.

Follow this link for abstract.   

 Date of publication:  November 2011

Publication type:  article

In a nutshell:  This article provides a narrative review of evidence relating to the potential economic impact of reducing avoidable admissions among palliative care patients in the UK.  A search for evidence on the economic consequences of avoidable hospital admissions among palliative care patients was conducted, and five studies met the inclusion criteria.  The limited evidence showed that avoidable readmission rates are high. The full economic consequences of reducing readmissions however, has not been addressed.  The authors call for more evidence with a focus on the economic implications for community care versus acute care.

Length of publication:  8 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