All Outputs (78)

BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA): realist review to develop explanatory programme theory about breathlessness self-management in India (2025)
Journal Article
Clark, J., Salins, N., Sherigar, M., Williams, S., Pearson, M., Rao, S. R., Spathis, A., Bhat, R., Currow, D. C., Fraser, K., Simha, S., & Johnson, M. J. (2025). BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA): realist review to develop explanatory programme theory about breathlessness self-management in India. NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, 35(1), Article 13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-025-00420-2

Breathlessness is highly prevalent in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Low-cost, non-drug, breathlessness self-management interventions are effective in high-income countries. However, health beliefs influence acceptability and have not been... Read More about BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA): realist review to develop explanatory programme theory about breathlessness self-management in India.

Harms of Morphine for Chronic Breathlessness in Relation to Dose, Duration and Titration Phase (2025)
Journal Article
Ekström, M., Alameri, F., Chang, S., Ferreira, D., Johnson, M. J., & Currow, D. C. (in press). Harms of Morphine for Chronic Breathlessness in Relation to Dose, Duration and Titration Phase. Journal of pain and symptom management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2025.02.020

Context: Morphine to treat severe chronic breathlessness might increase adverse events (AEs). Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the risk of AEs in relation to dose, duration and titration phase of regular, low-dose sustained-release (SR) oral morphine... Read More about Harms of Morphine for Chronic Breathlessness in Relation to Dose, Duration and Titration Phase.

"I'm living in a 'no' world now…"- A qualitative study of the widespread impact of living with chronic breathlessness, and experiences of identification and assessment of this symptom in an older, frail community-based population (2025)
Journal Article
Elliott-Button, H., Johnson, M. J., Hutchinson, A., Currow, D. C., & Clark, J. (2025). "I'm living in a 'no' world now…"- A qualitative study of the widespread impact of living with chronic breathlessness, and experiences of identification and assessment of this symptom in an older, frail community-based population. NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, 35(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-024-00409-3

Chronic breathlessness is a debilitating symptom with detrimental impact on individuals and carers. However, little is known about the experiences of community-dwelling, frail, older adults living with chronic breathlessness. To explore, (i) the psyc... Read More about "I'm living in a 'no' world now…"- A qualitative study of the widespread impact of living with chronic breathlessness, and experiences of identification and assessment of this symptom in an older, frail community-based population.

Mirtazapine to alleviate severe breathlessness in patients with COPD or ILD: an international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 mixed-method trial (BETTER-B) (2024)
Journal Article
Higginson, I. J., Brown, S. T., Oluyase, A. O., May, P., Maddocks, M., Costantini, M., Bajwah, S., Normand, C., Bausewein, C., Simon, S. T., Ryan, K., Currow, D. C., Johnson, M., Hart, S. P., Mather, H., Krajnik, M., Tanzi, S., Ghirotto, L., Bolton, C., Janowiak, P., …Brown, J. M. (2024). Mirtazapine to alleviate severe breathlessness in patients with COPD or ILD: an international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 mixed-method trial (BETTER-B). Lancet, 12(10), 763-774. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600%2824%2900187-5

Background
Breathlessness frequently becomes severe among people with respiratory disease. Mirtazapine, a widely used antidepressant, showed promise. We determined the effectiveness of mirtazapine to alleviate severe persisting breathlessness.
Meth... Read More about Mirtazapine to alleviate severe breathlessness in patients with COPD or ILD: an international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 mixed-method trial (BETTER-B).

The cost of providing care by family and friends (informal care) in the last year of life: A population observational study (2024)
Journal Article
Johnson, M. J., Currow, D. C., Chynoweth, J., Weatherly, H., Keser, G., Hutchinson, A., Jones, A., Dunn, L., & Allgar, V. (2024). The cost of providing care by family and friends (informal care) in the last year of life: A population observational study. Palliative medicine, https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163241259649

Introduction: Little is known about replacement costs of care provided by informal carers during the last year of life for people dying of cancer and non-cancer diseases. Aim: To estimate informal caregiving costs and explore the relationship with ca... Read More about The cost of providing care by family and friends (informal care) in the last year of life: A population observational study.

