Decision-making about palliative sedation for patients with cancer: a qualitative study in five European countries linked to the Palliative sedation project.

Background: Palliative sedation refers to the proportional use of titrated medication which reduces consciousness with the aim of relieving refractory suffering related to physical and psychological symptoms and/or existential distress near the end of life. Palliative sedation is intended to be an end of life option that enables healthcare professionals to provide good patient care but there remains controversy on how it is used. Little is known about decision-making processes regarding this procedure.

Death Café conversations: evaluating the educational potential for university students in palliative care teaching.

Background: Discussing death, particularly among future healthcare professionals, remains a challenge. The "Death Café" initiative offers a relaxed setting for such conversations, and this study investigates its educational potential for medical students.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of "Death Café" as an educational tool for medical students in palliative care, and to understand students' perceptions and reflections on death and end-of-life topics post-participation.

The state of transience, and its influence on the wish to die of advanced disease patients: insights from a qualitative phenomenological study.

Background: The experience of Wish to Die is common in patients living with Advanced Disease. It has been studied worldwide and qualitative studies have contributed to the understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon of the WTD but a deeper understanding on the individual's views is still needed. The objective of this study was to identify common characteristics of the experience of wish to die in advanced disease.

Core Palliative Care Research Competencies Framework for Palliative Care Clinicians.

Understanding the principles and practice of research by health care professionals helps to improve the evidence base for palliative care practice and service delivery. Research is a core competency in palliative care that enables the identification and addressing of problems for patients and their families, establishes best practice and improves ways to manage pain, other symptoms, and concerns. This work was undertaken in the research for all palliative care clinicians (RESPACC) Erasmus+ project.

Monitoring the clinical practice of palliative sedation (PALSED) in patients with advanced cancer: an international, multicentre, non-experimental prospective observational study protocol.

Background: Palliative sedation involves the intentional lowering of consciousness at the end of life. It can be initiated to relieve a patient's burden caused by refractory symptoms at the end of life. The impact of palliative sedation needs to be clinically monitored to adjust the proper dose and regimen of sedative medication to ensure that patients are at ease and comfortable at the end of their lives.

A reflection on the essence of gratitude in palliative care: healing in severe disease and professional affirmation through accompanying patients until the end.

Background: Gratitude has sparked interest in the world of health. It is considered as a personality characteristic or as an emotion. However, little has been explored in the context of the interpersonal relationship of caring.

WhatsApp as a facilitator of expressions of gratitude for palliative care professionals.

Introduction: Family members significantly value the professional and humane support that medical teams provide in the process of caring for patients with advanced diseases. Communication is currently changing, making it of interest to explore technology's possible influence on communication and on the care relationship. It remains unknown whether this can vary based on increased use of technology in patient care.

Palliative Professionals' Experiences of Receiving Gratitude: A Transformative and Protective Resource.

Providing palliative care can be both challenging and rewarding. It involves emotionally demanding work and yet research shows that burnout is lower than in other fields of health care. Spontaneous expressions of gratitude from patients and family members are not uncommon and are highly valued.

The Decision-Making Process for Palliative Sedation for Patients with Advanced Cancer-Analysis from a Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.

Background: The involvement of patients in decision making about their healthcare plans is being emphasized. In the context of palliative sedation, it is unclear how these decisions are made and who are involved in. The aim of the study is to understand how this decision-making is taken.

Undertaking Research Using Online Nominal Group Technique: Lessons from an International Study (RESPACC).

Nominal group technique (NGT) is a well-established research method for establishing consensus. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, research methods need to be adapted to engage with participants online. To determine the feasibility and acceptability of adapting NGT to an online format.

Wish to die and hasten death in palliative care: a cross-sectional study factor analysis.

Objectives: The wish to die (WTD) is a complex experience sometimes accompanied by intention to hasten death. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors for WTD and hastening death intention (HDI) in Spanish patients with advanced illness.

Methods: This is a subanalysis of a larger cross-sectional study conducted on patients experiencing advanced illness (N=201).

Adaptation and continuous learning: integrative review of coping strategies of palliative care professionals.

Background: Coping is essential to manage palliative care professionals' challenges. The focus has been on the effects of coping mechanism; however, little is known about coping itself in palliative care.

Aim: To synthesise evidence of coping strategies in palliative care professionals, and how different strategies play roles over time.

