The following lists palliative care research primarily conducted by Australian research groups. The list is based on application of the CareSearch search filter for palliative care to identify articles held within the PubMed database and corresponding to the strongest evidence. Articles have been selected based on relevance and new articles are added on a weekly basis.
Whilst not an exhaustive list, the aim is to keep the community informed by providing a snapshot of recent research findings and planned studies in the Australian setting.
Massey CC, Conway J, Webster E.
Objectives: Frequent haemodialysis creates close-knit communities within treatment units, where high patient mortality contributes to significant grief among patients and staff. Despite the emotional toll, support for grief and bereavement in these settings remains limited, and recent data are lacking. This scoping review aims to explore how patients and nursing staff within haemodialysis units experience and cope with bereavement, and to identify support strategies currently used or desired to inform future, culturally sensitive approaches, particularly in Australia.
Design: Scoping review conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
Data sources: A comprehensive search was conducted using the Clinical Information Access Portal, supplemented by grey literature and the Elicit AI Research Assistant tool.
Eligibility criteria: We included literature exploring patient and nurse perspectives on grief and bereavement in haemodialysis units. Studies outside the haemodialysis setting and non-English studies were excluded. There were no geographical or publication year limitations.
Data extraction and synthesis: Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. A data extraction table was used to collect study characteristics and key findings. Thematic analysis was applied to synthesise data across studies.
Results: 17 publications from 1998 to 2021 were identified across five countries. Grief and bereavement following patient death profoundly shape haemodialysis unit dynamics. Patients form familial bonds and experience deep grief when peers die, while nurses face emotional stress and burnout. Reported support strategies include memorial services, peer and staff support, counselling and debriefing and spiritual care.
Conclusions: This study describes grief experiences, support strategies and cultural implications in haemodialysis units, which serve a culturally diverse group of people. By consolidating available knowledge, this review provides a critical platform for future empirical work and calls for culturally sensitive support and larger, diverse samples in future research.
Myhill B, Bindley K, DiGiacomo M, Zhang L, Dash M, Gough I, et al.
Objectives: Many factors are known to influence experiences in bereavement. With a growing focus on public health approaches to bereavement support, it is important to further understand factors which healthcare workers (HCW) can influence regarding bereavement experiences for families. The study aim was to describe the experience of people bereaved following a death in Sydney Local Health District (SLHD), with particular focus on people's awareness and experience of available supports and the perceived impact of healthcare interactions on bereavement experiences.
Methods: The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 15) to explore the experiences of bereaved people. These were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis approach.
Results: Themes were generated showing the ways in which healthcare and bereavement experiences are mediated by personal interactions; that information and its delivery are central to shaping experiences; and the impacts of healthcare and government system issues on experiences of care and access to support. Attention to these factors may positively impact end-of-life care and subsequent bereavement experiences.
Significance of results: It is illuminating to consider the results in light of proposed public health approaches to bereavement. Our findings assist in understanding the role that HCWs have in supporting preparation for death, providing care with the potential to prevent negative bereavement outcomes, and offering short-term bereavement support. This is key in planning models that acknowledge the essential role HCWs play within public health approaches to bereavement support. Findings can inform education and training in healthcare, with a focus on approaches that affirm dignity and positive relationships, ensure sensitive and timely information provision, and enhance skilled communication. Recommendations can support policy and system improvements to enhance bereavement outcomes.
Wand AP, Browne R, Zeng Y, Karageorge A, Peisah C.
Objectives: To triangulate the perspectives of mental health clinicians, older people with mental illness and their carers on Advance Care Planning (ACP) to develop evidence-informed educational resources.
Methods: The study setting was public mental health services. Results of previously reported reflexive thematic analyses of interviews discussing ACP with three stakeholder groups (12 older people with mental illness, 5 carers, and 15 mental health clinicians) were triangulated. The emergent overarching themes were considered within an interpretive description framework to develop educational resources to support each of the three stakeholder groups to engage in ACP.
