The primary focus of this literature search is selected articles, etc., on key issues in end-of-life care for which the full text is available online. Added, however, are a few noteworthy articles, etc., but for which access to the full text is available only with a subscription or for a one-time fee for the article in question.1 Also listed are a few postings of special interest on key websites that serve the hospice and palliative care communities-at-large, and selected news media reports. The next listing will be published in approximately four to six weeks.
Articles of particular interest.
Libraries in educational institutions and medical centres may have a subscription to the journal in question and hold a photocopying licence, which may facilitate cost-effective access.
N.B. Contributing authors from Canada and Spain.
Website Postings of Interest: ‘Intellectual disability and palliative care,’ eHospice (U.K.), 21 July 2024; ‘Breakthrough for better access to palliative care for people with disability,’ Palliative Care Australia, 9 July 2024.
Related:
1.2 ‘Increasing trend in patients with life-limiting and complex chronic conditions,’ Anales de Pediatría (Spain). Posted online 1 August 2024. Full text
1.3 ‘Building a programme theory of a specialist paediatric palliative and hospice care programme: Development process and methodological reflection,’ BMC Palliative Care (Austria). Posted online 20 July 2024. Full text
1.4 ‘Exploring pediatric code status, advance care planning, and mode of death disparities at end of life,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Posted online 18 July 2024. Full text
Related:
2.2 ‘Economic evaluation of the “paramedics and palliative care”: Bringing vital services to Canadians” program compared to the status quo,’ Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine (Canada). Posted online 31 July 2024. Full text
2.3 ‘Feasibility and economic benefits of community-based palliative care in regional Australia: A case study with cost analysis,’ Progress in Palliative Care. Posted online 14 July 2024. Full text
2.4 ‘Potentially inappropriate end-of-life care and healthcare costs in the last 30 days of life in regions providing integrated palliative care in The Netherlands: A registration-based study,’ International Journal of Integrated Care. Posted online 8 July 2024. Full text
2.5 ‘Cost-utility analysis of a palliative care program in Colombia,’ BMC Palliative Care. Posted online 6 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Denmark and Norway.
Related:
4.2 ‘Psychosocial and emotional management of work experience in palliative care nurses: A qualitative exploration,’ International Nursing Review (Spain). Posted online 5 July 2024. Full text
Related:
Website Posting of Interest: ‘The perceptions of patients, caregivers and generalist healthcare professionals on the role and value of specialist palliative care services: A rapid review,’ Wales Cancer Research Centre (U.K.), June 2024.
N.B. Contributing authors from The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
N.B. SMiLE = Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation.
N.B. Contributing authors from Australia and China.
N.B. Contributing authors from Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.
Related:
12.2 ‘Specialized expertise among healthcare professionals in palliative care: A scoping review,’ BMC Palliative Care (The Netherlands). Posted online 13 July 2024. Full text
Related:
14.2 ‘Ethical implications of end-of-life decisions,’ Canadian Journal of Bioethics (Canada). Posted online 15 July 2024. Full text
14.3 ‘New developments and old dilemmas in Ontario’s resuscitation policy at the end of life,’ Canadian Journal of Bioethics (Canada). Posted online 15 July 2024. Full text
14.4 ‘Consensus-building to improve implementation of NICE guidance on planning for end-of-life treatment and care: A mixed-methods study,’ BMC Palliative Care (U.K.). Posted online 13 July 2024. Full text
N.B. NICE = National Institute for Health & Care Excellence.
Related:
1.2 ‘Nursing students’ perceptions of a palliative care e-learning module: An exploratory cross-sectional study,’ Teaching & Learning in Nursing (Canada). Posted online 3 August 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
1.3 ‘“How do I practise palliative care when I don’t know how?” Exploring the impact of EPAN, an online educational intervention on general nurses in Singapore: An evaluation study,’ Journal of Palliative Care. Posted online 26 July 2024. Full text
N.B. EPAN = Essential Palliative Care Approach for Nurses
1.4 ‘Palliative care competence development through simulation: Excellence and innovation to meet the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials,’ Journal of Professional Nursing (U.S.). Posted online 17 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
N.B. CAPACITI = Community Access to PAlliative Care via Interprofessional Teams Improvement.
