BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care

OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK. Prehabilitation aims to maximise patient fitness and minimise the negative impact of anticancer treatment. What constitutes prehabilitation before non-surgical anticancer treatment is not well established. We present data from a pilot project of Early prehabilitation In lung Cancer. METHODS: All new patients with likely advanced lung cancer were offered prehabilitation at respiratory clinic, if fit for further investigation...

BACKGROUND: Performing clinical trials in palliative cancer care is known to be challenging. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how patients with advanced cancer experienced their participation in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial while receiving palliative cancer care at end of life. METHOD: A descriptive design with a qualitative approach was used. 14 patients who had participated in the 'Palliative-D' study were interviewed. Data were analysed using content analysis...

OBJECTIVES: This study examines trends in advance care planning (ACP) awareness, engagement, attitude and experiences among the public in British Columbia (BC), Canada, from 2012 to 2020. This time period is of relevance as it includes provincial education initiatives. We also explored demographic characteristics associated with lower ACP awareness and engagement, to inform future initiatives. METHODS: Longitudinal data from two provincial polls in 2016 and 2020, along with BC-specific data extracted from a national poll in 2012, were analysed to investigate ACP awareness, engagement and attitudes...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Social media with real-time content and a wide-reaching user network opens up more possibilities for palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) researchers who have begun to embrace it as a complementary research tool. This review aims to identify the uses of social media in PEoLC studies and to examine the ethical considerations and data collection approaches raised by this research approach. METHODS: Nine online databases were searched for PEoLC research using social media published before December 2022...

BACKGROUND: Precise prognostic information, if available, is very helpful for guiding treatment decisions and resource allocation in patients with non-cancer non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence, examining prognostic models and factors for identifying end-of-life non-cancer NCD patients. METHODS: Electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsychINFO and other sources, were searched from the inception of these databases up until June 2023...

OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition is associated with poor quality of life and survival outcomes for patients with cancer, but is challenging to prevent or treat in pancreatic cancer due to the multifactorial drivers of nutritional decline. A novel application of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with a jejunal extension tube to deliver supplementary nutrition may improve outcomes, and will be tested in a randomised controlled trial. This study explored the perspectives of people living with pancreatic cancer regarding the acceptability of this proposed intensive nutrition intervention, to elucidate appropriateness and anticipated barriers, and facilitate informed design of the planned trial...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether baseline or alteration in muscle mass affects complications during chemotherapy or overall survival (OS) in haematological malignancies. METHODS: Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) was evaluated by bioimpedance analysis before and after chemotherapy in patients with haematological malignancies, and the association between muscle mass and clinical data was retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: Exactly 104 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 62...

OBJECTIVES: Interventions for patients with death rattle remain under consideration, and their families strongly acknowledge the need for improved care. However, few reports exist concerning specific and comprehensive nursing practices for them. This study aimed to clarify nursing practices for patients with death rattle and their families in hospital wards and examine each practice's importance. METHODS: We used a modified Delphi method with expert nurses with extensive experience in end-of-life care...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Nurses play a unique and critical role in palliative care, and it is noteworthy that nurses often encounter ethical dilemmas in this field. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to conduct a summarised synthesis of the latest research on the ethical considerations nurses faced in palliative care. METHODS: We conducted a rigorous systematic review of relevant existing studies published in high-quality English peer-reviewed journals from January 2017 to July 2023...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate pain management adequacy based on the Pain Management Index (PMI), and its association with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) in advanced cancer inpatients to a palliative care unit. METHODS: This is a quantitative study concerning advanced cancer inpatients in a specialised palliative care unit between June 2021 and February 2022. The BPI was applied, and analgesia was observed on the first (D1), third (D3) and seventh (D7) day of hospitalisation...

OBJECTIVES: As workload increases, surgical care for patients with bone metastases is increasingly decentralised, with a shift in management away from primary bone tumour units to local centres. We must ensure that patients have similar outcomes regardless of where they receive their treatment. The aim was to develop and validate a set of quality outcome indicators (QOIs) to evaluate treatment success for patients undergoing surgery for bone metastases. METHODS: Outcome recommendations were adapted from the literature and field tested in a retrospective patient cohort to determine feasibility...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a scoping review to explore the evidence of the process of do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decision-making. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search and review of articles from 1 January 2013 to 6 April 2023 within eight databases. Through multi-disciplinary discussions and content analytical techniques, data were mapped onto a conceptual framework to report the data. RESULTS: Search results (n=66 207) were screened by paired reviewers and 58 papers were included in the review...

The scope of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is promising, and AI has the potential to revolutionise the field of palliative care services also. Consumer satisfaction in palliative care is a critical aspect of providing high-quality end-of-life support. It encompasses various elements that contribute to a positive experience for both patients and their families. AI-based tools and technologies can help in early identification of the beneficiaries, reduce the cost, improve the quality of care and satisfaction to the patients with chronic life-limiting illnesses...

BACKGROUND: Social homecare workers provide essential care to those living at home at the end of life. In the context of a service experiencing difficulties in attracting and retaining staff, we have limited knowledge about the training, support needs and experiences of this group. AIM: To gain a timely understanding from the international literature of the experience, training and support needs of homecare workers providing end-of-life care. METHODS: We conducted a rapid review and narrative synthesis using the recommendations of the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group...