Palliative care is rapidly evolving as a multidimensional therapeutic model devoted to improving the quality of life of all patients with life-threatening illness. Symptom control, management of psychosocial and spiritual concerns, decision making consistent with values and goals, and care of the imminently dying that is appropriate and sensitive to the unique needs of the individual and family - these are among the critical issues addressed through palliative care. As this discipline has evolved, the need for research in all these areas has become widely acknowledged. Issues in Palliative Care Research describes both the progress that already has been made in the investigation of these issues and the methodological elements that must be addressed in future studies. The perspective is broad and the overriding goal is to inform about the state of the art in these rapidly evolving areas of research.
Review: It is a book that should appeal not only to palliative care researchers, but also to palliative care clinicians and advanced palliative care trainees alike. This reviewer will be adding this book to the must read list of readings for his program's palliative care residents (registrars) and fellows. Palliative Medicine, 18 This is a state-of-the-art review of research in palliative care, describing what has been achieved so far and defining the methodological issues yet to be resolved... Anyone involved in palliative care research will find this book both interesting and stimulating. Anyone initiating a research project in palliative care would be well advised to check with this volume to see what lessons have been learned by experienced researchers who have gone before them. IAHPC website