Creating more comparable cohorts in observational palliative care studies: A proposed framework to improve applicability and replicability of research (2024)
Journal Article
Kochovska, S., Murtagh, F. E., Agar, M., Phillips, J. L., Dudgeon, D., Lujic, S., Johnson, M., & Currow, D. C. (2024). Creating more comparable cohorts in observational palliative care studies: A proposed framework to improve applicability and replicability of research. Palliative medicine, https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163241234227

Background: Palliative care is characterised by heterogeneous patient and caregiver populations who are provided care in different health systems and a research base including a large proportion of observational, mostly retrospective studies. The inh... Read More about Creating more comparable cohorts in observational palliative care studies: A proposed framework to improve applicability and replicability of research.

Differences in uni-dimensional breathlessness measures and thresholds for clinical response in a randomised controlled trial in people with chronic breathlessness: an exploratory study (2024)
Journal Article
Ferreira, D., Ekström, M., Louw, S., McCloud, P., Johnson, M., Clark, K., & Currow, D. (2024). Differences in uni-dimensional breathlessness measures and thresholds for clinical response in a randomised controlled trial in people with chronic breathlessness: an exploratory study. BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 11(1), Article e002370. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2024-002370

INTRODUCTION: Optimally measuring improvements in chronic breathlessness in clinical practice and research continues to evolve. The aim of this study was to consider the performance of uni-dimensional measures in chronic breathlessness limiting exert... Read More about Differences in uni-dimensional breathlessness measures and thresholds for clinical response in a randomised controlled trial in people with chronic breathlessness: an exploratory study.

BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA)–Study protocol for the co-design of a community breathlessness intervention in India using realist methods and intervention mapping (2023)
Journal Article
Clark, J., Salins, N., Pearson, M., Spathis, A., Currow, D. C., Williams, S., & Johnson, M. (2023). BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA)–Study protocol for the co-design of a community breathlessness intervention in India using realist methods and intervention mapping. PLoS ONE, 18(11 November), Article e0293918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293918

Background Breathlessness that persists despite treatment of causal disease(s) is disabling, associated with high therapy-related costs and poor socioeconomic outcomes. Low resource countries bear a disproportionate burden of respiratory problems, of... Read More about BREATHLEssness in INDIA (BREATHE-INDIA)–Study protocol for the co-design of a community breathlessness intervention in India using realist methods and intervention mapping.

Views and experiences of opioid access amongst palliative care providers and public representatives in a low-resource setting: A qualitative interview study (2023)
Journal Article
Clark, J., Salins, N., Daniel, S., Currow, D. C., Jones, L., Pearson, M., Bunton, R., Mankel, J., Braithwaite, C., Gilchrist, M. M., & Johnson, M. J. (2023). Views and experiences of opioid access amongst palliative care providers and public representatives in a low-resource setting: A qualitative interview study. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(9), Article e0002401. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002401

Opioids (e.g. morphine) are affordable, effective interventions for cancer-related pain. However, equity of access to this key medication remains a global challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to explore views of palli... Read More about Views and experiences of opioid access amongst palliative care providers and public representatives in a low-resource setting: A qualitative interview study.

Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of malignant bowel obstruction (2023)
Journal Article
Bravington, A., Obita, G., Baddeley, E., Johnson, M., Murtagh, F., Currow, D., Boland, E., Nelson, A., Seddon, K., Oliver, A., Noble, S., & Boland, J. (2023). Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of malignant bowel obstruction. PLoS ONE, 18(8), Article e0289501. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289501

Background: Malignant bowel obstruction is experienced by 15% of people with advanced cancer, preventing them from eating and drinking and causing pain, nausea and vomiting. Surgery is not always appropriate. Management options include tube or stent... Read More about Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of malignant bowel obstruction.

