CareSearch updates

We're excited to announce the mid-November launch of the CareSearchgp App, a resource designed to empower GPs in delivering quality palliative care across the life course. This App offers the latest guidance on terminal prescribing alongside evidence-based information on a wide range of important topics such as Advance Care Planning, addressing Voluntary Assisted Dying, recognising deterioration, engaging in case conferences, care for your dying patient, and supporting the patient’s family through stages of bereavement.

You can also register to be notified when the App is available.

During 2023-2026, we will be continuing to ensure the currency of the CareSearch website and in particular we will be reviewing the Clinical Evidence Summaries to make sure they are relevant and useful to health professionals. For our partner site, palliAGED, we will be updating our Practice Centre and the Australian context section. We will also be looking at developing a framework for both CareSearch and palliAGED sites  to understand how people and organisations are using our resources and how the sites help in providing care.

As we move into our new work program, we are delighted to welcome new team members who will be supporting our work for both CareSearch and palliAGED. Dr Raechel Damarell will be joining us as the new Senior Research Fellow on 21 August. She will be joining Susan Gravier who is continuing as our Research Officer and Cameron Shepherd, our current web officer. New faces who have just arrived are Jasmine Lewis who will be taking charge of our marketing and promotions and Jason Scarman who will take charge of our administration. We are just finalising the details for our new Research Fellow who will be joining us in a few months’ time.

New research from the Department of Health and Aged Care shows that continued support for the primary and aged care workforce through education and training will enable them to feel more comfortable discussing palliative care with patients and dispel any misconceptions or barriers surrounding it. The resources and role of CareSearch, palliAGED and partner projects including ELDAC, Advance, End of Life Essentials, and TEL are all included as education and training for primary care workers and for aged care. We need to continue to build awareness of these national resources to support the workforce and to enhance care at the end of life for everyone on our community.

The palliAGEDgp App has been available to GPs for over 8 years. During this time, we have undertaken some content updates to make sure the information remains current, but we are going to start a more focused update that will add some new topics and a broader resource base to support GPs who provide care for people with palliative care needs of all ages. When the update is complete, the new version of the App will be released as CareSearchgp, a name chosen to reflect the alignment of the App with the CareSearch GP Hub. If you have any ideas you would like to share or if you are a GP or nurse practitioner who would like to be involved in the review or user testing processes, email us at caresearch@flinders.edu.au

Many people with palliative care needs are supported to stay in their own home. Depending on your situation you may need specialised equipment or changes in your home or that of the people you care for to make this possible. To help you prepare we have added new content to the How to Care section of CareSearch on Setting up for at Home Palliative Care.