Palliative care triggers in progressive neurodegenerative conditions: An evaluation using a multi-centre retrospective case record review and principal component analysis.

Background: The use of specific triggers has been suggested to help identify patients with progressive neurological disease who would benefit from palliative care.

Aim: This study aimed to improve the evidence base for the use of triggers for patients with progressive neurological disease.

Design: An evaluation of palliative care services was undertaken using a retrospective case note review of the timing and presence of triggers in the last 2 years of life.

The complex relationship between household income of family caregivers, access to palliative care services and place of death: A national household population survey.

Background: Previous work shows that more affluent patients with cancer are more likely to die at home, whereas those dying from non-cancer conditions are more likely to die in hospital. Family caregivers are an important factor in determining place of death.

Aim: To investigate associations between family caregivers' household income, patients' access to specialist palliative care and place of patients' death, by level of personal end-of-life care.

Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

Background: Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family's needs would help ensure appropriate support.

A systematic review of the compression regimes used in randomised clinical trials following endovenous ablation.

Objectives There is insufficient evidence to inform guidelines on the optimal compression strategy following ablation for varicose veins. This study aimed to identify the practice of key opinion leaders performing randomised clinical trials involving endovenous ablation. Method A systematic review of MEDLINE/EMBASE/CENTRAL was performed identifying the compression strategies used in randomised clinical trials where at least one comparator arm underwent endovenous ablation.

The Adaptation, Face, and Content Validation of a Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease for People with Interstitial Lung Disease.

Background: Irrreversible interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Palliative care needs of patients and caregivers are not routinely assessed; there is no tool to identify needs and triage support in clinical practice.

Objective: The study objective was to adapt and face/content validate a palliative needs assessment tool for people with ILD.

Construction of therapeutically relevant human prostate epithelial fate map by utilising miRNA and mRNA microarray expression data.

Background: Objective identification of key miRNAs from transcriptomic data is difficult owing to the inherent inconsistencies within miRNA target-prediction algorithms and the promiscuous nature of miRNA-mRNA target relationship.

Methods: An integrated database of miRNAs and their 'relevant' mRNA targets was generated from validated miRNA and mRNA microarray data sets generated from patient-derived prostate epithelial normal and cancer stem-like cells (SCs) and committed basal (CB) cells. The effect of miR-542-5p inhibition was studied to provide proof-of-principle for database utility.

"It's not all doom and gloom": perceptions of medical students talking to hospice patients.

Background: End-of-life care has become a priority in medical education internationally. A previous study of hospice patients and staff regarding medical students teaching in a hospice showed positive responses from patients and hospice staff. However concern was expressed by some staff regarding medical students' welfare, contributing to gatekeeping by professionals.