Related:
5.2 ‘A survey of current specialty palliative care education in the United States,’ Annals of Palliative Medicine. Posted online 5 July 2024. Full text (click on PDF icon)
5.3 ‘Integrating palliative medicine into medical education: Creating a more compassionate generation of physicians,’ OBM Geriatrics (U.S.). Posted online 1 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association position statement.
N.B. This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal.
Neuropalliative Care
Related:
1.2 ‘Recognising dying in motor neurone disease: A scoping review,’ Palliative Medicine (U.K.). Posted online 28 July 2024. Full text
1.3 ‘Transition to end-of-life care in patients with neurological diseases in an acute hospital ward,’ BMC Neurology. Posted online 22 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Iceland and U.K.
1.4 ‘Palliative care in early dementia: A scoping review,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Accessed online 10 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Journal pre-proof.
1.5 ‘Guideline “Parkinson’s disease” of the German Society of Neurology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie): Concepts,’ Journal of Neurology (Germany). Posted online 6 July 2024. Full text
1.6 ‘Concise review of end-of-life and palliative care in neuromuscular pathologies: Still a long pathway ahead,’ Acta Myologica (Italy). Posted online 30 June 2024. Full text (click on PDF icon)
Cultural & Linguistic Diversity
Related:
2.2 ‘Living and dying between cultural traditions in African and Caribbean heritage families: A constructivist grounded theory,’ BMC Palliative Care (U.K.). Posted online 18 July 2024. Full text
2.3 ‘Effective use of interpreter services for diverse patients in a safety-net hospital: Provider perceptions of barriers and solutions,’ The Joint Commission Journal on Quality & Patient Safety (U.S.). Posted online 18 July 2024. Abstract (w. Section Snippets, References, etc.)
2.4 ‘The meaning of culture in nursing at the end of life: An interview study with nurses in specialized palliative care,’ BMC Palliative Care (Sweden). Posted online 6 July 2024. Full text
Care Planning & Serious Illness Conversations
Related:
3.2 ‘Mid-Atlantic primary care providers’ perception of barriers and facilitators to end-of-life conversation,’ Palliative Care & Social Practice (U.S.). Posted online 1 August 2024. Full text
3.3 ‘Content analysis of serious illness conversation documentation: Structured vs. free-text information,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Posted online 15 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
3.4 ‘Informed consent and surrogate interference at the initiation of community-based palliative care services,’ Palliative Medicine Reports (U.S.). Posted online 13 July 2024. Full text
3.5 ‘Proactive advance care planning conversations in general practice: A quality improvement project,’ BMJ Open Quality (U.K.). Posted online 8 July 2024. Full text
3.6 ‘The family talk intervention among families affected by severe illness: Hospital social workers’ experiences of facilitators and barriers to its use in clinical practice,’ Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Social Practice (Sweden). Posted online 5 July 2024. Full text
3.7 ‘How to talk about dying? The development of an evidence-based model for communication with patients in their last days of life and their family caregivers,’ PEC Innovation (Switzerland). Posted online 18 June 2024. Full text
Pediatric Palliative Care
Related:
4.2 ‘Cooling facilities in paediatric palliative care: A ritual form of mourning? A scoping literature review,’ Mortality (Switzerland). Posted online 31 July 2024. Full text
4.3 ‘The elements of end-of-life care provision in paediatric intensive care units: A systematic integrative review,’ BMC Palliative Care (U.K.). Posted online 25 July 2025. Full text
4.4 ‘Is it early enough? The authentic meaning of the pediatric palliative approach between early and late referral in pediatric oncology: A case study,’ Frontiers in Oncology (Italy). Posted online 24 July 2024. Full text
4.5 ‘Dignity in the pediatric population: A systematic review,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Posted online 18 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
4.6 ‘Experiences of paediatric terminal oncology patients and their parents in palliative care: A qualitative systematic review,’ Journal of Pediatric Nursing (Singapore). Posted online 17 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
4.7 ‘Transition to adulthood in pediatric palliative care: A narrative review,’ Children (Italy). Posted online 16 July 2024. Full text
4.8 ‘Disparities in pediatric palliative care: Where are we and where do we go from here?’ Journal of Pediatrics (U.S.). Posted online 14 July 2024. First Page View (w. Section Snippets, References, etc.)
