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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

    2. Max

    Part II Research in anorexia and gastrointestinal disorders

  2. Methodological Issues Regarding Cancer Anorexia/Cachexia Trials 25

    3. Loprinzi, Sloan, Rowland

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

    4. Foss

  4. Measurement of Constipation 53

    5. Sykes

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

    6. Inman, Passik

    Part III Research in respiratory symptoms

  6. Multidimensional Assessment of Dyspnea 83

    7. Dudgeon

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

    8. Corner

    Part IV Research in fatigue/asthenia

  8. Studying Nonpharmacological Interventions for Fatigue 111

    9. Wessely

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

    10. Jacobsen, Weitzner

  10. Fatigue in Medical Illness: Research Issues 151

    11. Portenoy

  11. Methodological Considerations in the Treatment of Fatigue 173

    12. Wagner, Cella, Peterman

    Part V Neuropsychiatric and psychosocial research

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

    13. Chochinov

  13. Issues in Measuring Family Care Needs and Satisfaction 203

    14. Kristjanson

    Part IV Quality-of-Life research

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

    15. Smith

  15. Assessing Quality of Life in Palliative Care 231

    16. Cohen

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

    17. Casarett

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

  17. Research in Advance Care Planning 261

    18. Emanuel

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

    19. Ecological Paradigm 275

    Solomon

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

    20. Rosenfeld

    Part VIII Research in Practice Change

  20. Changing Palliative Care Practice in Academic Medical Centers 309

    21. Weissman

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

    22. Bookbinder, Coyle

    Part IX Research issues in special populations

  22. Current Status of Symptom Measurement in Children 341

    23. Collins

  23. Research in Pediatric Palliative Care 355

    24. 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