ObjectivesPodcasts have the potential to facilitate communication about palliative care with researchers, policymakers and the public. Some podcasts about palliative care are available; however, this is not reflected in the academic literature. Further study is needed to evaluate the utility of podcasts to facilitate knowledge-transfer about subjects related to palliative care. The aims of this paper are to (1) describe the development of a palliative care podcast according to international recommendations for podcast quality and (2) conduct an analysis of podcast listenership over a 14-month period.MethodsThe podcast was designed according to internationally agreed quality indicators for medical education podcasts. The podcast was published on SoundCloud and was promoted via social media. Data were analysed for frequency of plays and geographical location between January 2015 and February 2016.Results20 podcasts were developed which were listened to 3036 times (an average of 217 monthly plays). The Rich Site Summary feed was the most popular way to access the podcast (n=1937; 64%). The mean duration of each podcast was 10 min (range 3–21 min). The podcast was listened to in 68 different countries and was most popular in English-speaking areas, of which the USA (n=1372, 45.2%), UK (n=661, 21.8%) and Canada (n=221, 7.3%) were most common.ConclusionsA palliative care podcast is a method to facilitate palliative care discussion with global audience. Podcasts offer the potential to develop educational content and promote research dissemination. Future work should focus on content development, quality metrics and impact analysis, as this form of digital communication is likely to increase and engage wider society.

ObjectiveThe anticipatory prescribing of pro re nata medications and continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSCI) medication is essential for the timely management of symptomatic patients at the end of life. There is no evidence to support the safety or appropriateness of anticipatory CSCIs. In 2013, in response to safety concerns about end of life prescribing in the community, we designed an educational intervention to improve prescribing practices among non-specialist prescribers in this area.Methods: how the study was performedWe performed a safety-focussed retrospective cohort analysis of end of life community prescriptions of anticipatory CSCIs over a 12-month period, 5 years after creating clinical guidelines and embedding a multiprofessional rolling education programme. Medications prescribed and administered for symptom control at the end of life are compared between specialist and non-specialist prescribers in terms of their adherence to best practice guidance.ResultsMedications prescribed were not universally administered and more commonly not administered without specialist input. Prescriptions of higher doses of opioids and benzodiazepines beyond those recommended by guidance were significantly greater within the cohort of patients receiving specialist oversight. The prescription of a dose range did not result in excessive dose escalation. For patients not receiving specialist palliative care, median morphine and midazolam doses did not escalate at all once a CSCI was commenced. All midazolam administrations were safe.ConclusionsThe practice of anticipatory CSCI prescribing and administration can be safe in the community non-specialist setting when supported by clinical guidelines, specialist advice and ongoing multiprofessional education.

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Background: Enhanced supportive care (ESC) promotes the earlier implementation of supportive care within cancer care. While earlier supportive care has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes, the model of delivery is variable. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has developed a multi-professional delivered model with clinical nurse specialists providing ongoing patient review and care. Method: A retrospective single-system design was used to assess longitudinal changes in Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) scores as indicators of quality of life. For other outcomes, a retrospective case control analysis was undertaken. Results: Statistically significant improvements in all IPOS scores were observed for patients attending ESC. Compared to controls, quantitative outcomes included prolonged survival and reduced chemotherapy-related mortality. Multi-professional delivered ESC successfully improves quality of life and outcomes.

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