Literature Review

[Taiwan] Spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients and next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care: A quantitative and qualitative approachPalliative and Supportive Care; Er-Jung Hsueh, Shu-Chun Tsai, Jun-Hung Lai, Chi-Yu Lu, Tsai-Wei Huang, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama; 4/25Terminal cancer patients often endure significant distress, impacting their quality of life. Spiritual well-being provides peace and meaning during this challenging period. This mixed-methods study included 30 terminally ill patients and 17 next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care. Spiritual well-being was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and symptom distress with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Patients showed a significant improvement in spiritual well-being over time, ... [and] symptoms such as shortness of breath ... , drowsiness ... , and anxiety ... were negatively associated with spiritual well-being. Caregiver spiritual well-being positively influenced patient scores, especially with female caregivers ... Qualitative findings supported these results, revealing themes of spiritual adjustment, the impact of physical symptoms on spiritual well-being, and the crucial role of caregivers in providing emotional and spiritual support.

[Australia] Overtreatment of older people near end of life: A qualitative scoping review of modalities, drivers, and solutionsOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Samantha Fien, Emily Plunkett, Daniel Wadsworth, Magnolia Cardona; 4/24This study aimed to understand the drivers better to help minimise further risks of overtreatment for older people near the end of life (dysthanasia). Determinants included healthcare system factors, patient-centered care, family and caregiver, and clinician perspectives. This review confirms that despite almost two decades of recognition of the potential harms of overtreatment near the end of life, society, patients, and health systems have a role to play in reducing and addressing the determinants. We offer a range of solutions for clinicians, health service managers, and members of the public to consider.

[Australia] New study amplifies rural voices to improve palliative care at end-of-life NewsWise; by University of South Australia; 5/13/25  ... [A] new study from the University of South Australia is shining a light on the experiences of rural South Australians who are navigating end-of-life care, in the hope of improving access to palliative care services and supports in rural and country areas. ... “People living outside of major cities are notoriously under-supported and underserviced when it comes to health care – and palliative care is no different,” Associate Professor Gunn says. “More than seven million Australians, almost 30% of the population, live in rural communities, yet only 16% of the palliative care workforce live and work in these areas. “Research tells us that earlier referral to palliative care services gives patients and families more control, helping them maximise their quality and quantity of life. Yet patients living in country or rural areas have less opportunity to receive specialist palliative care, and this can negatively affect their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their family members."Editor's note: Sound familiar? Click here for "Rural Hospice and Palliative Care - Resources," from the Rural Health Information Hub. 

[United Kingdom] Assisted dying bill: further protections for nurses proposed Nursing Times, London, UK; by Edd Church, source Roger Harris, House of Commons; 5/7/25 No nurse who declines to aid in assisted dying procedures will be at risk of “any detriment” to their careers under a new amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the MP behind the draft legislation has claimed. Kim Leadbeater, MP for Spen Valley, announced earlier this week that she would be proposing to extend the “opt-out” provisions in her bill for healthcare workers who work in settings where assisted dying may take place. Ms. Leadbeater said, in a statement released this week, that she understood that “not all people working in and around” healthcare would want to participate in the provision of assisted dying. "Nobody will be at risk of any detriment to their careers if, for any reason at all, they chose not to take part." The bill currently already states that healthcare professionals can conscientiously object to taking part and that employers “must not” subject employees to detriment for exercising this right.

[France] Deputies approve bill creating Right to Assisted Dying Time.News; 5/3/25 Is the right to die a fundamental human right, or a risky step towards devaluing life? France is grappling with this profound question as a new bill edges closer to legalizing aid in dying. the implications could ripple far beyond French borders, influencing the debate in the United States and around the world. The bill, initially presented by President Emmanuel Macron in March 2024, faced delays due to the dissolution of the National Assembly. Now,revived and championed by Prime Minister François Bayrou,the executive text has been divided into two separate legal proposals. One focuses on enhancing palliative care, while the other addresses aid in dying.

[Taiwan] Palliative care with negative pressure wound therapy application in malignant wounds: a systematic reviewJournal of Wound Care; Xiao-Feng Yao, Yen-Jen Wang, Yang-Sheng Lin; 4/25Of 765 articles screened, 14 eligible studies were included in the review. The location of the hard-to-heal wounds was widely distributed: five wounds on the scalp; three wounds over the anogenital area; and the remaining wounds on the trunk and extremities. The reported outcomes included: improvement of wound healing; decreased exudation and malodour of the wound; decreased pain sensation; eligibility for further treatment; and a shift to the homecare system. The findings of this study suggested NPWT [negative pressure wound therapy] could be a choice in palliative care for patients with malignant wounds. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of NPWT in these wounds.

Two palliative care pioneers share their essential qualities for nurse leadershipehospice; 4/22/25“Four thousand miles apart, and prior to the establishment of the launch of the Global Palliative Nursing Network (GPNN), living very separate, parallel lives, Yangden Paki and Halima Ibrahim share many of the key qualities required to enable them as nurses to introduce, establish and grow palliative care provision in their respective countries – Bhutan and Sudan.

