Midazolam Indications and Dosing in Palliative Medicine: Results from a Multinational Survey.

Despite sparse evidence and limited guidance on indications, use, and dosing, midazolam is widely used in palliative care. We aimed to describe and compare the use of midazolam in three different countries to improve clinical practice in palliative care. We performed an online survey among palliative care physicians in Norway, Denmark, and the United Kingdom (UK). The focus was indications, dosing, administration, and concomitant drugs. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to members of the respective national palliative medicine associations. The total response rate was 9.4%. Practices in the UK, Norway, and Denmark were overall similar regarding the indications of midazolam for anxiety, dyspnoea, and pain treatment in combination with opioids. However, physicians in the UK used a higher starting dose for anxiety, dyspnoea, and pain treatment compared to Norway and Denmark, as well as a higher maximum dose. Danish physicians preferred, to a higher degree, on-demand midazolam administration. Despite practice similarities in the UK, Norway, and Denmark, differences exist for midazolam dosing and administration in palliative medicine. We demonstrated a lack of consensus on how midazolam should be used in palliative care, setting the stage for future studies on the topic.

The Genesis of Multidisciplinary Health Professionals Teams for Pain Management. A History from the Hellenic Antiquity to Modern Palliative Medicine.

The aim of our article is to highlight the history of pain management. The multidisciplinary team (MDT) concept in confronting pain was first conceptualized by the Hippocratics, and has evolved through time and become a trend in medicine over recent decades. Documentary research was conducted to unveil the story of the evolution of MDTs. From the early 1950's the idea of an MDT approach to deal with various types of pain was sporadically introduced in medicine. Studies encouraged health institutions to support this concept by providing health professionals with training, alongside the necessary facilities and resources. Specialized care programs started with Dame Cicely Mary Strode Saunders as one of the pioneers. CONCLUSIONS: Team work and continuous interdisciplinary treatment of pain have rendered MDTs essential for health systems. Barriers in flexibility, information flow and personal issues give rise to the need for better organization and training. Pain and terminal disease palliation call for MDTs, and educated leaders to run them. Present and future health MDTs are considered necessary in all medical fields.

[Palliative neurology]. / Palliativneurologie.

Palliative medicine represents the holistic multiprofessional treatment of severely and incurably ill people and their relatives, addressing their complex physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. The central therapeutic goals are the quality of life and alleviation of suffering. In the course of many neurological diseases, high symptom burden, long and variable trajectories and unfavorable prognosis at times create a need for palliative care even at an early stage, which is currently still inadequately met. This can be countered by qualified neuropalliative care. In addition to intensifying interdisciplinary collaboration, this requires neurologists to have core competencies in palliative care. These include a team-oriented attitude, communication skills, expertise in symptom control and knowledge of biomedical ethics including palliative options at the end of life.

Initial Experiences With Integration of Palliative Medicine and Specialist Pain Services in a Tertiary Cancer Care Center in India.

Pain management constitutes a pivotal aspect of palliative care. Certain instances of distressing pain are significantly relieved through interventional pain methodologies, demanding the expertise of pain specialists. Our perspective revolves around the integration of these 2 facets, envisaging a symbiotic relationship that could enhance patient outcomes. A prospective assessment was carried out within a collaborative clinic, uniting the realms of pain management and palliative medicine. Anonymized patient information was scrutinized to grasp the advantages of this amalgamation and identify strategies to address any inherent deficiencies. Furthermore, an illustrative case study was delineated, spotlighting the collaborative dynamics at a systemic level. During the period spanning from November 2020 to June 2021, a total of 43 patients received consultations at this collaborative clinic. Each patient was exposed to a comprehensive pain management regimen, with the most frequently conducted procedure being an intercostal nerve block, which was administered in 9.30% of cases. For the provision of effective pain relief within the palliative care context, the confluence of joint consultations from cancer pain specialists emerges as a requisite measure. This approach carries the promise of optimizing pain control and augmenting the quality of palliative care.

Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Pain Medicine: Results of a National Palliative Physician Survey.

