IAHPC BOOK REVIEW

ISSUES IN PALLIATIVE CARE RESEARCH

Russell K. Portenoy and Eduardo Bruera (Eds)

Oxford University Press, 2003 412 pp ISBN 0-19-513065-0 RRP $US 79.95 £49.50

The meeting on research and palliative care held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda in 1998 attracted people from all corners of the world, acknowledging both the growth of the new specialty and the level of interest in clinical research. This volume is an "updated proceedings" of that meeting, with contributions from many of the speakers, appropriately revised and brought up to date.

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. It is not exhaustive in coverage but contains a wealth of information. Topics covered include pain, anorexia and gastrointestinal disorders, dyspnoea, fatigue, depression, quality of life, and ethical considerations in end-of-life care. 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.

Roger Woodruff

Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia

(August 2003)

Author Information

Russell Portenoy is Professor of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Centre, New York, USA

Eduardo Bruera is Professor of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas, USA

Table of Contents

Part I Pain research

1. Methodological Issues in the Design of Analgesic Clinical Trials 3

Max

Part II Research in anorexia and gastrointestinal disorders

2. Methodological Issues Regarding Cancer Anorexia/Cachexia Trials 25

Loprinzi, Sloan, Rowland

3. Assessment of Novel Therapies for Constipation: Focus on Opioid Analgesics 41

Foss

4. Measurement of Constipation 53

Sykes

5. Clinical Trials of Antiemetics in the Palliative Care Setting Research Issues 67

Inman, Passik

Part III Research in respiratory symptoms

6. Multidimensional Assessment of Dyspnea 83

Dudgeon

7. Research into Nonpharmacological Intervention for Respiratory Problems in Palliative Care 97

Corner

Part IV Research in fatigue/asthenia

8. Studying Nonpharmacological Interventions for Fatigue 111

Wessely

9. Evaluating the Relationship of Fatigue to Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients 127

Jacobsen, Weitzner

10. Fatigue in Medical Illness: Research Issues 151

Portenoy

11. Methodological Considerations in the Treatment of Fatigue 173

Wagner, Cella, Peterman

Part V Neuropsychiatric and psychosocial research

12. Depression in the Terminally Ill: Prevalence and Measurement Issues 189

Chochinov

13. Issues in Measuring Family Care Needs and Satisfaction 203

Kristjanson

Part IV Quality-of-Life research

14. Usefulness of Utility in Making Decisions about Palliative Care 219

Smith

15. Assessing Quality of Life in Palliative Care 231

Cohen

16. Assessing Decision-making Capacity in the Setting of Palliative Care Research 243

Casarett

Part VII Research Issues in end-of-life care and ethical decision making

17. Research in Advance Care Planning 261

Emanuel

18. Research to Improve End-of-Life Care in the United States: Toward a More Behavioral

Ecological Paradigm 275

Solomon

19. Studying Desire for Death: Methodological Issues in End-of-Life Research 293

Rosenfeld

Part VIII Research in Practice Change

20. Changing Palliative Care Practice in Academic Medical Centers 309

Weissman

21. Changing Pain Management Practices in Hospitals and Cancer Centers 319

Bookbinder, Coyle

Part IX Research issues in special populations

22. Current Status of Symptom Measurement in Children 341

Collins

23. Research in Pediatric Palliative Care 355

Davies, Steele, Stajduhar, Bruce

24. Palliative Care Research in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency

Syndrome: Clinical Trials of Symptomatic Therapies 371

Jones, Breitbart

Index 403

 

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