title: Palliative care research in Africa: consensus building for a prioritized agenda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Palliative care research in Africa is in its relative infancy, with dedicated financial support extremely limited. Therefore, setting research priorities to optimize use of limited resources is imperative.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a prioritized research agenda for palliative care in Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a two-stage process involving palliative care professionals and researchers: 1) generation of an initial topic list at a consultative workshop of experts and 2) prioritization of that list using a consensus development process, the nominal group technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phase 1: 41 topics were generated across five groups, with several topics nominated in more than one group. Phase 2: 16 topics and three broad thematic areas were identified. The two most prioritized topics within each of the three themes were the following: Theme 1: patient, family, and volunteers-1) care outcomes and the impact of palliative care as perceived by patients and caregivers and 2) palliative care needs of children; Theme 2: health providers-1) impact of palliative care training on care and practice and 2) integration of palliative care and antiretroviral therapy services; and Theme 3: health systems-1) palliative care needs assessments at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels and 2) integration of palliative care into health systems and educational curricula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consensus-based palliative care topics determined by the study can assist researchers in optimizing limited research capacities by focusing on these prioritized areas. Subsequent to the identification and publication of the research agenda, concrete steps will be undertaken by the African Palliative Care Research Network and other partners to help implement it.
authors.affiliation: HealthCare Chaplaincy, New York, New York, USA. Electronic address: richard2powell@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, London, United Kingdom; Palliative Medicine Programme, Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: African Palliative Care Association, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Namisango
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katabira
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Medicine, School of Public Health University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gwyther
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Palliative Care Centre, Malteser Hospital Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
authors.affiliation: Primary Palliative Care Research Group, General Practice Section, Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maged
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Ansary
authors.affiliation: Makerere Palliative Care Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Mhoira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Centre for Palliative Care, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ike O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.affiliation: Gauteng Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Charmaine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kariuki
authors.affiliation: Mildmay Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Ivy
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kasirye
authors.affiliation: Makerere Palliative Care Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Namukwaya
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Unit, Radiation and Isotope Centre, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Nahla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gafer
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casarett
authors.affiliation: African Palliative Care Association, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Mackuline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atieno
authors.affiliation: Open Society Foundations, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Faith N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Mwangi-Powell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D002648:Child; D004517:Education, Professional; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Africa; palliative care; participatory; priorities; research agenda