Modified-release morphine or placebo for chronic breathlessness: the MABEL trial protocol (2023)
Journal Article
Date, K., Williams, B., Cohen, J., Chaudhuri, N., Bajwah, S., Pearson, M., Higginson, I., Norrie, J., Keerie, C., Tuck, S., Hall, P., Currow, D., Fallon, M., & Johnson, M. (2023). Modified-release morphine or placebo for chronic breathlessness: the MABEL trial protocol. ERJ Open Research, 9(4), Article 00167. https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00167-2023

Chronic breathlessness, a persistent and disabling symptom despite optimal treatment of underlying causes, is a frightening symptom with serious and widespread impact on patients and their carers. Clinical guidelines support the use of morphine for t... Read More about Modified-release morphine or placebo for chronic breathlessness: the MABEL trial protocol.

European Respiratory Society clinical practice guideline: palliative care for people with COPD or interstitial lung disease (2023)
Journal Article
Janssen, D. J., Bajwah, S., Boon, M. H., Coleman, C., Currow, D. C., Devillers, A., Vandendungen, C., Ekström, M., Flewett, R., Greenley, S., Guldin, M. B., Jácome, C., Johnson, M. J., Kurita, G. P., Maddocks, M., Marques, A., Pinnock, H., Simon, S. T., Tonia, T., & Marsaa, K. (2023). European Respiratory Society clinical practice guideline: palliative care for people with COPD or interstitial lung disease. European respiratory journal, 62(2), https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02014-2022

There is increased awareness of palliative care needs in people with COPD or interstitial lung disease (ILD). This European Respiratory Society (ERS) task force aimed to provide recommendations for initiation and integration of palliative care into t... Read More about European Respiratory Society clinical practice guideline: palliative care for people with COPD or interstitial lung disease.

Phase II, double blind, placebo controlled, multi-site study to evaluate the safety, feasibility and desirability of conducting a phase III study of anamorelin for anorexia in people with small cell lung cancer: A study protocol (LUANA trial) (2023)
Journal Article
Sousa, M. S., Martin, P., Johnson, M. J., Lind, M., Maddocks, M., Bullock, A., Agar, M., Chang, S., Kochovska, S., Kinchin, I., Morgan, D., Fazekas, B., Razmovski-Naumovski, V., Lee, J. T., Itchins, M., Bray, V., & Currow, D. C. (2023). Phase II, double blind, placebo controlled, multi-site study to evaluate the safety, feasibility and desirability of conducting a phase III study of anamorelin for anorexia in people with small cell lung cancer: A study protocol (LUANA trial). PLoS ONE, 18(5 May), Article e0285850. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285850

Anorexia is experienced by most people with lung cancer during the course of their disease and treatment. Anorexia reduces response to chemotherapy and the ability of patients to cope with, and complete their treatment leading to greater morbidity, p... Read More about Phase II, double blind, placebo controlled, multi-site study to evaluate the safety, feasibility and desirability of conducting a phase III study of anamorelin for anorexia in people with small cell lung cancer: A study protocol (LUANA trial).

Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction (2023)
Journal Article
Bravington, A., Obita, G., Baddeley, E., Johnson, M. J., Murtagh, F. E., Currow, D. C., Boland, E. G., Nelson, A., Seddon, K., Oliver, A., Noble, S. I. R., & Boland, J. W. (2023). Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction. PLoS ONE, 18(8), Article e0289501. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289501

BACKGROUND: Malignant bowel obstruction is experienced by 15% of people with advanced cancer, preventing them from eating and drinking and causing pain, nausea and vomiting. Surgery is not always appropriate. Management options include tube or stent... Read More about Development of a Core Outcome Set for the research and assessment of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction.

Effect of regular low-dose extended-release morphine on chronic breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the BEAMS randomized clinical trial (2022)
Journal Article
Ekström, M., Ferreira, D., Chang, S., Louw, S., Johnson, M. J., Eckert, D. J., Fazekas, B., Clark, K. J., Agar, M. R., & Currow, D. C. (2022). Effect of regular low-dose extended-release morphine on chronic breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the BEAMS randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 328(20), 2022-2032. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.20206

Importance: Chronic breathlessness is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Regular, low-dose, extended-release morphine may relieve breathlessness, but evidence about its efficacy and dosing is needed. Objective: To det... Read More about Effect of regular low-dose extended-release morphine on chronic breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the BEAMS randomized clinical trial.

