Point-of-care ultrasound in palliative medicine residency programs: report of a national survey and local workshop.

Purpose: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is used in various clinical specialties to improve diagnostic and procedural accuracy and has many potential applications in palliative care. However, it is unclear what is the current state of training and use of POCUS in palliative care in Canada. Our objectives were to understand the current state of training and use of POCUS in Canadian Palliative Medicine subspecialty residency programs and to develop and implement a local training workshop for POCUS in palliative care.

Care Coordination Between Family Physicians and Palliative Care Physicians for Patients With Cancer: Results of a Quality Improvement Initiative.

Purpose: At our institution's cancer palliative care (PC) clinic, new referrals from oncologists were scheduled for consultation and ongoing follow-up by PC physicians without input from the patients' family physicians (FPs). FPs reported that they felt out of the loop. We implemented a quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed at systematically facilitating care coordination between FPs and PC physicians.

Measuring prognostic awareness in patients with advanced cancer: a scoping review and interpretive synthesis of the impact of hope.

Background: Assessment of prognostic awareness (PA) in patients with advanced cancer is challenging because patient responses often indicate their hopes. The objectives of this scoping review were to summarize studies that measured PA in patients with advanced cancer and to synthesize data about how PA was measured and whether hope was incorporated into the measurement.

Methods: MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched from inception to December 14, 2021.

Telehealth palliative care interventions for patients with advanced cancer: a scoping review.

Purpose: Telehealth allows patients to maintain contact with healthcare providers without necessitating travel, and is becoming increasingly utilized. The purpose of this study is to describe the components of telehealth palliative care interventions for patients with advanced cancer before the COVID-19 pandemic; identify any intervention components associated with improvements in outcomes; and evaluate reporting of interventions.

Methods: This scoping review was registered on the Open Science Framework.

Interventions to improve outcomes for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: Family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often have poor quality of life (QOL) and mental health. We examined the effectiveness of interventions offering support for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer on caregiver QOL and mental health outcomes.

Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from inception through June 2021.

Public interest in medical assistance in dying and palliative care.

Objectives: Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) is legal in an increasing number of countries, but there are concerns that its availability may compromise access to palliative care. We assessed public interest in MAiD, palliative care, both, or neither, and examined characteristics associated with this interest.

Methods: We surveyed a representative sample of the adult Canadian public, accessed through a panel from May to June 2019.

Public knowledge and attitudes concerning palliative care.

Objective: WHO recommends early integration of palliative care alongside usual care to improve quality of life, although misunderstanding of palliative care may impede this. We compared the public's perceived and actual knowledge of palliative care, and examined the relationship of this knowledge to attitudes concerning palliative care.

Methods: We analysed data from a survey of a representative sample of the Canadian public, accessed through a survey panel in May-June 2019.

Impact of a Longitudinal Intervention to Improve Care Coordination between a Hospital and a Hospice: A Quality Improvement Project.

Objectives: When patients with advanced cancer transition from systemic cancer treatments at MNJ Institute of Oncology to palliative and end-of-life care at a separate stand-alone non-governmental organisation-run hospice facility, there is insufficient transfer of health information, including details of cancer diagnosis and staging, past treatments, imaging reports and goals for future care. Without this information, the hospice care team is not adequately prepared to receive and deliver high-quality palliative care for these patients. This project aims to improve the care coordination between the hospital and hospice.

Phase II Trial of Symptom Screening With Targeted Early Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Background: Routine early palliative care (EPC) improves quality of life (QoL) for patients with advanced cancer, but it may not be necessary for all patients. We assessed the feasibility of Symptom screening with Targeted Early Palliative care (STEP) in a phase II trial.

Methods: Patients with advanced cancer were recruited from medical oncology clinics.

Models of Integration of Specialized Palliative Care with Oncology.

Evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses has shown that early integration of specialized palliative care improves symptoms and quality of life for patients with advanced cancer. There are various models of early integration, which may be classified based on setting of care and method of palliative care referral. Most successful randomized controlled trials of early palliative care have used a model of specialized teams providing in-person palliative care in free-standing or embedded outpatient clinics.

Timing of Palliative Care Referral Before and After Evidence from Trials Supporting Early Palliative Care.

Background: Evidence from randomized controlled trials has demonstrated benefits in quality of life outcomes from early palliative care concurrent with standard oncology care in patients with advanced cancer. We hypothesized that there would be earlier referral to outpatient palliative care at a comprehensive cancer center following this evidence.

Materials And Methods: Administrative databases were reviewed for two cohorts of patients: the pre-evidence cohort was seen in outpatient palliative care between June and November 2006, and the post-evidence cohort was seen between June and November 2015.

Impact of Medical Assistance in Dying on palliative care: A qualitative study.

Background: Medical Assistance in Dying comprises interventions that can be provided by medical practitioners to cause death of a person at their request if they meet predefined criteria. In June 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying became legal in Canada, sparking intense debate in the palliative care community.

Aim: This study aims to explore the experience of frontline palliative care providers about the impact of Medical Assistance in Dying on palliative care practice.