CONTEXT: Pain is a prevalent symptom in patients with serious illness and often requires interventional approaches for adequate treatment. Little is known about referral patterns and collaborative attitudes of palliative physicians regarding pain management specialists. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate referral rates, co-management strategies, and beliefs of palliative physicians about the value of Pain Medicine specialists in patients with serious illness. METHODS: A 30-question survey with demographic, referral/practice, and attitudes/belief questions was mailed to 1000 AAHPM physician members. Responses were characterized with descriptive statistics and further analyzed for associations between training experiences, practice environment, and educational activities with collaborative practice patterns and beliefs. RESULTS: The response rate was 52.6%. Most survey respondents had initial board certification primarily in internal medicine (n = 286, 56%) or family medicine (n = 144, 28%). A minority of respondents had completed a formal ABMS Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship (n = 178, 34%). Respondents had been in practice for a median of nine years, (range 1-38 years) primarily in community hospitals (n = 249, 47%) or academic hospitals (n = 202, 38%). The variables best associated with collaborative practices and attitudes was practice in an academic hospital setting and participation in regular joint academic conferences with pain medicine clinicians. CONCLUSION: This study shows that Palliative Care physicians have highly positive attitudes toward Pain Medicine specialists, but referrals remain low. Facilitating professional collaboration via joint educational/clinical sessions is one possible solution to drive ongoing interprofessional care in patients with complex pain.

Integrating Hospice and Palliative Medicine Education Within the American Board of Emergency Medicine Model.

Background: Hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) is a board-certified subspecialty within emergency medicine (EM), but prior studies have shown that EM residents do not receive sufficient training in HPM. Experts in HPM-EM created a consensus list of competencies for HPM training in EM residency. We evaluated how the HPM competencies integrate within the American Board of Emergency Medicine Milestones, which include the Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine (EM Model) and the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) list. Methods: Three emergency physicians independently mapped the HPM-EM competencies onto the 2019 EM Model items and the 2021 KSAs. Discrepancies were resolved by a fourth independent reviewer, and the final mapping was reviewed by all team members. Results: The EM Model included 78% (18/23) of the HPM competencies as a direct match, and we identified recommended areas for incorporating the other five. The KSAs included 43% (10/23). Most HPM competencies included in the KSAs mapped onto at least one level B (minimal necessary for competency) KSA. Three HPM competencies were not clearly included in the EM Model or in the KSAs (treating end-of-life symptoms, caring for the imminently dying, and caring for patients under hospice care). Conclusion: The majority of HPM-EM competencies are included in the current EM Model and KSAs and correspond to knowledge needed to be competent in EM. Programs relying on the EM Milestones to plan their curriculums may miss training in symptom management and care for patients at the end of life or who are on hospice.

Implementing spiritual care education into the teaching of palliative medicine: an outcome evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The concept of "total pain" plays an important role in palliative care; it means that pain is not solely experienced on a physical level, but also within a psychological, social and spiritual dimension. Understanding what spirituality entails, however, is a challenge for health care professionals, as is screening for the spiritual needs of patients. OBJECTIVE: This is a novel, interprofessional approach in teaching undergraduate medical students about spiritual care in the format of a seminar. The aim of this study is to assess if an increase in knowledge about spiritual care in the clinical context is achievable with this format. METHODS: In a mandatory seminar within the palliative care curriculum at our university, both a physician and a hospital chaplain teach strategies in symptom control from different perspectives (somatic domain - spiritual domain). For evaluation purposes of the content taught on the spiritual domain, we conducted a questionnaire consisting of two parts: specific outcome evaluation making use of the comparative self-assessment (CSA) gain and overall perception of the seminar using Likert scale. RESULTS: In total, 52 students participated. Regarding specific outcome evaluation, the greatest gain was achieved in the ability to define total pain (84.8%) and in realizing its relevance in clinical settings (77.4%). The lowest, but still fairly high improvement was achieved in the ability to identify patients who might benefit from spiritual counselling (60.9%). The learning benefits were all significant as confirmed by confidence intervals. Overall, students were satisfied with the structure of the seminar. The content was delivered clearly and comprehensibly reaching a mean score of 4.3 on Likert scale (4 = agree). The content was perceived as overall relevant to the later work in medicine (mean 4.3). Most students do not opt for a seminar solely revolving around spiritual care (mean 2.6). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that implementing spiritual care education following an interprofessional approach into existing medical curricula, e.g. palliative medicine, is feasible and well perceived among medical students. Students do not wish for a seminar which solely revolves around spiritual care but prefer a close link to clinical practice and strategies.

