Analgesic prescribing for cancer pain during the last year of life.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving the management of pain from advanced cancer in the community (IMPACCT); mapping analgesic prescribing for cancer pain during the last year of life.
IRAS ID
135834
Contact name
Michael Bennett
Contact email
Research summary
This study forms part of the IMPACCT research programme the overarching aim of which is to improve the management of pain for patients with advanced cancer in the community. This study contributes to the objective of the overall programme by seeking to better understand the prescriptions of analgesics and related medications (laxatives and antiemetics) issued to cancer patients during their last year of life. We are interested in the point in the trajectory at which a patient receives a strong opiod and the sequence of analgesic prescribing leading to being issued with an opiod. This information will enable us to benchmark current prescribing practice against best practice and identify possible opportunitites for educational interventions to optimise prescribing practice in this population. We intend to use 2 data existing data sources; the electronic patient record system patient pathway manager(PPM)from Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust(LTHT)and SystmOne the electronic patient record system used by approximately 90% of General Practices across the region. PPM data will be used to locate approximately 5,000 patients who have died from cancer prior to 2011. The respective prescribing data for these patients will then be extracted from SystmOne and the anonymised data made avaialble to the research team for analysis.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0301
Date of REC Opinion
28 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion