Clinical priorities, barriers and solutions in end-of-life cancer care research across Europe. Report from a workshop.
OBJECTIVE
The PRISMA project is aiming to co-ordinate research priorities, measurement and practice in end-of-life (EOL) care in Europe. As part of PRISMA we undertook a questionnaire survey and a subsequent workshop to (1) identify clinical priorities for EOL care research in Europe and propose a future research agenda and (2) identify barriers to EOL care research, and possibilities and solutions to improve the research.


METHODS
Thirty participants selected among the principally medical survey responders from 25 European countries attended. Twenty-six answered a preparatory pre-workshop questionnaire based on the survey results. Group work was a main part of the workshop.


RESULTS
Consensus was reached on the following priorities for EOL cancer care research in Europe: symptomatology, issues related to care of the dying, and policy and organisation of services. Methodology was regarded important in all areas, including assessment/measurement and classification. Symptom research should particularly emphasise pain, fatigue, cachexia, delirium and breathlessness. Research should move from descriptive to interventional studies. The lack of consensus on definitions and outcomes was identified as a substantial research barrier. Other barriers were related to capacity and funding, environment and culture and knowledge transfer and dissemination. These areas are interrelated and should not be addressed in isolation.


CONCLUSIONS
Consensus was obtained on priority areas and research nature for EOL care research in the next years, and a model for addressing barriers was developed.
Sigurdardottir
Katrin Ruth
KR
Dept. of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, St Olavs Hospital, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway. katrin.sigurdardottir@haraldsplass.no
Haugen
Dagny Faksvåg
DF
van der Rijt
Carin C D
CC
Sjøgren
Per
P
Harding
Richard
R
Higginson
Irene J
IJ
Kaasa
Stein
S
D005060:Europe; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends