Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)

Youth Awareness on Death and Dying in School Settings

June 24, 2026

Death is a natural part of life, but it is often a difficult topic to discuss, especially with children and young people. The article Youth Awareness on Death and Dying in School Settings: A Scoping Review on Knowledge and Practices examined how schools can help students learn about death, dying, Continue reading →

Advance Your Skills with Complimentary Palliative Care Education

December 8, 2025

Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) is offering complimentary online training for Ontario-based healthcare providers and administrators working in community settings, including long-term care. Enhance your ability to provide person-centered, compassionate care with two educational opportunities: Palliative Care Education for Personal Support Workers (PACE for PSWs) A comprehensive national certificate program Continue reading →

Sex and gender in palliative and end-of-life care: A service evaluation and qualitative analysis

August 5, 2025

This study explored how sex and gender affect palliative and end-of-life care in the UK. Researchers analyzed data from over 90,000 patients and spoke with hospice staff. They found few differences in care use between men and women, but staff reported that gender impacted experiences. Women were more often caregivers, Continue reading →

The Surprise Question: Predictive Accuracy in an Unselected Emergency Department Population

July 23, 2025

This prospective study evaluated the predictive accuracy of the Surprise Question (SQ)—“Would I be surprised if this patient died within 3 or 12 months?”—when answered by nurses and physicians in an emergency department (ED) setting. The goal was to see if this question could help predict which patients might die Continue reading →

Patient Cues About End-of-Life Matters

July 9, 2025

This study examines how patients in palliative care subtly raise end-of-life (EoL) concerns through ambiguous or allusive cues and how healthcare professionals (HCPs) respond. Using conversation analysis of 85 consultations, it identifies when cues are foregrounded (central to the conversation) or backgrounded (embedded in other topics). HCPs may respond accordingly Continue reading →

Family Experiences, Needs, and Perceptions in Home-Based Hospice Care for Patients With Terminal Cancer

June 28, 2025

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally, with rising incidence rates each year. Home-based hospice care allows patients with terminal cancer to spend their final days at home, encompassing scheduled visits, 24-hour on-call support, and symptom management. The overall aim of this study was to update and synthesize Continue reading →

The Use of Wearable Sensor Technology to Enhance Supportive Care in Hospitalized Palliative Patients

June 11, 2025

This pilot study explored the feasibility of using wearable devices for continuous monitoring of vital signs in hospitalized palliative care patients. Out of 275 screened patients, only seven participated due to strict eligibility criteria. Wrist-worn devices provided valid data 61.5% of the time, while chest-wall devices achieved 55.2%. Heart rate Continue reading →

Managing Cultural Diversity in End of Life Care: A Qualitative Study

May 28, 2025

In an increasingly globalized world, multiculturalism has transformed healthcare settings, making cultural diversity an essential component of care. Culture plays a central role in healthcare, delineating values, decisions, expectations, and practices. In the context of end-of-life care, awareness about how culture affects care and its professional practices becomes especially relevant. Continue reading →

Palliative Talks: The Palliative Care Podcast Now Available!

April 30, 2025

Host Kath Murray draws out practical tips and inspiring stories from palliative care experts in the Palliative Talks podcast. Guests share meaningful, engaging and useful information for integrating palliative care and a palliative approach to care, to support front-line care providers to make a big difference in the lives of those they care for, and for themselves and their care teams. Listen or watch now!

Exploring older people’s end-of-life care preferences over time

April 30, 2025

End-of-life care can involve complex decisions, and patients’ preferences are particularly important. Advance care planning is a process that enables individuals to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, discuss these with family and healthcare providers, and record and review these preferences if appropriate. However, preferences are Continue reading →