IAHPC BOOK REVIEWEVIDENCED-BASED PALLIATIVE CARE - ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN
Huda Abu-Saad and Annemie Courtens
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Blackwell Science 2001
ISBN 0-632-05818-8
164 pages
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This book sets out to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in the provision of palliative care services. It is not, as the title might
suggest, a detailed or critical review of the evidence base for the medical practice of palliative care.
The opening chapters detail the history, philosophy and models of palliative care. Overall, it is clear and up to date although I would take
issue with some of the points made: trying to make a clear distinction between palliative care and hospice care is probably not clinically relevant; and whilst there is a detailed discussion of
the six pilot palliative care teams set up in the Netherlands in 1999, there is a passing reference to "places like Australia... providing ‘some’ palliative care" (see www.pallcare.org.au
for details of the more than 400 palliative care services operating in Australia).
Professor Abu-Saad is professor of nursing science and director of the centre for nursing research at Maastraicht University and it is little
surprise that the role of the nurse in the palliative care team is dealt with first and at greater length. However, I would have to challenge comments to the effect that social workers "may"
have an important role in the interdisciplinary team and that chaplains are "often more a peripheral member" of the team.
The chapter on evaluation of palliative care highlights some of the difficulties encountered but does not seem to add anything new. The chapter
on instruments used to assess quality of palliative care is a good summary of what has been done. There is an interesting chapter on the views of home carers. The chapter on pain and symptom management
is necessarily superficial at 24 pages. The last two chapters are a summation of what has gone before and recommendations for future directions.
This book provides a good, up-to-date overview of the organisation and assessment of palliative care services, although it would seem that
none of the conclusions and recommendations are novel. The material on the clinical practice of palliative care is too brief to be useful.
Roger Woodruff
Past Chairman, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC)
Director of Palliative Care, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia
March 2002
Author Information
Huda Huijer Abu-Saad is Professor of Nursing Science and Director of the Centre for Nursing Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht University,
The Netherlands
Dr Annemie Courtens, Centre for Development of Palliative Care, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Developments in Palliative Care 4
3. Models of Palliative Care 14
4. Models of Palliative Care for Children 25
5. Evaluation of Palliative Care 37
6. Evaluation of Palliative Care Services: Views of Home Carers and Health Professionals 58
7. Pain and Symptom Management 63
8. Pain and Symptom Management in Children 88
9. Instruments to Assess Quality of Palliative Care 103
10. Evaluation of Palliative Care Services: Problems, Pitfalls and Recommendations 116
11. Bridging the Evidence to Clinical Practice: A Glimpse at Future Challenges in Palliative Care 122
Index 161
 
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