Insight and Inner Peace in Palliative Care Professionals after an Art Therapy Workshop Focused on Personal Self-Care: A Preliminary Experience.

Emotional exhaustion is a problem many palliative care (PC) professionals face during their activity. Art therapy is emotionally beneficial for palliative patients who experience suffering, but its impact on professionals' experience of suffering has not been researched. To examine the immediate reactions of professionals after an art therapy workshop focused on personal self-care, also considering previously used coping strategies.

Palliative Care Professionals' Message to Others: An Ethnographic Approach.

Introduction: Palliative care continues to be misunderstood within the world of healthcare. Palliative care professionals are key agents for promoting a greater understanding of their field. This study aims to examine the messages, both implicit and explicit, that palliative care professionals transmit about themselves and their work within their teams and to other health professionals.

Innovative teaching strategies in palliative care: Reading of a phenomenological text on the experience of living with advanced cancer.

Background: Pedagogical strategies in palliative care are diverse and mainly aimed to understand patients with advanced disease and improving their care. Phenomenological texts are stories intended to evoke lived experiences and help understand complex situations.

Aim: To determine what thoughts, experiences and feelings nursing students have when reading a phenomenological text about the experience of a person living with advanced cancer.

How to measure the effects and potential adverse events of palliative sedation? An integrative review.

Background: Palliative sedation is the monitored use of medications intended to relieve refractory suffering. The assessment of palliative sedation has been focused on the assess of the level of consciousness but a more comprehensive approach to assessment is needed.

Aim: To understand how the potential effects and possible adverse events of palliative sedation in Palliative Care patients are measured.

Clinical Aspects of Palliative Sedation in Prospective Studies. A Systematic Review.

Context: Near the end of life when patients experience refractory symptoms, palliative sedation may be considered as a last treatment. Clinical guidelines have been developed, but they are mainly based on expert opinion or retrospective chart reviews. Therefore, evidence for the clinical aspects of palliative sedation is needed.

Cross-sectional survey of the wish to die among palliative patients in Spain: one phenomenon, different experiences.

Objective: Cultural backgrounds and values have a decisive impact on the phenomenon of the wish to die (WTD), and examination of this in Mediterranean countries is in its early stages. The objectives of this study were to establish the prevalence of WTD and to characterise this phenomenon in our cultural context.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with consecutive advanced inpatients was conducted.

Palliative care in its own discourse: a focused ethnography of professional messaging in palliative care.

Background: Despite 50 years of modern palliative care (PC), a misunderstanding of its purpose persists. The original message that PC is focused on total care, helping to live until the person dies, is being replaced and linked to feelings of fear, anxiety and death, instead of compassion, support or appropriate care. Society is still afraid to speak its name, and specialized units are identified as "places of death" as opposed to "places of life" meant to treat suffering.

Proactive and systematic multidimensional needs assessment in patients with advanced cancer approaching palliative care: a study protocol.

Introduction: The benefits of palliative care rely on how healthcare professionals assess patients' needs in the initial encounter/s; crucial to the design of a personalised therapeutic plan. However, there is currently no evidence-based guideline to perform this needs assessment. We aim to design and evaluate a proactive and systematic method for the needs assessment using quality guidelines for developing complex interventions.

Student's Inventory of Professionalism (SIP): A Tool to Assess Attitudes towards Professional Development Based on Palliative Care Undergraduate Education.

: Quality medical education, centered on a patient's needs, is crucial to develop the health professionals that our society requires. Research suggests a strong contribution of palliative care education to professionalism. The aim of this study was to design and validate a self-report inventory to measure student's professional development.

Gratitude from patients and relatives in palliative care-characteristics and impact: a national survey.

Objectives: To explore the expressions of gratitude (EoG) received from patients and relatives and their influence on palliative care professionals (PCPs).

Methods: A national online survey was sent to a representative of PCPs of each service listed in the national directory of palliative care (PC) services (n=272) (ie, hospital PC support team, hospice, paediatrics, etc). The questionnaire was pilot tested with experts.

The significance of gratitude for palliative care professionals: a mixed method protocol.

Background: In palliative care (PC) patients and relatives (P/R) often show their gratitude to the healthcare professionals (HP) who care for them. HP appreciate these displays of gratitude, although the impact of the same has not been examined in detail. Publications analysed tell personal experiences in which HP say that displays of gratitude create sensations of well-being, pride and increased motivation to carry on caring.