Palliative medicine
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The undergraduate education of health professionals has legitimately broad but ultimately conflicting aims. There is a need to reformulate how professionals work, think and learn, and for this analysis to inform undergraduate programmes. Palliative care is not strongly placed politically to influence these developments, yet the contribution it can make is enormous, through allowing students the opportunity to experience what it does and to reflect on that experience.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1996
Letter Case Reports5HT3 receptor antagonists and pruritus due to cholestasis.
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Three contrasting views are presented in three short papers: that a short period of oncology training should be mandatory for trainees in palliative medicine; that many disciplines are important in palliative medicine and training programmes should be tailored to the needs of individuals while recognizing that there will always need to be close cooperation between oncology and palliative medicine; and that a short period of training in palliative medicine should be mandatory for those wishing to pursue a career in oncology.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1996
A population-based study of the coverage of cancer patients by hospice services.
The aims were to determine the proportion of terminal cancer patients in South Australia who had involvement with a programme of hospice care, to identify the predictors of hospice involvement, and to consider the influence of hospice services, along with other variables, on the place of death. A file of patients of the State's hospice services who died in 1990 was compiled and linked to the population-based Central Cancer Register. We found that 1561 (56%) of the 2800 cancer patients who died in 1990 had care from a hospice service. ⋯ We conclude that there has been a rapid acceptance of hospice care in South Australia, with a majority of the target population of cancer patients covered by services. Epidemiological research methods are useful for identifying gaps in the provision of care, and for determining the impact of various factors on where people die. This research is, therefore, important for the formulation and evaluation of policy for the delivery of terminal care.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 1995
Dying from cancer: results of a national population-based investigation.
To describe the quality of care received in the last year of life by people who die from cancer, focusing particularly on symptom control, communication with health professionals, and care in the community. ⋯ There is still some way to go before all dying cancer patients receive high quality care. Education in the principles of palliative care is needed at all levels of the NHS if high standards are to be reached. In addition, adequate resources are required to meet the social and health care needs of cancer patients at home. There is, as yet, no room for complacency about the care of dying cancer patients.