Russell K. Portenoy

This is the fourth book in a series devoted to research and practice in palliative care. This rapidly evolving field focuses on the management of phenomena that produce discomfort and undermine the quality of life of patients with incurable medical disorders. To highlight the diversity in this field, each volume is divided into sections that address a range of issues. Various sections discuss aspects of symptom control, psychosocial functioning, spiritual orr existential concerns, ethics, and other topics. The four sections in this volume are; Survival Estimation in Palliative Care, Education and Training in Palliative Care, Procoagulant and Anticoagulant Therapy in Palliative Care, and Issues in the Assessment and Management of Common Symptoms. The authors present and evaluate existing data, provide a context drawn from both the clinic and research, and integrate knowledge in a manner that is both practical and readable.… (mer)

The third book in a series devoted to research and practice in palliative care. The four topics covered in this volume are Paediatric Palliative Care, The Management of Bone Pain, Psychopathology in Patients with Cancer, Skin Disorders and Their Management. The contributors present and evaluate existing data, provide a context drawn from both clinical and research settings, and integrate knowledge in a manner that is both practical and readable for palliative care specialists and hospice providers.… (mer)

Palliative care, which focuses on the management of phenomena that produce discomfort and otherwise undermine the quality of life of patients with incurable medical disorders, is a clinical specialty that is just beginning to define itself in the United States. This first volume in the Topics in Palliative Care series will discuss palliative care topics, such as pharmacotherapy of pain, adjustments to cancer, management of delirium, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Review: Each topic comprises a clear introduction followed by three or four chapters on a specific issue. Few will read this volume without developing new ideas for research and audit. Those more interested in clinical issues will find much to satisfy them... those with an interest in evidence-based palliative care as opposed to 'fashion-based' care will find plenty to satisfy them. Palliative Medicine… (mer)

Palliative care is rapidly evolving as a multidimensional therapeutic model devoted to improving the quality of life of all patients with life-threatening illness. Symptom control, management of psychosocial and spiritual concerns, decision making consistent with values and goals, and care of the imminently dying that is appropriate and sensitive to the unique needs of the individual and family - these are among the critical issues addressed through palliative care. As this discipline has evolved, the need for research in all these areas has become widely acknowledged. Issues in Palliative Care Research describes both the progress that already has been made in the investigation of these issues and the methodological elements that must be addressed in future studies. The perspective is broad and the overriding goal is to inform about the state of the art in these rapidly evolving areas of research.
Review: It is a book that should appeal not only to palliative care researchers, but also to palliative care clinicians and advanced palliative care trainees alike. This reviewer will be adding this book to the must read list of readings for his program's palliative care residents (registrars) and fellows. Palliative Medicine, 18 This is a state-of-the-art review of research in palliative care, describing what has been achieved so far and defining the methodological issues yet to be resolved... Anyone involved in palliative care research will find this book both interesting and stimulating. Anyone initiating a research project in palliative care would be well advised to check with this volume to see what lessons have been learned by experienced researchers who have gone before them. IAHPC website… (mer)