title: What is the meaning of palliative care in the Asia-Pacific region?
abstract: This paper describes the preliminary work required to understand cultural differences in palliative care in the United Kingdom and three countries in the Asia-Pacific region, in preparation for a cross-country study. The study is intended to address cultural understandings of palliative care, the role of the family in end of life care, what constitutes good care and the ethical issues in each country. Suggestions are then made to shape the scope of the study and to be considered as outcomes to improve care of the dying in these countries. It is anticipated that the method used to achieve consensus on cross-country palliative care issues will be both qualitative and quantitative. Identifying key priorities in the delivery and quality measures of palliative care will involve participants in focus groups, a Delphi survey and in the development of clinical indicators towards creating standards of palliative care common to the Asian Pacific region.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Research Team, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University Australia, Frankston, Victoria, Australia. margaret.oconnor@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Anthony Paul
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Rusli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nordin
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D012846:Singapore; D006113:United Kingdom