The employment of art therapy to develop empathy and foster wellbeing for junior doctors in a palliative medicine rotation - a qualitative exploratory study on acceptability.

BACKGROUND: The interdisciplinary realm of medical humanities explores narratives and experiences that can enhance medical education for physicians through perspective-taking and reflective practice. However, there is a gap in comprehension regarding its appropriateness at the postgraduate level, especially when utilising art therapists as faculty. This study aims to assess the acceptability of an innovative art therapy-focused educational initiative among junior doctors during a palliative care rotation, with the goal of cultivating empathy and promoting well-being. METHODS: A qualitative research project was conducted at the Division of Supportive and Palliative Care (DSPC) in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The study involved the recruitment of junior doctors who had successfully completed a three-month palliative care rotation program, spanning from January 2020 to April 2021. In a single small-group session lasting 1.5 h, with 3 to 4 participants each time, the individuals participated in activities such as collage making, group reflection, and sharing of artistic creations. These sessions were facilitated by an accredited art therapist and a clinical psychologist, focusing on themes related to empathy and wellbeing. To assess the acceptability of the program, two individual interviews were conducted three months apart with each participant. An independent research assistant utilised a semi-structured question guide that considered affective attitude, burden, perceived effectiveness, coherence, and self-efficacy. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was then employed to scrutinise the participants' experiences. RESULTS: A total of 20 individual interviews were completed with 11 participants. The three themes identified were lack of pre-existing knowledge of the humanities, promotors, and barriers to program acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The participants have mixed perceptions of the program's acceptability. While all completed the program in its entirety, the acceptability of the program is impeded by wider systemic factors such as service and manpower needs. It is vital to address these structural limitations as failing to do so risks skewing current ambivalence towards outright rejection of future endeavours to integrate humanities programs into medical education.

Novel Integration of a Health Equity Immersion Curriculum in Medical Training.

Health disparities education is an integral and required part of medical professional training, and yet existing curricula often fail to effectively denaturalize injustice or empower learners to advocate for change. We discuss a novel collaborative intervention that weds the health humanities to the field of health equity. We draw from the health humanities an intentional focus retraining provider imaginations by centering patient narratives; from the field of health equity, we draw the linkage between stigmatized social identities and health disparities. We describe a longitudinal health equity curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship in Memphis, Tennessee, to give trainees exposure to the concept of structural violence and how it affects clinical care. The curriculum was developed in partnership with humanities and social sciences faculty who staff a Health Equity academic program at a small liberal arts college in Memphis. This curriculum has been implemented for the past four years in support of 22 hospice and palliative medicine fellows. Group debriefs and a mixed methods survey have revealed widespread and lasting impact towards understanding health equity concepts, enhanced communication and treatment of patients, and empowerment to address the broader needs and policies affecting patients and the communities in which they live. Ultimately, we model an educational initiative that integrates equity across the full scope of healthcare practice and equips learners with skills for sustaining compassionate practices, focusing on equity-oriented, person-centered care across the full scope of healthcare practice.

US Medicare Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician Workforce and Service Delivery in 2008-2020.

CONTEXT: Despite clinical benefits of early palliative care, little is known about Medicare physician workforce specialized in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) and their service delivery settings. OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in Medicare HPM physician workforce and their service delivery settings in 2008-2020. METHODS: Using the Medicare Data on Provider Practice and Specialty from 2008 to 2020, we identified 2375 unique Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) physicians (15,565 physician-year observations) with self-reported specialty in "Palliative Care and Hospice". We examined changes in the annual number of HPM physicians, average number of Medicare services overall and by care setting, total number of Medicare FFS beneficiaries, and total Medicare allowed charges billed by the physician. RESULTS: The number of Medicare HPM physicians increased 2.32 times from 771 in 2008 to 1790 in 2020. The percent of HPM physicians practicing in metropolitan areas increased from 90% to 96% in 2008-2020. Faster growth was also observed in female physicians (52.4% to 60.1%). Between 2008 and 2020, we observed decreased average annual Medicare FFS beneficiaries (170 to 123), number of FFS services (467 to 335), and Medicare allowed charges billed by the physician ($47,230 to $37,323). The share of palliative care delivered in inpatient settings increased from 47% to 68% in 2008-2020; whereas the share of services delivered in outpatient settings decreased from 37% to 19%. CONCLUSION: Despite growth in Medicare HPM physician workforce, access is disproportionately concentrated in metropolitan and inpatient settings. This may limit receipt of early outpatient specialized palliative care, especially in nonmetropolitan areas.

