About Us

Our Clinical Services

Working in inter-professional clinical care teams consisting of doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, medical social workers and other allied health professionals, we provide different aspects of specialist palliative care in inpatient, outpatient and community settings, including:

• Prevention and management of pain and other symptoms (e.g. shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, etc.) related to serious illness and its treatments
• Patient and family/caregiver education
• Emotional, psychological, and spiritual support
• Practical and social support
• Care and discharge planning
• End-of-life and bereavement care

Our objectives are to:

• Increase access to supportive and palliative care services,
• Improve and smoothen transition of care between care settings
• Improve the quality of supportive and palliative care provision

Research

SDSPCC Research aims to train more healthcare professionals in research, encourage cross-institution collaboration, embrace innovation and experiment with new models of care to meet the challenges in providing supportive and palliative care for the future.

Our objectives are to:

• Build research skills among palliative care clinicians,
• Increase research collaboration between SingHealth organisations and with Lien Centre for Palliative Care (LCPC) to keep research projects clinical relevant and scientifically rigorous,
• Strengthen the research evidence for the development, evaluation and implementation of novel models of palliative care service delivery by expanding the portfolio of research projects in supportive and palliative care and increasing dissemination of research work, and
• Establish a Supportive and Palliative Care Registry for benchmarking, quality improvement and real world research.

Publications

1. Teo, I., Y. P. Tan, E. A. Finkelstein, G. M. Yang, F. T. Pan, H. Y. F. Lew, E. K. W. Tan, S. Y. K. Ong, and Y. B. Cheung. 2020. 'The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Intervention for Patients With Advanced Colorectal Cancer', Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60: 1200-07
2. Teo, I., D. Baid, S. Ozdemir, C. Malhotra, R. Singh, R. Harding, R. Malhotra, M. G. Yang, S. H. Neo, Y. B. Cheung, P. S. H. Neo, R. Kanesvaran, N. B. Kumarakulasinghe, L. H. Lee, G. C. H. Koh, E. A. Finkelstein, and Compass study group. 2020. 'Family caregivers of advanced cancer patients: self-perceived competency and meaning-making', BMJ Support Palliat Care, 10: 435-42.
3. Ng, C. Z., Y. B. Cheung, A. R. X. Koh, H. R. Teo, N. K. M. Mok, and G. M. Yang. 2020. 'Palliative care pain control: inpatient consultation versus corounding models compared', BMJ Support Palliat Care: bmjspcare-2020-002540.
4. Ng CH, Ong ZH, JWH Koh, RZE Ang, LH Shuen, Tay KT, Chin AMC, Toh YP, Zhou JXL, L Krishna. Enhancing interprofessional communications training in internal medicine. Lessons drawn from a systematic scoping review from 2000 to 2018. Journal of continuing Education in the Health Professions. 2020 Winter; 40(1): 27-35. doi: 10. 1097/CEH.0000000000000278.
5. Cheung, Y. B., I. Teo, W. S. Lim, A. Hum, S. H. S. Neo, G. M. Yang, G. L. Lee, G. Tan, and D. C. C. Seow. 2020. 'Development and evaluation of the Singapore Caregiver Quality of Life Scale - Dementia', J Patient Rep Outcomes, 4: 84.
6. Neo SH, Ku JSM, Wong GCS, Tan BC, Tan EYW, Tan JYT, Kerk KL, Sim DKL, Sivathasan C, Yoon S. Life Beyond Heart Failure-What Are the Long-Term Challenges, Supportive Care Needs, and Views Toward Supportive Care of Multiethnic Asian Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Device and Their Caregivers? J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Sep;60(3):577-587.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.03.022
7. Chiang J, Yang VJ, Han S, Zhuang Q, Ooi G, Sin IH, Chua GWY, Tan SY, Chia CS, Tan VK, Neo PSH, Kwek JW, Yap SP, Kanesvaran R, Lim ST, Hwang WYK, Tham CK. Minimizing transmission of COVID-19 while delivering optimal cancer care in a National Cancer Centre. J Cancer Policy. 2020 Sep; 25: 100241. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpo.2020.100241
8. Chan JJ, Sim Y, Ow SGW, Lim JSJ, Kusumawidjaja G, Zhuang Q, Wong RX, Wong FY, Tan VKM, Tan TJY. The impact of COVID-19 on and recommendations for breast cancer care: the Singapore experience. Endocrine-Related Cancer. 2020 Sep; 27(9):R307-R327. doi: 10.1530/ERC-20-0157
9. Chaudakshetrin P, Cardosa MS, Goh CR, Javier FO, Musba AMT, Prateepavanich P, Que JC, Tanra AH, Vijayan R, Yeo ASN. Establishment of multidisciplinary pain management clinics and training programs in the developing world: experiences from Southeast Asia. Pain. 2020;161:S87-S94. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001871
10. Anantham D, Chai-Lim C, Zhou J, Phua GC. Operationalization of critical care triage during a pandemic surge using protocolized communication and integrated supportive care. Journal of Intensive Care (2020)8:59 http://doi.org/10.1186/s40560-020-00475-y
11. Malhotra C, Harding R, Teo I, Ozdemir S, Koh GCH, Neo PSH, Lee LH, Kanesvaran R, Finkelstein E. Financial difficulties are associated with greater total pain and suffering among patients with advanced cancer: results from the COMPASS study. Support Care Cancer. 2020;28(8):3781-3789. doi:10.1007/s00520-019-05208-y
12. Chua GP, Pang GSY, Yee ACP, Neo PSH, Zhou S, Lim C, Wong YY, Qu DL, Pan FT, Yang GM. Supporting the patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers: what are their palliative care needs? BMC Cancer. 2020;20:768.
13. Ong EK. The Impact of Sociocultural Influences on the COVID-19 Measures—Reflections From Singapore. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Aug; 60(2):e90-e92. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.04.022.
14. Kow CS, Teo YH, Teo YN, et al., L Krishna. A systematic scoping review of ethical issues in mentoring in medical schools. BMC Med Educ 2020 Jul 31; 20(1):246. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02169-3
15. Yoon NYS, Ong YT, Yap HW, et al., L Krishna. Evaluating assessment tools of the quality of clinical ethics consultations: a systematic scoping review from 1992 to 2019. BMC Med Ethics. 2020 Jul 1;21 (1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12910-020-00492-4
16. Ho S, Tan YY, Neo SHS, Zhuang Q, Chiam M, Zhou JX, Woong NL, Lee G, Krishna L. COVID-19 — A Review of the Impact it has made on Supportive and Palliative Care Services Within a Tertiary Hospital and Cancer Centre in Singapore. Annals, Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2020;49(7):489-495.
17. Mon Sw, Ozdemir S, Myint Zu WW, Win H, Maw MM, Win KC, Thant KZ, Teo I, Krishnan A, Goh CR, Finkelstein EA, Malhotra C. End of life experiences of patients with advanced cancer in Myanmar: results from the APPROACH study. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020 Jun 23. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajco.13373
18. Compton, S., Sarraf‐Yazdi, S., Rustandy, F. and Kumar Radha Krishna, L. Medical students’ preference for returning to the clinical setting during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Med Educ. 2020 Jun 10; 10.1111/medu.14268. doi 10.1111/medu.14268.
19. Ke Y, Tan CJ, Ng T, Tan IMJ, Goh WL, Poon E, Farid M, Neo PSH, Srilatha B, Chan A. Optimising survivorship care services for Asian adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a qualitative study. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2020;9(3):384-393. doi:10.1089/jayao.2019.0145
20. Krishna L, Tay KT, Yap HW, Koh ZYK, Ng YX, Ong YT, Shivananda S, Compton S, Mason S, Kanesvaran R, Toh YP. Combined Novice, Near-Peer, E-Mentoring Palliative Medicine Program: A Mixed Method Study in Singapore. PLoS One 2020 Jun 5;15(6):e0234322. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234322
21. Krishna L, Neo HY, Chia EWY, Tay KT, Chan N, Neo PSH, Goh C, Peh TY, Chiam M, Low JAYH. The role of palliative medicine in ICU bed allocation in COVID-19: a joint position statement of the Singapore Hospice Council and the Chapter of Palliative Medicine Physician. Asian Bioeth Rev. 2020 Jun 1 : 1 7. doi: 10.1007/s41649-020-00128-0
22. Ong EK, Lim CH, Wong AJTY. The Role of Social Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2020 Jun; 49(6):408-410.
23. Cheung YB, Neo SHS, Yang GM, Lee GL, Teo I, Koh ARX, Thumboo J, Wee HL. Two valid and reliable short forms of the Singapore Caregiver Quality of Life Scale were developed: SCQOLS-10 and SCQOLS-15. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020 May;121:101-8.
24. Cheong CWS, EWS Chia, et al., Krishna LKRK. A systematic scoping review of ethical issues in mentoring in internal medicine, family medicine and academic medicine. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 2020 May;25(2):415-439. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-019-09934-0
25. SYL Lim, EYH Loh, BJX Tan, Toh YP, S Mason, Krishna LKRK. Enhancing geriatric oncology training through a combination of novice mentoring and peer and near-peer mentoring: A thematic analysis of mentoring in medicine between 2000 and 2017. J Geriatr Oncol. 2020 May;11(4):566-575. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2019.09.008.
26. Ng YX, Koh ZYX, Yap HW, Tay KT, Tan XH, Ong YT, Tan LHE, Chin AMC, Toh YP, Shivananda S, Compton S, Mason S, Kanesvaran R, Krishna L. Assessing mentoring: A scoping review of mentoring assessment tools in internal medicine between 1990 and 2019. PLoS One.2020 May 8; 15(5):e0232511. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232511. eCollection 2020.
27. Cheung YB, Neo SHS, Yang GM, Teo I, Lee GL, Qu DLM, Koh ARX, Thumboo J, Wee HL. Reference values for and interpretation of the Singapore Caregiver Quality of Life Scale: a quantile regression approach. J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2020 May 6;4(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s41687-020-00201-0
28. Zhuang Q, Lau ZY, Ong WS, Yang GM, Tan KB, Ong MEH, Wong TH. Sociodemographic and clinical factors for non-hospital deaths among cancer patients: A nationwide population-based cohort study. PLoS One 2020 Apr 23;15(4): e0232219. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232219
29. Tan CJ, Ke Y, Ng T, Tan IMJ, Goh WL, Poon E, Farid M, Neo PSH, Srilatha B, Chan A. Work- and insurance-related issues among Asian adolescent and young-adult cancer survivors: a qualitative study. Support Care Cancer. 2020. doi:10.1007/s00520-020-05430-z
30. Koh MYH, Hum AYM, Khoo HS, Ho AHY, Chong PH, Ong WY, Ong J, Neo PSH, Yong WC. Burnout and resilience after a decade in palliative care: what survivors have to teach us. A qualitative study of palliative care clinicians with more than 10 years of experience. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020;59(1):105-115.

Education

SDSPCC Education aims to coordinate and develop supportive and palliative care education and training for specialist palliative care and generalist healthcare providers, through close collaboration with Lien Centre for Palliative Care and Singapore Hospice Council.

The objectives of SDSPCC Education include:

• Coordinating and planning of specialist palliative care training, including interdisciplinary team education, Advanced Specialist Training teaching and medical school curricula,
• Establishing training and competency frameworks for specialist palliative care nurses and medical social workers,
• Developing and implementing:
  1. Supportive and palliative care training programmes for generalist palliative care for doctors, nurses, medical social workers and allied health staff in collaboration with LCPC,
  2. Serious illness communication skills training for healthcare professionals in collaboration with LCPC, as well as
  3. Grief and bereavement training programmes in collaboration with community partners.

Community Partnership

In partnership with Singapore Hospice Council and other service providers in the community, we aim to promote awareness on Supportive and Palliative care.

Our objectives are to:

• Work with Singapore Hospice Council in promoting public awareness and education resources for caregivers
• Work in partnership with community service providers to extend public education outreach