Daren Heyland studies the inevitable and, for many Canadians, the unspeakable. But he and his network of researchers are working to change that.

A professor of Medicine at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s 카지노게임사이트, an intensive care doctor at Kingston General Hospital, and a clinician scientist with the KGH Research Institute, Dr. Heyland has spent much of the past 20 years examining the quality of care given to the critically ill, its effects on the quality of end of life, and the need for families and medical practitioners to talk about end of life care.  

카지노 게임 컬렉션�I have always been interested in the intersection between critical illness, the use of technology, and death,카지노 게임 컬렉션� he says. His experiences in caring for patients in intensive care have given him a unique perspective on patient care in the context of the inevitable.  His research examines the topic from all corners of the bedside, from the patient, to their families, to the medical practitioners, and from all stages along the care continuum, from the routine visit to the family physician to the crucial decisions at end of life.

His most recent study, published last month in the U.K. journal Palliative Medicine, looked at the families카지노 게임 컬렉션� perspectives on the quality of care of elderly patients admitted to intensive care units across Canada.  That research showed a significant disconnect between families카지노 게임 컬렉션� wishes for 카지노 게임 컬렉션�comfort only카지노 게임 컬렉션� measures, and the use of life-sustaining treatments such as ventilators or CPR, on those patients.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�Patient care should provide quality of end of life care, rather than prolonging the dying experience,카지노 게임 컬렉션� Dr. Heyland says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�End of life should not be traumatizing.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

While he has done extensive investigations into specific critical care issues -- such as nutritional therapy for the critically ill, and the use of antibiotics and ventilator-associated pneumonia in the ICU -- he and collaborating researchers are producing a growing body of work targeting the broader, multi-generational topics that affect everyone:  care for elderly patients, end of life care, and advance care planning for end of life.

Dr. Heyland카지노 게임 컬렉션�s work is reflected across a variety of centres and initiatives, both local and national. He leads CARENET, a national network of health care professionals who collaborate on understanding and improving palliative and end-of-life care through research, tools and communication and decision-making between patients, their families and health professionals. 

In 2012 he led the establishment of the national Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network (TVN), a $23.9 million Networks of Centres of Excellence, based at Kingston General Hospital, focused on developing and implementing technologies for improving quality of life and end of life for the elderly and their families.

He was also instrumental in building awareness of the need for Canadians to think about end of life care through the Speak Up Campaign for National Advance Care Planning Day. ACP Day this year is April 16, and more information can be found at advancecareplanning.ca.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�Speak Up is about the importance of communication and decision-making at the community level,카지노 게임 컬렉션� Dr. Heyland says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�For good care at the end of life, communication is essential.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

This story is the seventh in a series on the KGH Research Institute, a collaboration between Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s and Kingston General Hospital, and the clinician-scientists recruited to work in the centre.