Results: Four overarching themes emerged: (i) importance of ACP recognized but ACP often not initiated; (ii) knowledge gaps; (iii) skill gaps - how to do it; and (iv) practical and process issues. Taking into account the research team's knowledge of the local health contexts, two formats of educational resources were developed; written information sheets bespoke to identified knowledge gaps and needs for each group, and brief training films for clinicians addressing need for practical skills in ACP. The consumer and carer sheets were translated into three languages. Two brief clinician training films demonstrated introducing ACP within mental health reviews and how to address aspects of complexity in ACP with older adults with a mental illness and carers.
Significance of results: The current absence of specific educational resources for ACP with older people with mental illness contrasts with the recognized importance of ACP. Written resources were created to address empirically identified knowledge gaps and misconceptions and provide practical information and training films developed to demonstrate key skills for clinicians. The resources were made freely available, with dissemination planned to promote and evaluate use as part of a more comprehensive educational intervention. Resources supporting clinician, consumer and carer education are an important first step towards empowerment and participation in ACP.
Smith-Carroll A, Schoch M, Kerr D.
Aim: The aim of this scoping review was to identify factors associated with delayed initiation of end-of-life care for adult patients with cardiovascular disease in critical care settings.
Review design: Scoping review.
Methods: This scoping review was designed according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Included articles were uploaded and examined in Covidence.
Data sources: A systematic search of bibliographic databases (CINAHL, Medline and Embase) and Google Scholar was performed to identify relevant literature between January 2003 and April 2025. Key search concepts included 'end of life', 'cardiac' and 'critical care'.
Results: A total of 9430 articles were initially identified. After removing 7750 irrelevant articles, 207 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. A total of 34 articles were included in the final review. Four major themes were identified: (1) confidence in communication regarding end of life; (2) transition from active therapies to end-of-life care; (3) role clarity in the initiation and provision of end-of-life care; and (4) breakdown in the shared decision-making process.
Conclusion: Delayed initiation of end-of-life care for patients with cardiovascular disease in critical care settings could be mitigated through training to improve confidence when discussing end of life with patients and families, and utilisation of prognostic prediction assessment tools. Increased focus on inter-professional collaboration and shared decision-making in family meetings may reduce indecision at end of life.
Reporting method: The results were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.
Patient or public contribution: This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
Ayalew AA, Clapham S, Clark K, Hodiamont F, Redwood L, Currow D.
Background: Periodic evaluation of the psychometric properties of palliative care outcome measures is essential to ensure accurate assessment of patient outcomes and to support ongoing improvements in care quality. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of three tools: the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS), the Symptom Assessment Scale (SAS), and the Palliative Care Problem Severity Score (PCPSS).
Methods: We conducted a multicentre study using de-identified data collected from 378 participants. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for all tools, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed for the IPOS. Convergence and discriminant validity were examined for the SAS and PCPSS by analysing the correlations between similar and dissimilar items, respectively. Lastly, known-groups comparison validity was assessed.
Results: Of the 378 participants, 54.5% were male, and most (77.5%) had cancer. Internal consistency was good for the IPOS total (α = 0.81), acceptable for the SAS (α = 0.70), and marginal for the PCPSS (α = 0.65). A strong correlation was observed between the pain construct of SAS and PCPSS (r = 0.74). Both the PCPSS and SAS effectively discriminated symptoms between palliative care phases and settings of care in known-group comparisons. The physical domain of the IPOS demonstrated good discriminative ability in differentiating symptoms between cancer and non-cancer patients. Our data confirmed the three theoretical domains of the IPOS—physical, emotional, and informational.
Conclusions: The IPOS demonstrated higher reliability using internal consistency, whereas SAS and PCPSS showed good validity in known group comparisons. These findings may inform the selection of context-appropriate palliative care outcome measures.
Last updated 30 April 2024