Specialist palliative medicine in Parkinson's disease - improving quality and achieving patients' preferences for end of life care

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (eLetters Supplement) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H Skelly
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Palliative Medicine ◽  
Life Care

scholarly journals 39 * END OF LIFE CARE IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE - ARE WE GETTING IT RIGHT?

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. i9-i9
Author(s):  
Z. Muir ◽  
L. White ◽  
K. Hood ◽  
A. L. Cunnington
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Life Care

Rotigotine patch prescription in inpatients with Parkinson’s disease: evaluating prescription accuracy, delirium and end-of-life use

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Ibrahim ◽  
Zoe Woodward ◽  
Jennifer Pooley ◽  
Edward William Richfield
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopamine Agonist ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Dopaminergic Medication ◽  
Rotigotine Patch ◽  
Inpatient Population

Abstract Background Rotigotine patch, a trans-dermal dopamine agonist, is used acutely to replace oral dopaminergic medications for inpatients with Parkinson’s disease where enteral routes are no longer available, and is also an option in end-of-life care where patients can no longer swallow. Concerns regarding acute use of Rotigotine include difficulty achieving dopaminergic equivalence, promotion of delirium/hallucinations and promotion of terminal agitation. Objective our objectives were to establish: (i) accuracy of Rotigotine prescribing, (ii) rates of delirium/hallucinations and (iii) rates of terminal agitation. Method we retrospectively evaluated the use of Rotigotine in an inpatient population at a UK teaching hospital. Prescriptions between January 2018 and July 2019 were identified and inpatient records were analysed. OPTIMAL Calculator 2 was used as a gold standard for assessing conversion of oral dopaminergic medication to Rotigotine. Results a total of 84 inpatients were included. 25 (30%) patients were prescribed the recommended dose of Rotigotine; 31 (37%) higher and 28 (33%) lower than recommended. A total of 15 of 41 (37%) patients with dementia and 22 of 49 (45%) patients with delirium before initiation of Rotigotine inappropriately received the higher dose; 20 (24%) patients developed new/worsening delirium and 8 (10%) patients developed new/worsening hallucinations; and 59 (70%) patients were dead at time of evaluation, of these 40 (68%) died in hospital, 10 (25%) of whom experienced terminal agitation. Conclusions acute conversion of oral dopaminergic medication to trans-dermal Rotigotine patch remains problematic despite the availability of validated tools. Inappropriate dosing may precipitate or worsen delirium/hallucinations. Use at end-of-life requires further evaluation.

60. Using a pocket card to improve end-of-life care on clinical teaching units: A controlled trials

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
J. Downar ◽  
J. Mikhael
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Symptom Management ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Palliative Medicine ◽  
Clinical Teaching ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Comfort Levels

Although palliative and end-of-life is a critical part of in-hospital medical care, residents often have very little formal education in this field. To determine the efficacy of a symptom management pocket card in improving the comfort level and knowledge of residents in delivering end-of-life care on medical clinical teaching units, we performed a controlled trial involving residents on three clinical teaching units. Residents at each site were given a 5-minute questionnaire at the start and at the end of their medicine ward rotation. Measures of self-reported comfort levels were assessed, as were 5 multiple-choice questions reflecting key knowledge areas in end-of-life care. Residents at all three sites were given didactic teaching sessions covering key concepts in palliative and end-of-life care over the course of their medicine ward rotation. Residents at the intervention site were also given a pocket card with information regarding symptom management in end-of-life care. Over 10 months, 137 residents participated on the three clinical teaching units. Comfort levels improved in both control (p < 0.01) and intervention groups (p < 0.01), but the intervention group was significantly more comfortable than the control group at the end of their rotations (z=2.77, p < 0.01). Knowledge was not significantly improved in the control group (p=0.07), but was significantly improved in the intervention group (p < 0.01). The knowledge difference between the two groups approached but did not reach statistical significance at the end of their rotation. In conclusion, our pocket card is a feasible, economical educational intervention that improves resident comfort level and knowledge in delivering end-of-life care on clinical teaching units. Oneschuk D, Moloughney B, Jones-McLean E, Challis A. The Status of Undergraduate Palliative Medicine Education in Canada: a 2001 Survey. Journal Palliative Care 2004; 20:32. Tiernan E, Kearney M, Lynch AM, Holland N, Pyne P. Effectiveness of a teaching programme in pain and symptom management for junior house officers. Support Care Cancer 2001; 9:606-610. Okon TR, Evans JM, Gomez CF, Blackhall LJ. Palliative Educational Outcome with Implementation of PEACE Tool Integrated Clinical Pathway. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2004; 7:279-295.

Rethinking priorities: experience of an educational initiative to change attitudes, behaviours and clinical practice in end-of-life care

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Edwards ◽  
Viv Barros D'Sa ◽  
Fiona Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Palliative Medicine ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Educational Initiative

To implement the National End of Life Care strategy and enable more people to express and achieve their preferences about care at the end of life, senior clinicians outside palliative medicine need to make it a routine part of their practice. However, it is acknowledged that recognising that people are entering the last phase of their illness is not always straightforward, and having conversations about aims of treatment and planning for future care may not be easy. In order to begin to address these challenges, funding was sought from the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA), and subsequently Health Education England, Yorkshire and the Humber (HEEYH), to pilot a development programme in 2 acute trusts. 2 palliative medicine consultants shared the trainer role at each site, supporting hospital consultants from a range of specialties, with a GP to give a community perspective. The programme involved individual clinicians identifying their own learning needs and specific issues for end-of-life care in their patients. The group met together monthly in action learning sets to discuss issues in a safe yet challenging environment. Following evaluation using a combination of training needs analyses, feedback questionnaires, audits and service evaluations, it was modified slightly and repiloted in 2 further trusts as ‘Rethinking Priorities’. This paper describes the programme and its outcomes, especially in relation to participants' learning, service development and leadership. It also highlights the challenges, including different learning styles, the concept of action learning, obtaining funding and dedicated time, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of a programme. Overall, it suggests that an educational initiative based on clinicians identifying their own learning needs, and using an action learning approach to explore issues with other colleagues, with the addition of some targeted sessions, can result in positive change in knowledge, behaviour and clinical practice.

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