On 2017 Nov 08, Cicely Saunders Institute Journal Club commented:

We selected and discussed this paper at our monthly journal club on 1st November 2017.

The paper generated a lot of discussion and we felt that this was an important concept, especially for clinicians, to think about. The topic of QALYs was unfamiliar to some of us and we found that the authors explained it very clearly in the paper. We were intrigued by the use of an integrative review method and discussed this at length. It may have been helpful to read more explanation of this method and know how it differs from other types of review methods. We also wondered about some of the inclusion/exclusion criteria such as the exclusion of reviews and the decision making process for the theoretical papers included. We enjoyed discussing the themes which emerged from this paper and the wider debate around the most appropriate measures for palliative care populations, particularly in light of the recent paper by Dzingina et al. 2017 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28434392). We feel this paper will be a useful educational resource.

Commentary by Dr. Nilay Hepgul & Dr. Deokhee Yi on behalf of researchers at Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London.

On 2017 Nov 08, Cicely Saunders Institute Journal Club commented:

We selected and discussed this paper at our monthly journal club on 1st November 2017.

The paper generated a lot of discussion and we felt that this was an important concept, especially for clinicians, to think about. The topic of QALYs was unfamiliar to some of us and we found that the authors explained it very clearly in the paper. We were intrigued by the use of an integrative review method and discussed this at length. It may have been helpful to read more explanation of this method and know how it differs from other types of review methods. We also wondered about some of the inclusion/exclusion criteria such as the exclusion of reviews and the decision making process for the theoretical papers included. We enjoyed discussing the themes which emerged from this paper and the wider debate around the most appropriate measures for palliative care populations, particularly in light of the recent paper by Dzingina et al. 2017 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28434392). We feel this paper will be a useful educational resource.

Commentary by Dr. Nilay Hepgul & Dr. Deokhee Yi on behalf of researchers at Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London.