End of Life Resources

End of Life Resources

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Welcome to the End-of-Life Resources page; a library of information meant to assist physicians, caregivers, and patients find the information they need to better carry out end-of-life care.  Can't find what you're looking for?  Check back in soon becuse we are adding resources daily to continue populating the end-of-life resource categories. 

You may use the categories below to browse topics and resources or use the "Search EOLR" function on the left sidebar. 

Palliative Care — A Shifting Paradigm The New England Journal of Medicine
This editorial by Diane Meier, M.D. and Amy Kelley, M.D., M.S.H.S. gives a very in-depth definition of palliative care, how...
# 003 Syndrome of Imminent Death, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Background:  Virtually all dying patients go through a stereotypical pattern of symptoms and signs in the days prior to...
# 013 Determining Prognosis in Advanced Cancer, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Background:  How long do I have, Doc? is among the most common questions asked by cancer patients, especially when...
# 014 Palliative Chemotherapy, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Introduction:  One often hears the term palliative chemotherapy, but what exactly does it mean and how can a non-...
# 023 Discussing DNR Orders-Part 1, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Background:  ‘Code status’ discussions with seriously ill patients should always take place in the context...
# 024 Discussing DNR Orders-Part 2, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Introduction:  The basic steps in the DNR discussion for seriously ill hospitalized patients were described In Fast...
# 066 Radiation for Palliation - Part 1, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Background:  Radiation therapy (XRT) is used with palliative intent to improve quality of life by improving function...
# 067 Radiation for Palliation - Part 2, 2nd ed Medical College of Wisconsin (EPERC)
Background:  Fast Fact #66 discussed the physiology and methods of delivering radiation therapy (XRT). This Fast...
#230 Using Non-Invasive Ventilation at the End of Life. Medical College of Wisconsin
Background:  Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV, often called ‘BiPAP’) is commonly used in...
A Palliative Prognostic Score for Terminally Ill Children and Adolescents With Cancer (PDF Attached) Pediatric Blood and Cancer
Background: The loss of a child is considered the hardest moment in a parent’s life. Studies addressing length of...
A Surgeon's Blog: The Microcosm
The following is a blog posting from Jeffry Parks MD, a general surgeon from Cleveland, OH.  It's a case about an...
Audio Podcast: Patients Choose Complementary and Alternative Medicine
This is an audio podcast from Hospice Palliative Care Insights, a monthly palliative care podcast based in Canada.  In...
Chemotherapy at the end of life
The following is a Blog entry from Drew Rosielle MD, posted on Pallimed. It's an interesting reflection on an article from...
Churning: The Association between Health Care Transitions and Feeding Tube Insertion for Nursing Home Residents with Advanced Cognitive Impairment Journal of Palliative Medicine
Abstract:  There is a tenfold variation across U.S. states in the prevalence of feeding tube use among elderly nursing...
Depression in palliative care settings: The need for training for nurses and other health professionals to improve patients' pathways to care. Journal: Nursing Education Today
In my current nursing education at NYU we talk a lot about depression in the older adult, the close relationship it has with...
Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer The New England Journal of Medicine
This recent article from the New England Journal of Medicine was the basis for the August 20, 2010 article in the New...
Hard Choice for a Comfortable Death: Sedation The New York Times
This is an interesting article on terminal sedation (part of a series) that was featured on the front page of the New York...
Implementing advance care planning: a qualitative study of community nurses' views and experiences BMC Palliative Care
Abstract:  Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of discussion about goals of care and a means of setting on record...
Many Doctors Still Focus More On Cure Than Managing Pain Website: NPR
This is a brief article from NPR that talks about how palliative care is being integrated into hospitals and accepted...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) management in palliative care units and hospices in Germany: a nationwide survey on patient isolation policies and quality of life. Journal: Palliative Medicine
 This article brings up an interesting conversation about treatment strategy in a palliative care setting.  MRSA...
Nurses Spearheading Innovative Hospice and Palliative Care Programs
Nurses play such an important role in the palliative care process providing font line day-to-day care.   This care is...
Palliative Care Extends Life, Study Finds The New York Times: Health
In a study that sheds new light on the effects of end-of-life care, doctors have found that patients with terminal lung...
Provision of palliative care for chronic heart failure inpatients: how much do we need? BMC Palliative Care
This resource is a research abstract from BMC Palliative Care on palliative care intervention for patients with chronic...
Referring a Patient and Family to High-Quality Palliative Care at the Close of Life Journal of the American Medical Association
The following is a JAMA article abstract:  "Palliative care services are increasingly available to primary care...
Rethinking Guidelines for the use of Palliative Sedation The Hastings Center Report
The use of  continuous palliative sedation to unconsciousness rests on a consensus that leads quickly to controversy....
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies by Patients with Advanced Cancer and Pain in a Hospice Setting: A Multi-centered, Descriptive Study Journal of Palliative Medicine
Author Manuscript:  Our group recently completed the largest randomized controlled trial to date of massage therapy,...
Transition to adult services for children and young people with palliative care needs: a systematic review Journal: Disease in Childhood
This article from the "Archives of Disease in Childhood" is unable to provide any concrete review of the evidence...
Vital Decisions
Vital Decisions is a health care consulting group focused on helping patients and families better understand and communicate...