Full Description
This book is an essential resource for the improvement of research skills among researchers in palliative care.
* It identifies key methods in palliative care research
* Provides accessible examples and discussions of practical, methodological and ethical issues
* Presents examples of good research practice
* Provides a wide-ranging coverage of the area
Researching Palliative Care has been designed as a resource for those directly involved in the delivery of palliative care who wish to pursue research but who have little or no formal training for, or experience of, conducting research. It is also intended as a resource for students on the increasing number of specialist palliative care courses, post-qualification short courses and taught Masters courses for health professionals which have 'health research skills' as important or central elements within their programmes. Although there are many general texts on research methods, there are very few which specifically address research issues in palliative care. This book seeks to fill that gap in the literature. It covers the range of research methods that can be appropriately used for research in palliative care by bringing together a selection from the best articles in the field.
Contents
Series Editor's Preface
List of Contributors
General Introduction
Part 1: KEY METHODS FOR RESEARCHING PALLIATIVE CARE
Introduction
Systematic reviews
Survey research in palliative care using bereaved relatives
How many subjects are needed in a research sample in palliative care?
Placebo-controlled trials in palliative care
the argument for
Placebo-controlled trials in palliative care
the argument against
What is qualitative research and what can it contribute to palliative care?
Ethical issues in qualitative research in palliative care
Part II: CLINICAL RESEARCH IN PALLIATIVE CARE
Introduction
Fatigue in advanced cancer
meaning before measurement?
How reliable are relatives' retrospective reports of terminal illness? Patients' and relatives' accounts compared
Pitfalls in placebo-controlled trials in palliative care
dexamethasone for the palliation of malignant bowel obstruction
Multicentre randomized controlled trial of nursing intervention for breathlessness in patients with lung cancer
Outcome measures in palliative care for advanced cancer patients
a review
Part III: NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AUDIT AND EVALUATION
Introduction
Key Issues in palliative care needs assessment
Palliative care needs assessment
incorporating the views of service users
The assessment of need for bereavement follow-up in palliative and hospice care
Clinical audit and organizational audit in palliative care
Formative evaluation and its relevance to palliative care
Index.
