Procedure Focus:
- Cancer pain management
- Symptom control in advanced illness
- Psychological support
- Caregiver support
- Family conference
- Mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST)
- Guided mini-mindfulness exercises
- Advance care planning
- End-of-life care
Condition Treated:
- Advanced cancer
- Advanced chronic kidney disease
- Advanced heart failure
- Advanced lung disease
- Advanced chronic liver disease
- Advanced neurological disease
- Advanced dementia
- Advanced HIV
- Severe critical illness in ICU
Memberships & Associations:
- Malaysian Medical Association (since 2000)
- Academy of Medicine, Malaysia (since 2008)
- Malaysian Hospice Council (since 2020)
- Asia Pacific Hospice Network (since 2008)
- European Association for Palliative Care (since 2014)
- International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (since 2014)
- Malaysian Medical Council Palliative Medicine Subspecialty Evaluation Committee (2022-2024)
Post Graduate Qualifications:
- Membership of Royal College of Physicians (United Kingdom)
- Clinical Fellowship in Palliative Medicine (Singapore)
Clinical Training:
- Internal Medicine Training, Ministry of Health, 2000-2006
- Community Palliative Medicine Training, Hospis Malaysia, 2006-2007
- Postgraduate Course in Palliative Medicine, Singapore Hospice Council, 2007
- Hospital Palliative Medicine Training, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 2007-2008
- Hospital Palliative Medicine Training, University of Malaya, 2008-2010
Awards:
- Outstanding Service Award, University of Malaya, 2020
- Interfaith Discussion on Concepts of Life and Death Panel Award, HUKM, 2015
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programme Certificate, University of Malaya, 2013
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Programme Certificate, Oxford Mindfulness Centre, 2019
Special Privileges According to Hospital:
- Mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST)
- Guided mini-mindfulness exercises
Medical School:
University of Malaya, Malaysia (1995-2000)
Media & Publications:
Publications (Academic journals)
Publications on suffering in palliative care
- The experiences of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2014.
- The experiences of suffering of palliative care informal caregivers in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2013.
- The experiences of stress of palliative care providers in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2013.
- Health care interactional suffering in palliative care. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2014.
- Psychological processes of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2016.
- The suffering pictogram: measuring suffering in palliative care. J Palliat Med. 2017.
- Patterns of suffering in palliative care: A descriptive study. Omega J Death Dying. 2020.
- Contributing and relieving factors of suffering in palliative care cancer patients: a descriptive study. Omega J Death Dying. 2020.
- Exploring unmet needs from an online metastatic breast cancer support group: A qualitative study. Medicina. 2021.
- COVID-19, Suffering and Palliative Care: A Review. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2021
Publications on well-being in palliative care
- The experiences of well-being of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2014.
- The experiences of well-being of family caregivers in palliative care: A qualitative study using thematic analysis. Progress Palliat Care. 2021.
- The experiences of well-being of palliative care providers in Malaysia: a thematic analysis. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2020.
- The ABCDE of good care: A thematic analysis on the art of caring for terminally ill patients in Malaysia. Adv Mod Oncol Res. 2017.
- Hope in palliative care: A thematic analysis. J Palliat Care. 2020.
- Happiness at the end of life: A qualitative study. Palliat Support Care. 2021.
Publications on mindfulness in palliative care
- Mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST): proposing a palliative psychotherapy from a conceptual perspective to address suffering in palliative care. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2013.
- Distress reduction for palliative care patients and families with 5-minute mindful breathing: a pilot study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2015.
- The effect of 5 minutes of mindful breathing to the perception of distress and physiological responses in palliative care cancer patients: a randomized controlled study. J Palliat Med. 2016.
- The development of a brief 5-minute mindful breathing therapy for the reduction of distress in palliative care patients. Eur Psyc. 2017.
- Mindfulness: a new paradigm of psychosocial care in the palliative care setting in Southeast Asia. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2017.
- The effect of 20-minute mindful breathing on the perception of suffering and changes in bispectral index score in palliative care patients: A randomized controlled study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2018.
- The effect of 20-minute mindful breathing on the rapid reduction of dyspnoea at rest in patients with lung diseases: A randomized controlled trial. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019.
- The effect of 20-minute mindful breathing on the perception of suffering and changes in bispectral index score (BIS) in palliative care informal caregivers: A randomized controlled study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2019.
- ‘5 minutes mindful breathing’ smartphone application for reduction of perceived distress: A pilot study. Asian Pac J Cancer Care. 2020.
- The efficacy of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing in reducing dyspnoea among patients with acute decompensated heart failure – a randomized controlled trial. Am J Hosp Palliat Med. 2020.
- The rapid reduction of multiple symptoms in palliative care patients with a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing: a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2020.
- Mindfulness and suffering: a case report. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2020.
- The effect of 5-minute mindfulness of peace on suffering and spiritual well-being among palliative care patients: A randomized controlled study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2020.
- The effect of 5-minute mindful breathing on pain in palliative care cancer patients: A randomized controlled study. Indian J Pall Care. 2021.
- Mindful breathing: Effects of a five-minute practice on perceived stress and mindfulness among patients with cancer. CJON. 2021.
- The effect of 5-min mindfulness of love on suffering and spiritual quality of life of palliative care patients: A randomized controlled study. Eur J Cancer Care. 2021.
- Mindful gratitude journaling: psychological distress, quality of life and suffering in advanced cancer: a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2021.
- Suffering in advanced cancer: a randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST). BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2022.
Publication (Books)
- The little handbook of mini-mindfulness meditation, 2012.
- The little handbook of short cases for medical students, 2014.
- The little handbook of drug dosages for house officers, 2019.
- The little handbook of palliative care, 2016.
- Mindfulness and care of the dying, 2018
- Mindfulness (Comic), 2020.
YouTube channel on Mindfulness in Palliative Care