Purpose

In the following pages, we provide information found in systematic reviews. This information has been formally appraised and collated to summarise the best available evidence relevant to palliative care professional and clinical practice topics. The content has been developed and reviewed by a multidisciplinary advisory group of Australian health professionals to ensure its quality and relevance.


Professional practice

Clinical evidence summaries within this section relate to professional aspects of care, including ethics, shared decision making and professional wellbeing.

Topics include

Find inside

  • Key messages
  • Evidence summary
  • Equity and access
  • Care context
  • Implications for families and carers

Clinical practice

Clinical evidence summaries within this section relate to clinical aspects of care, including stages of care, common symptoms and palliative care emergencies.

Topics include

Stages of care
Psycho-social-spiritual
Gastrointestinal
Pain
Respiratory
Other

Find inside

  • Key messages
  • Definition and prevalence
  • Assessment
  • Treatment
  • Equity and access
  • Care context
  • Implications for families and carers

Definitions

We acknowledge the many variations in description and nomenclature relevant to palliative and end-of-life care. For content within the Clinical Evidence Summaries, the following definitions apply:

  • Palliative care – An approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual. World Health Organization.
  • End-of-life care – When people are likely to die within the next 12 months. This includes people whose death is imminent (expected within a few hours or days) and those with advanced, progressive, incurable conditions; general frailty and coexisting conditions that mean that they are expected to die within 12 months; existing conditions if they are at risk of dying from a sudden acute crisis in their condition; and life-threatening acute conditions caused by sudden catastrophic events. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare.

    Use in clinical education and training

    CareSearch Clinical Evidence Summaries are a practical resource for building palliative care knowledge. They can be included in online course materials, linked within organisational intranets, or shared in print during team meetings and training sessions. The summaries also aid in developing protocols to ensure practices are evidence-based and up to date.

    More information and feedback

    For more information on the CareSearch methodology, including how these Clinical Evidence Summaries are updated, please see the CareSearch Quality Process Outline (619kb pdf).

    We welcome feedback on these Clinical Evidence Summaries and identification of key topics of professional and/or clinical practice not yet addressed.

    Useful resources

    Read the nine ACSQHC guiding principles defining safe and quality end-of-life care

    palliAGED - Find aged care-specific palliative care evidence

    CareSearchgp app - Access GP guidance on palliative care and terminal prescribing

    Last updated 05 December 2024