Acute Medicine | Palliative care | Non-drug intervention in symptom management

Non-drug interventions in symptom management
Session overview
Description
This session outlines a variety of non-drug interventions which may be used in an integrated approach to symptom management and enhance quality of life in end of life care.

This session was reviewed by Louise Free and Richard Kitchen and last updated in February 2021.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe a range of non-pharmacological interventions that can be used as part of an integrated symptom management approach in end of life care
• outline some of the symptoms for which each therapy may be helpful in end of life care
• outline the usefulness and limitations of the different non-drug approaches

Symptom management at the end of life tends to have a focus on drug interventions and treatment of reversible conditions. However, there is an increasing awareness that as part of a holistic approach to care, it is appropriate to have other non-pharmacological interventions and therapies alongside more traditional treatments.

Distressing symptoms such as pain, breathlessness and side effects of disease or treatment can be improved by such therapies.

The evidence base for these different interventions and therapies is varied, but through patient selection or self-selection, each can provide subjective benefit.