4.9 ‘Who, what, where, and how? The state of family science in pediatric palliative care,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Posted online 9 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
4.10 ‘Challenges in home-based pediatric hospice and palliative care: A case series,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (U.S.). Posted online 6 July 2024. Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
Community & Home-Based Palliative Care
N.B. CAREPAL-8 = Caregiver Burden in Palliative Care.
Related:
5.2 ‘“Someone must do it”: Multiple views on family’s role in end-of-life care – an international qualitative study,’ Palliative Care & Social Practice. Posted online 1 August 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Argentina, Germany, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.
5.3 ‘Community-based interventions in people with palliative care needs: An integrative review of studies from 2017 to 2022,’ Healthcare (Spain). Posted online 25 July 2024. Full text
5.4 ‘Targeting community-based palliative and serious illness care resources: Challenges of more stringent diagnostic criteria for prospective enrollment,’ Journal of Palliative Medicine (U.S.). Posted online 25 July 2024. Full text
5.5 ‘Palliative care coordination interventions for caregivers of community-dwelling individuals with dementia: An integrative review,’ Nursing Reports (U.S.). Posted online 17 July 2024. Full text
5.6 ‘Enhancing end-of-life care with home-based palliative interventions: A systematic review,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management (Portugal). Posted online 14 July 2024. Full text
5.7 ‘Developing compassionate community: Insights from the International Standards for Community Development,’ Health Open Research (Canada). Posted online 12 July 2024. Full text
5.8 ‘How can a community be successfully empowered to deal with death, dying, and bereavement? Formative evaluation of the Caring Community Cologne using focus groups,’ Annals of Palliative Medicine (Germany). Posted online 5 July 2024. Full text (click on PDF icon)
Media Report of Interest: ‘Paramedics treating patients’ palliative needs at home benefits everyone,’ The Conversation (Canada), 5 August 2024.
Psychosocial & Spiritual Care
Related:
6.2 ‘Finnish palliative care nurses’ and physicians’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care related to their attitudes toward end-of-life care,’ Palliative Medicine Reports (Finland). Posted online 13 July 2024. Full text
Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Related:
7.2 ‘Healthcare workers’ knowledge of indicators for a palliative care approach,’ African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine (South Africa). Posted online 31 July 2024. Full text
7.3 ‘Public policies for the development of palliative care: Scope review protocol,’ Latin American Journal of Palliative Care (Brazil). Posted online 31 July 2024. Full text (click on PDF icon)
7.4 ‘Implementation of a hospital-based end-of-life and bereavement care program in a Latin American middle-income country. A source of light and compassion in the midst of cloudy times,’ BMC Palliative Care (Colombia). Posted online 29 July 2024. Full text
7.5 ‘Nurturing hope: Pioneering paediatric palliative care in Pakistan,’ The Lancet: Adolescent & Child Health. Posted online 26 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Registration is required to obtain a free copy of this article.
7.6 ‘Palliative care and COVID-19: Acknowledging past mistakes to forge a better future,’ Frontiers in Medicine (Brazil). Posted online 24 July 2024. Full text
7.7 ‘Public interest in palliative care in Latin America: A Google trends analysis,’ Plos One (Peru). Posted online 18 July 2024. Full text
7.8 ‘Challenges and coping strategies when caring for terminally ill persons with cancer: Perspectives of family caregivers,’ BMC Palliative Care (Ghana). Posted online 17 July 17 2024. Full text
7.9 ‘Home-based care models for patients with terminal illnesses in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review of randomized and quasi-experimental studies,’ Archives of Gerontology & Geriatrics (Nigeria). Posted online 15 July 2024: Abstract (w. Introduction, Section Snippets, References, etc.)
7.10 ‘Analysis of the legal situation regarding euthanasia in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru: Towards a Latin American model of medical assistance in dying,’ Developing World of Bioethics. Posted online 12 July 2024. Access full text of pre-peer reviewed version
7.11 ‘Needs and perspectives on palliative care education in oncology: Interviews with primary health care physicians and nurses,’ Revista Brasileira de Cancerologia (Brazil). Posted online 12 July 2024; Full text (click on PDF icon)
7.12 ‘Mixed reality in palliative care,’ Frontiers in Virtual Reality (China). Posted online 11 July 2024. Full text
7.13 ‘Comparing the need and development of pediatric palliative care in Mexico: A geographical analysis,’ Journal of Pain & Symptom Management. Posted online 11 July 2024. Full text
7.14 ‘Navigating end-of-life decision-making in nursing: A systematic review of ethical challenges and palliative care practices,’ BMC Nursing. Posted online 9 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Egypt et al.
