Sector news

People with advanced cancer often face complex treatment decisions, where small survival benefits must be weighed against side effects and the often-overlooked burden of “time toxicity” - the time spent on treatment and healthcare. In this blog, Dr. Samuel Stevens, highlighted his research and the TIME-DCE study, which explores how patients weigh factors like survival, side effects, treatment duration, and time commitment when choosing between treatment options.

Our Director, Professor Jennifer Tieman, presented From knowledge to practice: Implementation in action at the Palliative Care Aged Care Forum. While there is no shortage of evidence on the value of palliative and end of life care, translating this knowledge into everyday practice, particularly in aged care, remains a challenge. she explored why evidence still matters, helping us understand what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be adapted across different settings.

In this blog, Felicity Bates and Geena Bennett, explores how distress evolves for people living with a life-limiting illness in rural Australia. The study found that distress follows a U-shaped pattern, peaking early after diagnosis, easing during ongoing care, and rising again in the final weeks of life. Fear of suffering and pain was the most consistent concern throughout. The blog also highlights the need for holistic, person-centred care and stronger psychosocial support in rural communities. 

Older people diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) often face intensive and costly treatment, a high symptom burden, and frequent hospital visits. Despite evidence that specialist palliative care (SPC) improves quality of life, it is often introduced late due to misconceptions and limited exploration of its economic value. In this blog, Dr Elise Button, A/Prof Nikki McCaffrey and A/Prof Hannah Carter explore the impact of referring patients to SPC at diagnosis rather than waiting until later stages. Could earlier support change both outcomes and costs? 

In this blog, Harpreet Kalsi-Smith, Founder of The Kindness Company, explores how community-led initiatives are reshaping end-of-life care in Australia. Death is not just a medical event, but families and communities also have an important role in Death and Dying. Discover how grassroots movements across our local communities are changing how we talk about and approach death and dying.

Our Director Prof. Jennifer Tieman shares the platform redevelopment project, aimed at improving user experience while adapting to the fast-evolving technical environment.