Supporting best practice in reflexive thematic analysis reporting in Palliative Medicine: A review of published research and introduction to the Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines (RTARG).

BACKGROUND: Reflexive thematic analysis is widely used in qualitative research published in Palliative Medicine, and in the broader field of health research. However, this approach is often not used well. Common problems in published reflexive thematic analysis in general include assuming thematic analysis is a singular approach, rather than a family of methods, confusing themes and topics, and treating and reporting reflexive thematic analysis as if it is atheoretical. PURPOSE: We reviewed 20 papers published in Palliative Medicine between 2014 and 2022 that cited Braun and Clarke, identified using the search term 'thematic analysis' and the default 'relevance' setting on the journal webpage. The aim of the review was to identify common problems and instances of good practice. Problems centred around a lack of methodological coherence, and a lack of reflexive openness, clarity and detail in reporting. We considered contributors to these common problems, including the use of reporting checklists that are not coherent with the values of reflexive thematic analysis. To support qualitative researchers in producing coherent and reflexively open reports of reflexive thematic analysis we have developed the Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines (the RTARG; in Supplemental Materials) informed by this review, other reviews we have done and our values and experience as qualitative researchers. The RTARG is also intended for use by peer reviewers to encourage methodologically coherent reviewing. KEY LEARNING POINTS: Methodological incoherence and a lack of transparency are common problems in reflexive thematic analysis research published in Palliative Medicine. Coherence can be facilitated by researchers and reviewers striving to be knowing - thoughtful, deliberative, reflexive and theoretically aware - practitioners and appraisers of reflexive thematic analysis and developing an understanding of the diversity within the thematic analysis family of methods.

Palliative Medicine Fellows' Discussions, Perceptions, and Training Regarding Medical Cannabis.

CONTEXT: Medical cannabis is increasingly considered for palliation of pain, nausea/vomiting, anorexia, and other symptoms. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether training in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) adequately prepares fellows to counsel patients about medical cannabis. METHODS: A previously validated questionnaire was adapted for HPM fellows. Domains included fellows' practices recommending cannabis and their knowledge of its effectiveness and risks compared with standard treatments. U.S. HPM fellowships were sent surveys in 2022 and 2023. RESULTS: Forty six programs participated, 123 fellows responded (response rate of 42%) including 69% female; 55% White, and 28% Asian. Of respondents, 65% reported receiving formal training regarding medical cannabis; 57% reported discussing medical cannabis with over five patients; 23% recommended medical cannabis to more than five patients in the preceding year. Only 19%, however, felt sufficiently informed to issue cannabis-related recommendations. HPM fellows with prior training were not more likely to feel sufficiently informed to discuss cannabis (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.82-1.66) or to recommend cannabis to patients (RR: 2.05, 95% CI: 0.89-4.71). Fellows rate cannabis as equally or more effective than conventional treatments for the following symptoms: anorexia/cachexia (63%), nausea/vomiting (43%), pain (25%), and neuropathic pain (21%). CONCLUSION: Most HPM fellows report formal training in the use of medical cannabis. Over half of trainees reported discussing medical cannabis with patients, but few considered themselves sufficiently informed to make cannabis-related clinical recommendations. These results suggest both a need for expanded high-quality evidence for medical cannabis in palliative care and for improved formal education for HPM fellows.

Terminological Confusion About Sedation in Palliative Care: Results of an International Online Vignette Survey.

Background: Terminological problems concerning sedation in palliative care and consequences for research and clinical decision making have been reported frequently. Objectives: To gather data on the application of definitions of sedation practices in palliative care to clinical cases and to analyze implications for high-quality definitions. Design: We conducted an online survey with a convenience sample of international experts involved in the development of guidelines on sedation in palliative care and members of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). Participants were asked to apply four published definitions to four case vignettes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 32 experts and 271 EAPC members completed the survey. The definitions were applied correctly in n = 2200/4848 cases (45.4%). The mean number of correct applications of the definitions (4 points max.) was 2.2 ± 1.14 for the definition of the SedPall study group, 1.8 ± 1.03 for the EAPC definition, 1.7 ± 0.98 for the definition of the Norwegian Medical Association, and 1.6 ± 1.01 for the definition of the Japanese Society of Palliative Medicine. The rate of correct applications for the 16 vignette-definition pairs varied between 70/303 (23.1%) and 227/303 (74.9%). The content of definitions and vignettes together with free-text comments explains participants' decisions and misunderstandings. Conclusions: Definitions of sedation in palliative care are frequently incorrectly applied to clinical case scenarios under simplified conditions. This suggests that clinical communication and research might be negatively influenced by misunderstandings and inconsistent labeling or reporting of data. Clinical Trial Registration Number: DRKS00015047.