7.15 ‘Cost-utility analysis of a palliative care program in Colombia,’ BMC Palliative Care. Posted online 6 July 2024. Full text
7.16 ‘Parents providing palliative care for children with cancer,’ eCancer Medical Science. Posted online 1 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Lebanon et al.
7.17 ‘Psychological impact on primary caregivers of family members undergoing palliative treatment: A review on quality of life,’ Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Córdoba, 2024;81(2):415-431 (Argentina). Full Spanish language text (w. English language abstract)
7.18 ‘Scope of services provided to childhood cancer patients by the Brazilian Pediatric Palliative Care Network,’ Frontiers in Oncology (Brazil). Posted online 19 June 2024. Full text
Website Posting of Interest: ‘Integrating children’s palliative care through the professional colleges in Ghana,’ International Children’s Palliative Care Network, 25 July 2024.
News Media Report of Interest: ‘Sarawak anticipates increased need for palliative care by 2030,’ The Star (Malaysia), 26 July 2024.
N.B. Listing of low- and middle-income countries (The World Bank Group).
Socioeconomic Inequities
Oncology
Related:
9.2 ‘Timely integration of palliative care. The reality check. A retrospective analysis,’ Supportive Care in Cancer (Austria). Posted online 17 July 2024. Full text
9.3 ‘Stigmas about palliative care are harming our seriously ill patients,’ Oncology News Central (U.S.). Posted online 10 July 2024. Full text
Assisted Dying Practices
Related:
10.2 ‘Assisted dying in Swedish healthcare: A qualitative analysis of physicians’ reasoning about physician-assisted suicide,’ Monash Bioethics Review (Sweden). Posted online 26 July 2024. Full text
10.3 ‘Assisted suicide and euthanasia: Language lost in MAiD,’ Canadian Journal of Bioethics (Canada). Posted online 15 July 2024. Full text
10.4 ‘Medical aid in dying (MAiD): A comparative analysis of domestic and international approaches to this controversial subject,’ Global Business Law Review (U.S.). Posted online 26 June 2024. Full text
N.B. See special issue of ‘Literature Search’ on assisted dying practices.
End-of-Life Care Behind Bars
Related:
11.2 ‘Relatively limited attention has been directed toward matters of dying and death in U.S. prisons,’ Journal of Correctional Health Care, 2024;30(3):147-148. Full text
N.B. ‘End-of-Life Care Behind Bars’ website.
Aged, Long-Term & Residential Care
Related:
12.2 ‘A qualitative evidence synthesis exploring the attitudes, beliefs and values of the long-term care workforce towards palliative care,’ Progress in Palliative Care (Australia). Posted online 23 July 2024. Full text
12.3 ‘The association between rurality, places of care and the location of death of long-term care home residents with dementia: A population-based study,’ Health Reports (Canada). Posted online 17 July 2024. Full text
12.4 ‘Nursing homes “can’t escape” need for increased palliative care access: Researchers,’ 1 McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (U.S.). Posted online 17 July 2024. Full text
12.5 ‘Is palliative care a utopia for older patients with organ failure, dementia or frailty? A qualitative study through the prism of emergency department admission,’ BMC Health Services Research (Belgium). Posted online 1 July 2024. Full text (click on PDF icon)
Technology
N.B. This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal.
Related:
13.2 ‘Healthcare professionals’ experiences of eHealth in palliative care for older people: Challenges, compromises and the price of dignity,’ International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being. Posted online 11 July 2024. Full text
N.B. Contributing authors from Denmark, Norway and the U.K.
13.3 ‘The Tandem VR™ protocol: Synchronized nature-based and other outdoor experiences in virtual reality for hospice patients and their caregivers,’ Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications (U.S.). Posted online 22 June 2024. Full text
Website Posting of Interest: ‘Can virtual reality and AI be used to train for difficult conversations in palliative care,’ European Association for Palliative Care (Blog), 16 July 2024.
Place of Death
Perinatal Palliative Care
Patient Education & Counseling Innovation Special Issue
Palliative & End-of-Life Care in Conflict Zones
Europe
Related:
1.2 ‘Fifth of U.K. hospices cutting services amid funding crisis, finds report,’ The Guardian, 16 July 2024.
North America