I interview Dr Daniel Monnery (Speciality trainee registrar in Palliative Medicine in the Mersey Deanery) to discuss a variety of topics including: postgraduate training in palliative medicine, medical handover, undergraduate medical education and its relevance to palliative care.
Dr Amara Nwosu interviews Jane Isaac (Occupational Therapist at Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool) to discuss the role and services offered by of palliative care day therapy.
Dr Amara Nwosu discusses his paper about peer-led learning as a mechanism to facilitate palliative care education in medical undergraduates.
Nwosu A, Mason S, Roberts A, Hugel H. Does peer-led education have a role in teaching medical students about palliative care? The evaluation of an examination question-writing task. The Clinical Teacher 2013;10(3):151-4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23656675
In this episode of MyPal Dr Amara Nwosu provides an overview publishing in palliative care, discussing the importance of this and sharing some tips for potential authors. The audio was recorded to support an educational session as part of the Merseyside & Cheshire Palliative Care Network Audit Group.
Mahiben Maruthappu, Bruce Keogh. How might 3D printing affect clinical practice?
BMJ 2014; 349 doi: dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g7709 (Published 30 December 2014)
Nanotechnology to diagnose and monitor cancer? Nanopills and smartwatches in disease management and treatment? Sounds like science fiction but that is what researchers at Google are working on right now! Dr Ami Nwosu discusses this in more depth.
This is the first episode of an exciting new project that I’m undertaking. This podcast blends discussion of technology, innovation, health, palliative care and research. This first episode provides an overview of the project and outlines what you can expect in the coming weeks.
MyPal is a podcast about technology, innovation and research relevant to Palliative Care. Come and join the conversation about these issues in a way you just might like.
Google have entered into the health research arena. They aim to use technology to diagnose cancer early. I believe is exciting and should cause us to question how technology could be used in palliative care.
Computer science has arguably overtaken medicine as the newest academic discipline. Modern applications like the iPhone (only developed in 2007) have irreversibly changed the way we interact with technology on a daily basis. However, it is not common to hear about medics collaborating with computer scientists or undertaking computer science courses or research. This is in contrast with other academic disciplines such as natural sciences, social sciences and psychology.
The ‘Google X’ project aims to avoid unnecessary deaths. In terms of cancer Google propose a diagnostic ‘smart pill’ that can be swallowed by an individual which. The pull would contain magnetised nanoparticles that would be released into the blood when swallowed. These particles would travel round the body looking for biomarkers, only to return (by action of their magnets) to a wearable device on the wrist to download the results. In addition to cancer Google indicate that other markers (such as sodium) could be monitored.
Google’s aim to reduce unnecessary deaths is admirable; however, should we also be asking how we can use computer science and concepts like nanotechnology to improve palliative care? Or, conversely, should high tech, high cost interventions be avoided at the end of life? This is interesting food for thought. What is certain is that technology and innovation will continue and the role this has in palliative care needs to be considered.
The Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool (MCPCIL) has recently been awarded a £1,750 grant from the Friends of the University of Liverpool to develop audio-visual palliative care content. This will hopefully lead to the development of vodcasts and podcasts which will provide a wide audience information about palliative care and the work of MCPCIL.
For more information about the work of the Marie Curie Palliative Liverpool please click here:
The Ebola outbreak has caused people to focus on issues that affect some of the world’s poorest countries. Palliative care has particular challenges in these areas which differ greatly than those in the West. This video was developed by Life Before Death in 2011 and sobering reminder about the HIV/AIDs and the pain that many patients experience.