Palliative Care Consultant

The Palliative Care Consultant (PCC) provides practical recommendations for palliative symptom management in adult patients. The aim of this guide is to equip all practitioners who care for patients with life-limiting conditions, whether they have hospice-specific training, or only occasionally see a patient in hospice or palliative care. For hospice and palliative care clinicians, this book may be used as a resource for support of current practice and a quick reference guide. For educators and novice practitioners, this book may be used as a training guide to address the basics of hospice and palliative care and assist learners in developing a comprehensive plan for symptom management.

Pediatric Palliative Care Consultant (PPCC) was designed to provide practical recommendations for palliative symptom management in pediatric patients. The aim of this guide is to equip all practitioners who care for pediatric patients with chronic life-limiting conditions, whether they have pediatric-specific training, or rarely see a pediatric patient. For those experienced in treating pediatric patients, this book may be used as a resource for support of current practice and a quick reference guide. For those who only occasionally treat pediatric patients, this book may be used as a learning guide and a resource to ensure symptoms are appropriately treated. For educators, this book may be used as a training guide to address the basics of pediatric palliative care and assist learners in developing a comprehensive plan for symptom management.

Hospital palliative care teams have been established in rapidly increasing numbers over the last 20 years, as it has been recognised that hospices can never transfer the philosophy and practice of palliative care into the acute sector by simply existing; they often work as 'stand alone units' and remain outside mainstream medicine. However it has become apparent that improving access to palliative care for patients in acute hospitals is not as easy as employing external palliative care specialists as consultants. Even setting up a team of professionals who work solely in a hospital will often not improve the care of the great majority of patients being treated there. Based on the extensive experience and knowledge of three clinicians in the area who have developed palliative care services in acute settings, this book provides those facing the same challenges with practical guidance and down to earth advice on a range of problems they might encounter. Using a problem focused and practical approach, Palliative Care in the Acute Hospital Setting: a practical guide is filled with case-based problems to help readers identify realistic, usable, everyday solutions. It also covers the skills and knowledge needed to help teams make progress in the hospital as well as outlining the best training to help them continue to flourish. Written in an accessible style with short and focussed chapters, this clearly laid out book helps readers find the information they need to tackle particular problems easily and with confidence. With a supportive outlook and covering the non-clinical management aspects of palliative care, this book is the ideal guide for palliative care specialists making the transfer from hospice to hospital, and for those setting up palliative care teams in the acute hospital setting.

This report reflects the shift in practice from predominantly cancer care to a much broader application of palliative care throughout the specialties.

Doctors, nurses and all healthcare professionals dealing with patients with advanced and terminal disease will find this book essential reading.

"the thoroughness of the text has to be admired. It is an excellent starting point for students of palliative care which makes an important contribution to any library."-British Journal of Hospital Medicine" covers a plethora of topics ranging from the development of palliative medicine in different countries to clinical topics and bioethics an