Dying Matters Week, 9-15 May 2016

9 – 15 May 2016 is Dying Matters Awareness Week which is hosted by the Dying Matters Coalition. This campaign aims to provide the opportunity to talk about dying, death, bereavement, and making plans for the end of life. This year’s theme is 'The Big Conversation'.

The Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group (PaPaS) produces reviews on palliative care for those with life-limiting disease or illness, and supportive care of patients and significant others living with serious illness. We have been working closely with Hospice UK and the Dying Matters Coalition in order to share best evidence in palliative care during the Awareness Week. We have prepared a variety of resources, including blogs and blogshots, for dissemination here on our website and Twitter, Evidently Cochrane and eHospice.

In particular, we will be highlighting the following key Cochrane reviews in this topic area:

Search all of our Cochrane reviews here.

We have also published a comprehensive, annotated database of published palliative care and end of life research: access the database here.

Find out more

Dying Matters Awareness Week website: http://www.dyingmatters.org/BigConversation

Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice care in the UK: https://www.hospiceuk.org/

Hospice UK is a founding partner of ehospice, an innovative website aiming to revolutionise access to the latest news, commentary and analysis from the world of hospice, palliative and end of life care: https://www.ehospice.com/uk/en-gb/home.aspx

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the largest single funder of the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group.

Blogshots

1. End-of-life care pathways for improving outcomes in caring for the dying

2. Exercise for the management of cancer-related fatigue in adults

3. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of home palliative care services for adults with advanced illness and their caregivers

4. Impact of morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone or codeine on patient consciousness, appetite and thirst when used to treat cancer pain

5. Pharmacological interventions for pain in children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions

6. Palliative pharmacological sedation for terminally ill adults

7. Medically assisted hydration for adult palliative care patients

8. Medically assisted nutrition for adult palliative care patients

Blogs

We have written two blogs as part of our contribution to Dying Matters Awareness week. Please find further information and links below.

Working together for Dying Matters Awareness week

Anna Erskine, Managing Editor of the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care review group (PaPaS), explains how PaPaS and Hospice UK are working together to start conversations and share best evidence in palliative care for Dying Matters Awareness Week (9 to 15 May 2016). Please see here.

Research Reflections: Voices from palliative care evidence

Anna Erskine explains the contribution of PaPaS to palliative care evidence. Please see here.