The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Palliative/End of Life' Category

Nonpharmacological strategies for breathlessness

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Breathlessness (aka dyspnea) is difficult to manage in palliative care.

Researchers in the UK reviewed and ranked the most effective nonpharmacological strategies. (more…)

Is there benefit from acupuncture in palliative care?

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, compared acupuncture to nurse-led supportive care in patients with incurable cancer. (more…)

Spirituality as a guide to care in advanced cancer

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Patients with advanced cancer frequently use CAM.

Researchers at the University of Toronto, in Canada, examined the use of CAM and implications for patient care. (more…)

Growth through caregiving

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

The conventional view of family caregivers highlights their burdens.

Researchers from Singapore found that caregivers may also find “meaning and enrichment in their caregiving journey.” (more…)

Starting palliative care earlier in lung cancer patients

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer have substantial symptoms and may receive aggressive care at the end of life.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, report improvement with earlier initiation of palliative care. (more…)

Effect of religious faith on decisions by doctor providing end-of-life care

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

Researchers at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, in the UK compared the relationship between religious faith and controversial decisions during care of dying patients. (more…)

Review of music therapy for end-of-life care

Monday, February 14th, 2011

This Cochrane review examined the effects of music therapy on end-of-life care. (more…)

Discussing end-of-life issues with patients

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Many people believe it “increases the patients’ emotional distress.”

To the contrary, researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston report, “such conversations can actually lead to improved quality of life — both for patients and their loved ones.” (more…)

Beneficial health effects of care giving

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Medical News Today reports on this study in the journal, Psychological Science.

Apparently, “older people who spent at least 14 hours a week taking care of a disabled spouse lived longer than others” who spent less time or no time, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. (more…)

Advanced care planning: Accounting for changing perspectives

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

GeriPal is rethinking advanced care planning (ACP).

Rather than focusing on making prespecified decisions, ACP should help patients and their families make the best possible in-the-moment decisions. (more…)

What’s the difference between palliative and hospice care?

Friday, June 11th, 2010

Gabriela Kaplan is an oncology clinical nurse specialist at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She specializes in end-of-life care.

Here’s just a small part of her Medscape interview. (more…)

Predicting doctors who refer to palliative care

Monday, October 26th, 2009

PalliativeCareResearchers from the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, in West Haven tell us, “Outpatient palliative care can provide significant benefits to seriously ill patients, but several barriers to appropriate referrals remain.”

Will grandma’s doctor consider outpatient palliative care for her? (more…)

CAM options to treat pain at the end of life

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Of the many symptoms experienced by those at the end of life, pain is one of the most common, feared, and often undertreated,

Dr. Perry Fine from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City reviews the treatment options, including CAM. Here’s a summary. (more…)

Massage therapy for cancer palliative care

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

 Massage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation.

And, Prof. Ernst says “the evidence is encouraging. (more…)

Michigan voters say OK to medical marijuana

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Another result from Tuesday’s US election — 63% of voters in Michigan approved of letting people who are ill grow their own pot. (more…)

Have you discovered Pallimed.org?

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

 The authors review current palliative medicine, hospice, and end-of-life research. (more…)

Music to manage anxiety during palliative care

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

 Researchers from the Calvary Health Care Bethlehem in Melbourne, Australia studied the effectiveness of a single music therapy session in reducing anxiety among terminally ill patients. (more…)

Comparing benefits of massage vs touch in cancer patients

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

 Small studies suggest that massage therapy may relieve pain and other symptoms.

Here are results from a large study. (more…)

Learning to apply spirituality to end-of-life care

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Two white physicians simply sat for a time and respectfully and attentively conversed about end-of-life care with 23 terminally ill Black patients at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta Georgia. Almost every patient willingly brought up spirituality.

In their article based on this experience they conclude that to understand and show respect for patients’ spiritual views in the context of the patient doctor relationship are keys to providing excellent palliative care.

Here are some quotes from their experience.

(more…)

CAM in hospice care

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

If the state of Washington is any indication, CAM therapies play a significant role in hospice care.

Survey results presented during the North American Research Conference on Complementary & Integrative Medicine reveal that more than a dozen different CAM therapies are offered through hospice care in Washington, with massage, music therapy, and energy healing used most often.

(more…)