[Brazil] Music therapy in modulating pain in palliative care patients: A systematic review and meta-analysisBritish Journal of Music Therapy; Suellen Fernanda Pinheiro Hammuod, Fernada Gonzalez Santos, Lidiane da Costa Fonseca, Elaine Kakuta, Renata Verão Brito, Karolayne Silva Souza, Eduardo Henrique Loreti; 3/25 Music therapy is an intervention that uses music for therapeutic purposes, helping to preserve mental, physical, and emotional health. Its use in the care of terminally ill patients can assist in managing pain, fatigue, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression. This study aimed to analyze the effects of music therapy on pain in individuals receiving palliative care. Music therapy showed effectiveness in improving pain in patients receiving palliative care ... The effectiveness of music therapy on QoL remains debatable.

[Australia] Effectiveness of grief camps in supporting bereaved individuals: A systematic reviewOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Jingyi Chi, Karolina Krysinska, Karl Andriessen; 3/25Experiencing the death of a loved one is a stressful and disruptive event that can have short-term and long-term detrimental effects on the grief, mental health, and social functioning of the bereaved individuals. Grief camps represent a relatively novel form of support. Narrative synthesis of the study findings indicated a positive impact of grief camps on the grief and psychosocial functioning of bereaved individuals, and participants’ feedback indicated that grief camps are an acceptable intervention. Further research in various locations and across different age groups may broaden our understanding of the effects of grief camps.

German doctor charged with murdering 15 patients Time.News; Press Release; 4/16/25 ... The accusations against the unnamed 40-year-old doctor are disturbing: administering lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients without their knowledge. This raises unsettling questions about the boundaries of medical ethics and the role of healthcare professionals in the lives—and deaths—of their patients. Between September 2021 and July 2024, the doctor allegedly unmasked a hidden danger, killing 12 women and three men, some as young as 25 and others as old as 94. Prosecutors have warned that the total may rise as investigations deepen, with additional exhumations of suspicious deaths planned. ... What makes this case even more sinister is the alleged attempts by the doctor to conceal his actions—setting fire to his patients’ homes to destroy evidence. 

[Canada] Care utilization patterns among patients dying with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseCanadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine; Aleisha Fernandes, Shuaib Hafid, Anastasia Gayowsky, Tetyana Kendzerska, Aaron Jones, Erin Gallagher, Colleen Webber, James Downar, Sophie Corriveau, Douglas G. Manuel, Sunita Mulpuru, David Da Silva-Krul, Amy Hsu, Peter Tanuseputro, Sarina R. Isenberg, Michelle Howard; 3/25Despite primary care providing majority of outpatient care, inpatient utilization is higher amongst patients who are notaccessing PC [palliative care]. These patients are also more likely to die in an acute setting. This study provides insight into the proportion of care patients are being provided from different specialties as well as the distribution of end-of-life outcomes amongst these patterns of care. Future research will benefit from exploring the association between these different patterns and end-of-life outcomes to identify the most optimal care pattern for improving end-of-life outcomes for patients with ACOPD [advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

[Spain] SECPAL and AETSyS will promote the recognition of social workers as health professionals The Spanish Association of Social Work and Health (AETSyS) and the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (SECPAL); Press Release; 4/4/25The Spanish Association of Social Work and Health (AETSyS) and the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (SECPAL) have announced the signing of a collaboration agreement to promote the recognition of social workers as healthcare professionals in the National Health System (SNS), highlighting their "essential role" in the field of palliative care and in all dimensions of healthcare. ... "We social workers have been working in healthcare for a long time. We are part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of 'health', which integrates the biological, psychological and social. We complete this definition within the teams, addressing the social dimension of health," explained the president of AETSyS, Miguela Arévalo García-Gasco. ... [The] vice-president of Social Work at SECPAL, Alejandro González Peña, ... has stressed that the figure of the social worker in palliative care teams is "indispensable" for providing comprehensive, quality care, ... Editor's note: Further access to this Spanish press release is limited. The title's link goes to a February post, for which you may be able to translate to English via your computer or mobile device.

[France] Supportive care needs of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A systematic mixed study reviewCancer Care Research Online; Baudry, Valentine MS; Bertrand, Amandine MD; Bottichio, Margaux MS; Escot, Noémie MS; Despax, Johanna PhD; Girodet, Magali PhD; Christophe, Véronique PhD; 4/25This literature review shows that CAYA [childhood, adolescent, and young adult] cancer survivors still have SCN [supportive care needs] long after the end of treatment, which is specific to the challenges they face at these developmental stages and may evolve over time. Survivors still report needs related to information, medical care, psychology, sexuality, fertility, and age-specific care. Social life, finance, work, and education needs were also present, but at a lower scale. Future research should clarify these links, to explore the evolution of needs over time, to distinguish specific CAYA subgroups, to examine time since diagnosis or completion of treatment, and to better specify the SCN of child survivors to present relevant results.