Palliative care provision and its impact on psychological morbidity in cancer patients.

Full Abstract

In response to many influences, palliative care services in the UK are evolving rapidly, and are increasingly challenged to demonstrate equity, access and effectiveness. This article discusses the principles, philosophy and status of palliative care in the UK in the context of recent NHS developments. A case study is employed in order to critically evaluate the implementation of the palliative care approach, focusing on the specific issue of the assessment of anxiety and depression in the cancer setting. The provision of a comprehensive and integrated clinical service is a constant challenge in this patient group. In order to increase awareness and facilitate further development of patient services, and ultimately improve clinical practice, several factors are highlighted. These include the impact of multiprofessional team care, the problems inherent in the diagnosis of depression and the question of whether cancer nurses are adequately prepared to handle patients' psychological morbidity.

Author information

Author/s: Craven, O (O);

Affiliation: Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Withington, UK.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: International journal of palliative nursing (Int J Palliat Nurs), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2000 Nov-Dec; vol 6 (issue 10) : pp 501-7

Dates: Created 2002/09/24; Completed 2003/06/25; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12271249, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.