title: Symptom assessment in palliative care: a need for international collaboration.
abstract: This article describes the research strategy for the development of a computerized assessment tool as part of a European Union (EU)-funded project, the European Palliative Care Research Collaborative (EPCRC). The EPCRC is funded through the Sixth Framework Program of the EU with major objectives to develop a computer-based assessment and classification tool for pain, depression, and cachexia. A systematic approach will be applied for the tool development with emphasis on multicultural and multilanguage challenges across Europe. The EPCRC is based on a long lasting collaboration within the European Association for Palliative Care Research Network. The ongoing change in society towards greatly increased use of communication as well as information transfer via digital systems will rapidly change the health care system. Therefore, patient-centered outcome assessment tools applicable for both clinic and research should be developed. Report of symptoms via digital media provides a start for face-to-face communication, treatment decisions, and assessment of treatment effects. The increased use of electronic media for exchange of information may facilitate the development and use of electronic assessment tools and decision-making systems in oncology. In the future, patients may find that a combination of a face-to-face interview plus a transfer of information of subjective symptoms by electronic means will optimize treatment.
authors.affiliation: Pain and Palliation Research Group, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Trondheim, Norway. stein.kaasa@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Stein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaasa
authors.forename: Jon Håvard
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Loge
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fayers
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caraceni
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: Marianne Jensen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hjermstad
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Higginson
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
authors.forename: Dagny Faksvåg
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Haugen
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D020407:Internet; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires