Key characteristics of palliative care studies reported in the specialized literature

Wheeler, JL; Greene, A; Tieman, JJ; Abernethy, AP; Currow, DC

Key characteristics of palliative care studies reported in the specialized literature

Wheeler, JL Greene, A Tieman, JJ Abernethy, AP Currow, DC

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2012, 43 (6), pp. 987 - 992
Issue Date:: 2012-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wheeler, JL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Greene, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tieman, JJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Abernethy, AP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Currow, DC https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1988-1250	en_US
dc.date.available	2011-07-12	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-06-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2012, 43 (6), pp. 987 - 992	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0885-3924	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115530
dc.description.abstract	Context: Although research activity in palliative care is rapidly increasing, the composition of published studies - in terms of significant research characteristics - has not yet been well described. Objectives: To describe the topics of and funding for palliative care studies reported in the three hospice and palliative care journals with the highest impact factors (Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Palliative Medicine, and Journal of Palliative Medicine). Methods: This was a substudy of a larger bibliographic study. The targeted journals were searched for 2007 using a previously validated Ovid MEDLINE filter for palliative care. All empirical palliative care studies were included. Articles were classified according to topics (palliative care patient, caregiver/family, health professional, service provision, tool development, healthy volunteer, medication compatibility, community), study type (intervention, nonintervention), country of origin, and funding source (pharmaceutical company, other funder, unfunded). Results: Of 409 citations identified, the search yielded 189 eligible articles. Most articles were descriptive/observational. Approximately half were unfunded. Caregivers, healthy volunteers, and health service research were the least frequent topics for research. Only five randomized controlled trials were reported. Conclusion: Although there is a broad range of research undertaken in palliative care, few studies generate high-level evidence, with data showing a relative lack of funding for hospice and palliative care studies. © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Pain and Symptom Management	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2011.07.012	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Anesthesiology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Pain	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Treatment Outcome	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Terminal Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Periodicals as Topic	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic	en_US
dc.title	Key characteristics of palliative care studies reported in the specialized literature	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	43	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	43	en_US

Abstract:

Context: Although research activity in palliative care is rapidly increasing, the composition of published studies - in terms of significant research characteristics - has not yet been well described. Objectives: To describe the topics of and funding for palliative care studies reported in the three hospice and palliative care journals with the highest impact factors (Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Palliative Medicine, and Journal of Palliative Medicine). Methods: This was a substudy of a larger bibliographic study. The targeted journals were searched for 2007 using a previously validated Ovid MEDLINE filter for palliative care. All empirical palliative care studies were included. Articles were classified according to topics (palliative care patient, caregiver/family, health professional, service provision, tool development, healthy volunteer, medication compatibility, community), study type (intervention, nonintervention), country of origin, and funding source (pharmaceutical company, other funder, unfunded). Results: Of 409 citations identified, the search yielded 189 eligible articles. Most articles were descriptive/observational. Approximately half were unfunded. Caregivers, healthy volunteers, and health service research were the least frequent topics for research. Only five randomized controlled trials were reported. Conclusion: Although there is a broad range of research undertaken in palliative care, few studies generate high-level evidence, with data showing a relative lack of funding for hospice and palliative care studies. © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115530