Percepción sobre la formación en cuidados paliativos de los estudiantes de las especializaciones de Cirugía general en Colombia / Perception of palliative care training among students of General Surgery specializations in Colombia

Introducción. Los cuidados paliativos responden al sufrimiento de pacientes terminales y requieren personal entrenado para la intervención. Forman parte de la actividad en cirugía, sin embargo, no encontramos información sobre la educación de postgrado en cirugía en Colombia. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el nivel de conocimientos en cuidados paliativos, la calidad de la formación y las estrategias pedagógicas en los residentes. Métodos. Estudio observacional con recolección de la información autodiligenciada por medio electrónico. Resultados. Participaron 228 residentes, 7,8 % mencionaron asistir a rotación en cuidado paliativo y 66,6 % tener contacto con especialistas en cuidados paliativos. El 30,7 % no identificó una estrategia pedagógica clara. El 29,3 % tuvo alto nivel de conocimiento y 21,1 % adecuada calidad de formación. El 83,8 % tuvo un alto nivel en el manejo de obstrucción intestinal. No hubo asociación entre el nivel de conocimiento y las variables evaluadas (p>0,05). Conclusiones. Ni el aprendizaje recibido, ni el año de entrenamiento tuvieron efecto en el nivel percibido de conocimiento. Las competencias en cuidados paliativos, sus métodos y la calidad del aprendizaje son deficientes a nivel de postgrado en cirugía en Colombia. Probablemente está en un currículo oculto. Es necesario implementar estrategias pedagógicas en los currículos de estudios de los programas de formación de cirujanos.

Introduction. Palliative care responds to the suffering of terminal patients and requires trained personnel for intervention. They are part of the activity in surgery; however, we did not find information about postgraduate education in surgery in Colombia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge in palliative care, the quality of training and pedagogical strategies in residents. Methods. Observational study with self-completed information collection by electronic means. Results. A total of 228 residents participated, 7.8% mentioned a palliative care rotation and 66.6% mentioned having contact with palliative care specialists; 30.7% did not identify a clear pedagogical strategy; 29.3% had a high level of knowledge and 21.1% had adequate quality of training; 83.8% had a high level in the management of intestinal obstruction. There was no association between the level of knowledge and the variables evaluated (p>0.05). Conclusions. Neither the learning received nor the year of training had an effect on the perceived level of knowledge. Competencies in palliative care, its methods and the quality of learning are deficient at the postgraduate level in surgery in Colombia. It is probably on a hidden resume. It is necessary to implement pedagogical strategies in the study curricula of surgeon training programs.

Dexmedetomidine and clonidine in palliative medicine: multicentric qualitative evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: Alpha-2 agonists have analgesic and sedative properties that can prove interesting in palliative care. The main objective of this study was to describe the use of clonidine and dexmedetomidine in palliative care units (PCU). The secondary objective was to identify physicians' perspectives and attitudes toward alpha-2-agonists. METHODS: International multicentric qualitative survey of prescribing characteristics and attitudes towards alpha-2 agonist. All 159 PCUs in France, Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland were contacted, and 142 physicians answered the questionnaire (31% participation). RESULTS: 20% of the practitioners surveyed prescribe these molecules are mainly for analgesic and sedative indications. There was considerable heterogeneity in the modalities and dosages of administration. The use of clonidine is more frequent and common in Belgium, while dexmedetomidine is only used in France. There is a high level of satisfaction among practitioners who use these molecules, with the desire of the majority of respondents to obtain additional studies and information on alpha-2-agonists. CONCLUSION: Alpha-2 agonists are little known and little prescribed by French-speaking palliative care physicians but are of interest because of their potential in this field. Phase 3 studies could justify the use of these molecules in palliative situations and would contribute to harmonising professional practices.