title: Why is high-quality research on palliative care so hard to do? Barriers to improved research from a survey of palliative care researchers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substantial agreement has been achieved on research priorities in palliative care over the past 15 years, as evidenced by consensus conferences and systematic reviews. Despite the presence of a widely endorsed research agenda, however, addressing the gaps in scientific knowledge has progressed slowly, suggesting that researchers face significant obstacles to conducting high-quality research on the most pressing topics in the field.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To systematically identify barriers to improved and expanded palliative care research as reported by researchers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured telephone interviews to solicit barriers to research in palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposive, interdisciplinary sample of 61 leading researchers in palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using standard qualitative methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents named five barriers impeding progress: (1) funding, (2) institutional capacity, (3) researcher workforce, (4) challenges related to the topic and population (e.g., attrition, heightened human subjects protections), and (5) public and professional misunderstanding of palliative care and aversion to topics related to serious illness and end-of-life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research in palliative care is being held back by significant barriers that require the attention of institutions and funders. The consensus within the interdisciplinary sample indicates that concentrated effort to address barriers related to funding and researcher workforce could facilitate progress on established research priorities. More research is needed on viable strategies for overcoming the identified barriers.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Human Development, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York.
authors.forename: Emily K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riffin
authors.forename: M Cary
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adelman
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warmington
authors.forename: Sonal S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pillemer
mesh_terms: D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010166:Palliative Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014481:United States