The range and suitability of outcome measures used in the assessment of palliative treatment for inoperable malignant bowel obstruction: A systematic review (2022)
Journal Article
Seddon, K., Bravington, A., Obita, G., Baddeley, E., Johnson, M. J., Murtagh, F. E., Currow, D. C., Boland, E. G., Nelson, A., Oliver, A., Noble, S. I., & Boland, J. W. (2022). The range and suitability of outcome measures used in the assessment of palliative treatment for inoperable malignant bowel obstruction: A systematic review. Palliative medicine, 36(9), 1336-1350. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163221122352

Background: Malignant bowel obstruction, a complication of certain advanced cancers, causes severe symptoms which profoundly affect quality of life. Clinical management remains complex, and outcome assessment is inconsistent.

Aim: To identify outc... Read More about The range and suitability of outcome measures used in the assessment of palliative treatment for inoperable malignant bowel obstruction: A systematic review.

Mixed-methods feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of a paramedic-administered breathlessness management intervention for acute-on-chronic breathlessness (BREATHE): study findings (2022)
Journal Article
Hutchinson, A., Allgar, V., Cohen, J., Currow, D. C., Griffin, S., Hart, S., Hird, K., Hodge, A., Mason, S., Northgraves, M., Reeve, J., Swan, F., & Johnson, M. J. (2022). Mixed-methods feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of a paramedic-administered breathlessness management intervention for acute-on-chronic breathlessness (BREATHE): study findings. ERJ Open Research, 8(4), Article 00257-2022. https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00257-2022

Introduction: One-fifth of emergency department presentations by ambulance are due to acute-on-chronic breathlessness. We explored the feasibility of an evaluation-phase, cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) of the effectiveness and cost-effect... Read More about Mixed-methods feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of a paramedic-administered breathlessness management intervention for acute-on-chronic breathlessness (BREATHE): study findings.

Comparing recalled versus experienced symptoms of breathlessness ratings: An ecological assessment study using mobile phone technology (2022)
Journal Article
Sandberg, J., Sundh, J., Anderberg, P., Currow, D. C., Johnson, M., Lansing, R., & Ekström, M. (2022). Comparing recalled versus experienced symptoms of breathlessness ratings: An ecological assessment study using mobile phone technology. Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.14313

Background and objective: Recall of breathlessness is important for clinical care but might differ from the experienced (momentary) symptoms. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between momentary breathlessness ratings and the recall of... Read More about Comparing recalled versus experienced symptoms of breathlessness ratings: An ecological assessment study using mobile phone technology.

Persisting breathlessness and activities reduced or ceased: a population study in older men (2022)
Journal Article
Kochovska, S., Currow, D., Chang, S., Johnson, M., Ferreira, D., Morgan, D., Olsson, M., & Ekström, M. (2022). Persisting breathlessness and activities reduced or ceased: a population study in older men. BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 9(1), Article e001168. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001168

INTRODUCTION: Breathlessness is debilitating and increases in prevalence with age, with people progressively reducing their everyday activities to 'self-manage' it. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of breathlessness on function in terms of act... Read More about Persisting breathlessness and activities reduced or ceased: a population study in older men.

Implementing the battery-operated hand-held fan as an evidence-based, non-pharmacological intervention for chronic breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a qualitative study of the views of specialist respiratory clinicians (2022)
Journal Article
Luckett, T., Roberts, M., Smith, T., Garcia, M., Dunn, S., Swan, F., Ferguson, C., Kochovska, S., Phillips, J. L., Pearson, M., Currow, D. C., & Johnson, M. J. (2022). Implementing the battery-operated hand-held fan as an evidence-based, non-pharmacological intervention for chronic breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a qualitative study of the views of specialist respiratory clinicians. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 22(1), Article 129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-022-01925-z

INTRODUCTION: The battery-operated hand-held fan ('fan') is an inexpensive and portable non-pharmacological intervention for chronic breathlessness. Evidence from randomised controlled trials suggests the fan reduces breathlessness intensity and impr... Read More about Implementing the battery-operated hand-held fan as an evidence-based, non-pharmacological intervention for chronic breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a qualitative study of the views of specialist respiratory clinicians.